So, Super Paper Mario is coming out next week

[shang]

..in Europe, and I just realized I have hardly any interest left towards this game. I was pretty enthusiastic six months ago, but now that all the reviews have already been written and all forum discussion about the game has long since died out, the game feels "old" to me even though it's not yet even available here. There's no way I'm going to pay anything close to full MSRP for it.

I'm not sure how many consumers are like this, but for me the online communities are a big contributing factor for my enjoyment of games. And even if you don't participate in forum discussions, I'd imagine following game news and review sites would have the same effect. What I'm getting at is that companies should really try to aim for more global launches. It doesn't have to be the exact same date, but come on, six months and more is ridiculous. Nintendo is obviously the biggest offender nowadays, but the other two console makers have their score of botched releases too.

PC games see a lot of global releases, and I think it's mostly because of the lack of region locking. European publishers can't afford to stall with PC releases, since most people can easily import the US version. I'd really like to see EU or some such organization push legislation to outlaw region locking for the benefit of European consumers, but I guess hell will freeze over first.

[RichardC]

Can't disagree. I'd have bought it instantly a few months ago. Now, I'll probably pick it up, but eh, no rush. Mind you, I've barely switched on my Wii for months.

[gamadict]

You wouldn't be missing much if you skipped it. I could only stomach three levels, and I've heard the game actually loses steam as it goes on

[BobJustBob]

That's certainly an honest admission of being completely susceptible to peer pressure. I guess if everyone else jumped off a bridge, you would indeed jump too.

P.S. Super Paper Mario is awesome.

[Kevin Grey]

I liked it a lot but it wasn't nearly as good as Thousand Year Door. Then again, I didn't expect it to be when they ditched the turn-based combat.

[shang]

Well, not peer pressure per se, but I admit enthusiasm is contagious (and I'm sure others have felt the so called "forum effect" too).

However, my main point was that the game feels "old" since it's been out for so long already (albeit on a different zone) and since I've been exposed to so many firsthand play experiences via the web.

[Kitus J.]

I liked it a lot but it wasn't nearly as good as Thousand Year Door. Then again, I didn't expect it to be when they ditched the turn-based combat.

I'm just the opposite. Do I really need turn-based combat in a Mario game? That made the game painful for me and I couldn't hold any attention to it. I find Super Paper Mario enjoyable since it is more classic Mario with some adventure thrown in.

Would I play it on my own without the kids? Probably not. But it's a good family game.

[LesJarvis]

I liked it a lot but it wasn't nearly as good as Thousand Year Door. Then again, I didn't expect it to be when they ditched the turn-based combat.

I agree with this, but TYD is a huge standard to live up to, so I was pretty happy to see Intelligent Systems trying a new direction with Super Paper Mario. SPM is still a great game, but it does drag a bit in spots. I'm hoping that we'll see a more proper followup to TYD at some point in the Wii's lifetime.

[Kevin Grey]

I'm just the opposite. Do I really need turn-based combat in a Mario game?

When it's as well done as TYD? Sure.

Also, what does "a Mario game" even mean any more? Mario games now cover almost every genre so why not Turn Based Combat? Especially since it isn't exactly a new development- didn't Super Mario RPG back in the mid-90s use a turn based system?

[Fugitive]

I liked it while I was playing it, but thinking back, there wasn't really a lot that was particularly memorable about it, especially the later stages. I couldn't even remember where a few of the chapters like 4 and 5 took place until I went to Gamefaqs to remind myself.

[Aeon221]

When it's as well done as TYD? Sure.

Also, what does "a Mario game" even mean any more? Mario games now cover almost every genre so why not Turn Based Combat? Especially since it isn't exactly a new development- didn't Super Mario RPG back in the mid-90s use a turn based system?

Yeah, I remember that too. Bowser was forced on the party, you had to play it turn based, and there was some weird music thing you could do for bonuses.

I've gotten a couple of games because of forum frenzies. They often end up sitting on my shelf a few weeks later, gathering dust.

[RichardC]

That's certainly an honest admission of being completely susceptible to peer pressure.

No. It's an honest admission that excitement can wear off over time.

[Gaming-Module]

I sold it for most of my money back a couple of weeks after buying it. The whole Paper Mario formula just lends itself better to the turn-based gameplay approach. It's just easier to take in the corny atmosphere and tongue-in-cheek dialogue when you don't have to deal with jumping puzzles and other platforming nonsense.

And the things that you have to figure out to advance, such as the stuff in the town ... I just can't be bothered with that.

[Brakara]

I would probably have picked this one up 6 months ago. But with the onslaught of games forthcoming? Not a chance.

[Tsuyako]

My Wii (like many others I’m sure) has a rather thick layer of dust on top of it, and Super Paper Mario’s belated appearance won’t change that. I guess it’ll be October and the eventual appearance of Samus Aran that’ll force my to wipe it clean (and my OCD, it’s actually spotless).

[SqueakyFoo]

Super Paper Mario was a fun platformer game for the first 2/3rds. Then they ditched the platforming and made it a weird adventure-style game. Then they ditched that and made it: run across the room left to rigth over and over and over and over again.

I'd say rent it, and then as soon as you feel like you're starting to lose interest, return it and never play it again.

I liked it while I was playing it, but thinking back, there wasn't really a lot that was particularly memorable about it, especially the later stages. I couldn't even remember where a few of the chapters like 4 and 5 took place until I went to Gamefaqs to remind myself.

Pretty much the only things I remember about the game is the overly long black line on a white background level that you spent twenty minutes running through (no enemies, no interesting things to look at) to get to the end, and the first 2 levels which were awesome platforming.

[Jab]

I finshed it and already sold it, it's ok but I also perfer the RPG paper marios compared to it. The final worlds focused less on platforming and more on fetch quests and puzzles. The minigames you can find are pretty fun but I completely avoided the whole cooking system.

I hated that world too Squeaky, and alot of people here I remember didn't like World 2 or 3(been awhile and I don't remember which one).