Dadish 3 takes one step forward from the other two previous games by providing a bit more details and gameplay variety but overall takes two steps back due the inferior level design and setup. Gameplay felt slower than previous entries and to make matters worse, levels are on the longer side and are designed to be more challenging which, instead of introducing a challenging fun mechanic, ends up slowing gameplay down considerably. The best example is the last world which takes place underwater, making progression and level replay sluggish as heck.

Other than that, Dadish 3 features the same looks and approach from previous games with silly humor and an overall simple pick up to play platforming mechanic with one button jumps and double jumps.

Another con is that, this being the newer game of the 3, goes for a higher price point versus the (in my opinion) better prequels, so thread lightly if you want to get this game. Even at a sale price the game feels on the high side, but oh well.

I've been trying to get to this review, but every time I start it, I think about eating handfuls of delicious Pikmin and I get too distracted. I like to imagine myself lying flat on my belly with my mouth open, hundreds of Pikmin lined up and marching right down my gullet. As you can imagine, it's hard to write a review with such decadent fantasies dancing through my mind.

If I could, I would shrink myself down to Pikmin size, and like Captain Olimar, I would gain their trust. There are so many Pikmin that they would never notice one or two of their own missing. Rather than satiate myself on many Pikmin, I can gorge myself on one. A plump Pikmin roasting over an open fire, filling my nose with such smells, my ears with the gentle crackles and pops of its searing flesh... Ah, a delight for the senses.

By the time my many crimes are exposed it will be too late. My belly will have popped, come undone like some flimsy seam on an old overworn shirt, and they will have to roll my bloated form into the autopsy room. "Cause of death: overconsumption of Pikmin," they'll note. "At least the bastard died with a smile."

At this point, there is little I can add to the conversation. This game is a masterpiece and one of my favorite games of all time. Having said that though, I highly disagree with the notion that the franchise needs to stick with the turn-based gameplay to be good. I have three reasons for believing this.

Firstly, if you include Super Mario RPG and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, this was the fourth Mario RPG in a row with the same gameplay and structure. It's likely the developers wanted to try out different kinds of strategic gameplay while still keeping the features that made Paper Mario unique from other RPG franchises (unique chapters, witty dialogue, and a straightforward goal). In fact, when this game originally came out, some people criticized it for feeling too familiar to Paper Mario 64, which already had a lot in common with Super Mario RPG.

My second reason is that despite my love for this game, it is not a flawless masterpiece. All of the Paper Mario games have issues. The backtracking in chapters 4 and 7 are obnoxious and it makes little sense for most partners in these games to keep following Mario all over the place or to not say anything unless you happen to have them selected. Good characters or partners in RPGs come from good dialogue and considerable screen time. In Paper Mario, however, the partners act like items in a Metroidvania, used to progress through otherwise inaccessible areas.

My final reason is that there have been good Paper Mario games that didn't use TTYD's gameplay. Super Paper Mario was a lot of fun and its shortcomings weren't caused by not adhering to its predecessor's gameplay, but rather not fully developing its own gameplay. It also helped that its story was perhaps the most complex of any Mario game to date. Paper Mario: The Origami King was similar. It rose above its flaws through powerful storytelling moments that I didn't think the developers were capable of.

My point is that Intelligent Systems has found ways to pleasantly surprise me with this series despite a lot of strange business and design choices. I am still very upset with Nintendo's restrictions on character designs. And yet, I still loved most of the time I've spent with Paper Mario. It doesn't matter that TTYD is one of my favorite games. What matters is that Intelligent Systems refuses to play it safe with the world's most successful gaming mascot. For that alone, they have earned my respect and I can't wait to see where they will take Paper Mario next.