One has to wonder how long Nintendo will be able to play the nostalgia card in order to maintain a steady fan base while, at the same time, continuing to hook new gamers. The success of their first party titles is obviously attributable to the attachment that players have with the characters, as games involving Zelda, Samus, and Fox sell systems. However, as a new generation of gamers makes its way onto the scene, nostalgia may take a back seat to the strength of new and exciting properties. Thus, a looming challenge for Nintendo is the application of fresh and innovative ideas onto an already established lineup. Perhaps the most beloved of characters, Mario, seems to be the guinea pig for many of Miyamoto's experiments. The ground-pounding plumber has made an appearance in almost every gaming incarnation, from soccer to sketching, and in his newest adventure for the Wii, continues as the catalyst for innovation. Super Paper Mario primarily pays homage to the hay-day of platforming, though the introduction of "dimensional shifting" and the light RPG elements propel it far and above most other recent offerings.

Even in RPG form, Mario is story light and action heavy. Super Paper Mario's narrative builds inertia via a comical opening cut scene, wherein Bowser and Peach are forced to tie the knot after being sucked, along with Luigi, into an inter-dimensional vortex created by a new antagonist, Count Bleck. Of course Mario, for reasons untold, avoids being pulled into the rift, left to squish and stomp his way to the others' rescue. The storyline does little to buck the good guy saves bad guy formula, however the humorous dialogue more than makes up for a clichéd plot structure. In fact, the humor is a major highlight. Making continuous reference to (or a mockery of) both past games and popular culture, the dialogue is thoughtfully crafted and unceasingly engaging.

Super Paper Mario not only ranks as one of the more amusing games in recent memory, but also as one of the more inventive; the game's subtle yet fresh play mechanic evidences the developers' expertise in reformulating tired ideas. At the outset, the run-and-jump gameplay seems standard fare, however the game opens up when the power to shift dimensions is bestowed on Mario. Upon receiving the power to shift dimensions, players become able to warp from a 2D plane to 3D, revealing hidden paths and secret treasures. Can't seem to avoid approaching boulders? Flip into 3D and sidestep them. Trapped in a chasm with nowhere to jump to? Flipping dimensions reveals a stairwell, carved into the side of the wall. The developers have created some ingenious puzzles using this play mechanic, and while the challenges seem rudimentary at first, they become less so as the game progresses. Not to mention, Super Paper Mario includes an enormous hidden dungeon, 100 levels deep, to further test players' problem solving skills.

In addition to dimension shifting, Super Paper Mario introduces the use of auxiliary combatants called Pixls to aid in overthrowing Count Bleck. Pixls can be found throughout the adventure locked away in various chests. After being rescued by and pledging allegiance to Mario, the Pixls become selectable via the game menu. When equipped, each Pixl gives Mario a different ability (such as laying down bombs or hovering in the air) that will need to be used at various points in the game to progress. These powers are not only limited to puzzle solving, but also prove very handy when defeating enemies. Boomer makes quick work of tough enemies, while Slim lets players slip out of tight situations by becoming paper thin.

Combat possibilities are further broadened by the inclusion of multiple playable characters, each with their own distinct play style. Mario is a great all-around character, both quick and agile; and, as the only one able to warp, the character most utilized. Princess Peach is generally slower, but her ability to ride the wind using her parasol is helpful in avoiding enemies and making long jumps. Bowser is the game's resident bruiser, able to do double damage and breathe fire, but his mobility is severely limited because of his size, leaving him unable to escape sticky situations. Finally, Luigi, who appears later in the game, plays very much like a higher bounding version of his brother. The developers have imbued just enough variance in the cast to justify the inclusion of multiple characters and warrant regular use of each.

Graphically, Super Paper Mario is a mixed bag. The 2D visuals are quite nice, reminiscent of those from the Yoshi's Island series. The hand-drawn backgrounds and boldly outlined characters fit the whimsical tone of the story perfectly and would be a joy to stare at for hours on end. Unfortunately, the gameplay relies heavily on shifting to a much less interesting 3D world. Warping to the third dimension takes you completely out of the smoothly rendered 2D plane and onto a blocky, jaggy pathway that seems to float in mid air. You see, with side scrollers, the third dimension is implied through layering - there is no periphery to account for. Thus, when flipped, the stages in the game become narrow pathways, inhabited by ugly sideways sprites, with nothing to either side. Imagine getting lost in your favorite game, then having to play it through with only wire-frame models. The lack of a finished third dimension similarly pulls you out of the game far too frequently for comfort.

The sound design is similarly lacking. A majority of the soundtrack is comprised of new tunes, realized in midi. Most are charming enough, but lack any real weight. A few classic songs have been revamped, including the famous theme, though with these, the melody is often overly obscured. In any case, it is still fun to hear snippets of older tunes, for nostalgia's sake if nothing else. The game's sound effects are a highlight, and are appropriately goofy. Mario is still a very limited conversationalist (there are no voice-overs), however his repertoire of "woo-hoo" and "okay" is intact and comical as ever. All of the effects that gamers know and love - including goomba-squishes, coin-block-hits, and pipe-warps - round out the remainder of the game's crisply rendered sound effect list.

Does Super Paper Mario prove a worthy successor to its predecessors? In a nutshell, the game succeeds in taking platforming to a new level. Despite the numerous shortcomings in presentation, the game pushes past tried and true game design to deliver an experience that is ultimately fulfilling. As long as Nintendo continues to blaze forward with such quality software, they need not worry about falling from the grace of gamers' hearts, both old and new alike.