Pros: Fun game, unique gameplay mechanic. Mario!
Cons: The game is a little on the short side (approximately 20-25 hours).
The bottom line: Playing as different characters, and the puzzle element of using Pixls, makes for a well-rounded experience. Mario at his usual best!
Super Paper Mario for the Nintendo Wii provides an unique, light-hearted gaming experience. Anyone familiar with the Mario story (which has been ongoing now for over 2 decades—a testament to its staying power) will instantly find something to like about the story line in this game. Mario and Luigi have a quiet day interrupted by a message that something is amiss in Mushroom Kingdom and that everyone’s favorite princess, Peach, is in trouble. The brothers immediately depart to find rescue the princess. Meanwhile, Bowser and his cronies are plotting an evil scheme but are interrupted by the discovery that Mario and Luigi have infiltrated their meeting. In the midst of the ensuing chaos, an evil character from another dimension appears with the Princess and proceeds to knock Mario unconscious and capture everyone else. When Mario awakes, he is approached by a colorful fairy that explains what happens. The fairy transports him to another dimension, Flipside, and the adventure begins.

This isn’t your ordinary Mario adventure however. The game is rendered in a beautiful 2-D manner. Surprises await as early in the game you learn the ability to “flip” the screen into 3-D allowing you to view items and paths that were not visible in 2-D. It sounds a little confusing but it is actually a useful and fun gameplay mechanic. Your quest takes you through classic Mario nostalgia as you try to find Pure Heart pieces used in an epic Good vs. Evil battle. Along the way, you gain the ability to play as many characters, all with their unique abilities (e.g. Peach, Bowser, and Luigi). Additionally, you will rescue other fairies that will join your party and give you exciting abilities (e.g. bombs and throwing). All told, the game provides a great deal of satisfaction with the wonderful addition of screen-flipping. One final comment is the ease of the controls. Super Paper Mario makes use only of the Wiimote, meaning you will not need a Nunchuk to play this game. Additionally, you play the game by turning the remote sideways, using the ֿ” and ׀” buttons as “A” and “B” buttons from Nintendo controllers of yore. If you love the world of Mario, you can’t go wrong with Super Paper Mario.