This is such a weird game. On one hand, it probably has the best combat in the series. Adding a third controllable character does wonders for this type of combat. On the other hand, there's.... everything else. Characters are boring, story is boring, and it's barely even a crossover. People say only Sticker Star gets referenced, but the truth is NONE of the Paper Mario games get referenced throughout the game. Nothing more than "this character...but PAPER."
Biggest sin of this game, though, is it's pacing. People complain about "toad hunting" a lot, but it's a much bigger issue than that. Origami King integrated hidden Toads into it's gameplay loop and it worked fine, but the problem with this game is the fact that EVERYTHING outside of combat has to be treated like a minigame. Simple scavenger hunts and fetch quests feel the need to cut to a separate scene, restrict you to a limited area, and give you a "ready...GO" with the same like 3 themes playing for each "event." This extends to Toad hunting too, because every time you find a new town you'll need to enter the Lakitu house and choose between the 3-4 new Toad hunts that you just unlocked. And don't save these for later or else you're gonna have a REALLY bad time. This sounds like a weird complaint out of context, but it really takes a nuke to the game's pacing.
Add to that the weak writing and the not-very-good papercraft battles that you're often forced to do and you get what's esily the worst in the series. Not a bad game at all, but could have been so much better. Shame that the last original game in the series had to be such a low point.
Biggest sin of this game, though, is it's pacing. People complain about "toad hunting" a lot, but it's a much bigger issue than that. Origami King integrated hidden Toads into it's gameplay loop and it worked fine, but the problem with this game is the fact that EVERYTHING outside of combat has to be treated like a minigame. Simple scavenger hunts and fetch quests feel the need to cut to a separate scene, restrict you to a limited area, and give you a "ready...GO" with the same like 3 themes playing for each "event." This extends to Toad hunting too, because every time you find a new town you'll need to enter the Lakitu house and choose between the 3-4 new Toad hunts that you just unlocked. And don't save these for later or else you're gonna have a REALLY bad time. This sounds like a weird complaint out of context, but it really takes a nuke to the game's pacing.
Add to that the weak writing and the not-very-good papercraft battles that you're often forced to do and you get what's esily the worst in the series. Not a bad game at all, but could have been so much better. Shame that the last original game in the series had to be such a low point.
Paper Jam is quite the mixed bag in the series. A game absolutely brimming with comedy and fun, Paper Jam unfortunately lacks a lot of what made older titles so special to so many people: the worlds. The Mario & Luigi series so much represents the fun of adventuring unknown worlds, as each game applies this key factor in many interesting and creative ways, which really hurts Paper Jam in so many ways. When it comes to combat and systems, Paper Jam is as smooth and as, well, Mario & Luigi as you can find.
They get the two versions of Mario with great storytelling to come together...and it's a generic 'Save the Princess' story: in a fucking Mario RPG!!!?!?!?!? That is the lamest shit ever! Well, the gameplay is refined, especially on more complex difficulties. Paper Mario is a great companion for using special attacks with or pairing in the group. Play this if you want, but pick ANY OTHER M&L or Paper Mario RPG other than this.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam attempts a crossover between the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi series, but it falls short in execution. The writing lacks the charm and depth characteristic of both franchises, resulting in a narrative that feels flat and uninspired. The jokes, a hallmark of the Mario RPGs, fail to land with the expected impact, often coming across as predictable. While the game is passable in terms of gameplay, the absence of compelling storytelling diminishes its overall appeal. In the realm of RPGs, where narrative excellence is crucial for player engagement, Paper Jam's shortcomings in writing hinder its potential greatness.
Well, this is it. A sad conclusion to an unfortunate series that started amazingly, got a hiccup, hit again awesomely and then...yeah. A bland fourth game, 2 remakes (1 completely unnecessary) and this.
We come from a long way but the series finished not with proper justice.
The battle system is fun and way more interesting than what Partners in Time and DTB had to offer. Story is there.
We come from a long way but the series finished not with proper justice.
The battle system is fun and way more interesting than what Partners in Time and DTB had to offer. Story is there.
So immensely tragic. I really like this series, and i really like this game. But the game STINKS of missed potential!! Mario and luigi crossing over with Paper mario could've been SUPER INTERESTING. but they took the most boring parts of paper mario, slapped the brothers in really lackluster areas, and removed ALL the cool characters that were a staple of the Mario and Luigi series. The game is still fun, the writing is good, combat is really good, and the pacing is way better than in dream team, but it could've been so much more.