I'm so conflicted about this game. On the one hand, it's one of the most unique games Nintendo has ever published, with story beats they've never attempted since it came out. I think it's a great follow-up to TTYD and the last great game in the series before Sticker Star.

HOWEVER, this game also has some of the worst padding I've seen, horrible backtracking, and weak platforming by Mario standards.

Story:
This game is like if Romeo and Juliet were an anime, and Mario characters were half-hazardly shoved in. A background story in the game is revealed between chapters, and it paints the protagonist and antagonist as very sympathetic characters. You really feel for their relationship and hope it works out. The individual levels also have great stories. One section takes place in "hell," and you must go to "heaven" to save the angels. I couldn't make this shit up if I wanted to, and it's crazy to think it's in a Mario game.

Gameplay:
While the story is this game's main course, the gameplay is the horrible appetizer we all try to forget. At times, it has substantial platforming and mixes with the RPG elements in a way that works. At other times, it sucks. I don't think I need to mention the part where you hold "Right" in a hamster wheel for 10 minutes. There are many other sections that feel like the developers are trolling you, but it also makes the game interesting. It reminds me of old Flash games that pull tricks on you.

Overall, Super Paper Mario is a mixed bag—an ambitious story with greater ambitions that had no thought put into its gameplay. However, I respect it for trying so hard.

Also, what was with the green otaku?