Thunder Rage, Fire Burst, Attack Potions, POW blocks, Ghost Mushrooms… These are just a few examples from a multitude of special attack items found in Nintendo’s latest Wii offering, Super Paper Mario. I, however, don’t have the faintest idea what the items actually do. Sure, I know from their inventory menu descriptions that they all enhance attack power, or are special attacks themselves, but I’ve never seen a single one in action. I’ve never needed to.
For me, Super Paper Mario is so incredibly easy that the very nature of the game design never makes a good case for using even a single attack-related power-up. And, the truth is that any gamer reared on the original Super Mario Bros. will probably be able to do the same. That doesn’t mean there aren’t occasionally some tough spots or some head-scratching moments, it just means players might not actually see a game over screen until the end credits finally roll.
Some will say that this makes Super Paper Mario too easy, and there’s a case for that. Still, I think the game’s difficulty, or lack of, is just the tip of a much larger trend in contemporary game design. For purists (aka, the hardcore crowd), it’s something of a turnoff. They’ll claim, and rightfully so, that there is no better feeling than finally mastering a seemingly impossible game. I know Hans could probably talk a little bit about that; he just downloaded the new Ninja Gaiden Sigma demo on PS3.
But, there’s a much larger segment of casual gamers who simply don’t have the words “push start to continue” in their vocabularies. The challenge for game designers is to find ways of appeasing both crowds. Super Paper Mario attempts this by providing a well-written story, an innovative 2-D/3-D gameplay mechanic and, to be fair, the difficulty does ramp up considerably during the second half. Still, the reason Super Paper Mario succeeds is because it fails to address either audience particularly well.
I’ve watched my girlfriend play with great frustration through several levels that were nothing more than speed bumps for me. She keeps going though. Meanwhile, I’m on the last level right now and I haven’t had to use a single attack item. I keep going though. Ultimately, the compelling story and innovative gameplay are more than enough to pull us both through to the end. Had the game been even a few degrees harder or easier, one of us might have gotten lost along the way.
On a side note, I think I’ll see what Thunder Rage does tonight.
