Slashdot Mirror
Nintendo To Get DS Renamed, Paper Mario Sequel
Thanks to CNN Money for its column interviewing a Nintendo spokesperson on the company's possible strategy for the rest of 2004. Although not giving much away, the article notes official word that: "Though the company has publicly referred to [their new handheld] system as the DS since announcing it on Jan. 20, the plan was never to use that name at retail", renewing "Internet rumors [that] have suggested that system will be called 'Nitro'." The piece also mentions the company is "already planning a second wave of classic [NES] games for the GBA, with a possible launch date of the 2004 holiday season", and elsewhere, GamerFeed confirm Nintendo has announced a GameCube sequel to Paper Mario, an N64 title which was "an RPG-like game that was based on a unique combination of 2D graphics set against a 3D background." Update: 04/02 16:02 GMT by S : GI.Biz has the U.S. Nintendo release schedule for the rest of the 2004, "with Geist, Mario Tennis, Metroid Prime 2, Paper Mario 2 and Star Fox 2 all down for release between October and December."
*Cough* Parappa the Rapper *Cough*
Paper Mario looks a little different from Doom...and it's 2D graphics are part of the design, not an ugly cheat.
A "unique combination". It was unique in the way they combined the 2D and 3D.
If Nintendo is able to infuse this new Paper Mario game with the diverse gameplay and humor of Mario & Luigi for the GBA, then the game will sure to be a hit. Also, wouldn't it be nice if they included the original game as a pre-order bonus bonus?
Oh, and did anyone mention that Paper Mario was not nearly as good as Mario RPG or (at least from what I've heard) Mario and Luigi?
This is my sig. There are many others like it, but this one is mine.
This is a serious question. How long can Nintendo keep using past titles and characters as their main source of creativity? Old NES titles being ported to the GBA, sequels to previous titles. Nintendo really hasn't shown anything truly new for a while now in terms of story or gameplay. Eventually this *has* to catch up with Nintendo.
Oooo...Mario Tennis for GC. Though actually, what will the GC version add that the N64 version doesn't have? As a later release for N64, it's pretty much perfection...back in college in 2002, someone's N64 was always on downstairs hooked up to the bigscreen, running Mario Tennis. A GameCube sat there unused for the most part except for the occasional Smash Bros.
...
It all depends on who you ask. Paper Mario is my favorite out of the three, and Mario RPG is my least favorite.
Paper Mario looks a little different from Doom...and it's 2D graphics are part of the design, not an ugly cheat.
Yeah, those guys at ID never do anything right...not being able to do full 3D models in one of those all powerfuls 386s, bah.
Doom: 1993
Paper Mario: 2000 (in Japan)
Those kids today have no respect. When Doom came out, it was God on your computer. That "hack" of using sprites was the whole thing that made possible 3D enemies at the time. Textured 3D models for enemies were not factible until much later.
Uh...yeah...when I get these consistently good games, I just wish they'd do something different for once...
Wait, no. Nevermind. They're as original as anybody else is, anyway. Really, who's better? Whovever came up with that crazy roll-stuff-into-a-ball game, maybe, if that's really much more original than Pikmin.
Am I the only one that doesn't want to see another Paper Mario?
Just don't look, then.
Most of the first-party sequels Nintendo has made for the GC have been sadly lacking, mostly appearing as incremental updates instead of real sequels.
Is there really that much that was missing from the previous versions and can now be added?
From what I've heard, 'Nintendo Swiss Army Video System' would fit quite well.
Am I the only one who owns a Gamecube but didn't go near the N64 for fear of paying US$70 for a new game?
Paper Mario will be as new to me as any other sequel to a N64 game.
Mario & Luigi is almost the exact opposite. The story is bizarre beyond bizarre but oddly engrosing. The action and dodging is something you really have to see to believe. The puzzles are better than any other RPG I've played. I...quite possibly had the most fun on the first playthrough of this than any other game let alone RPG, yet I have no real interest in playing it a second time because I know what's comming plot-wise, and once you're good enough at dodging the fights become a joke. Seriously, If you haven't played this, rent it now (you'll probably finish it before returning it too--I've known people to beat all 20 hours in a single sitting their first time through).
SMRPG is a cheap Squaresoft RPG copying mainly off of the FF6/Chrono Trigger mold, but putting in some CG Mario Characters. Now, I understand this particular era of Squaresoft has rabid fans, but I never really saw the point of playing SMRPG when I could be playing Chrono Trigger or FF6. If you want a totally "tradidtional" "epic" RPG then sure, this fits the mold better than the other two, but I personally don't have all that much respect for the game.
First, just because it's paper-style doesn't mean it can't be vastly different from the original. Second, Paper Mario had massively untapped potential. There was a claymation-type thing I saw with paper once--flat world I think it was? You had Goldfish Bowls hanging as picture frames on walls; people slipping underneath doorways; people getting crumpled up and rolling down the street (and Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes did rolling in another way, as well as turning sideways to be invisible); you had people being folded up and put into other people's purses.
Paper Mario 2 seems to be trying out some of the potential it never used, like Mario folding himself into a Paper Airplane. Hopefully that's not all Nintendo throws in.
Ah, I shouldn't be surprised. Most of the first-party sequels Nintendo has made for the GC have been sadly lacking, mostly appearing as incremental updates instead of real sequels.
Mario Kart Double Dash adds a new dimension to things, and from what I've seen is the first Mario Kart game I actually respect. Metroid Prime...that gameplay really impressed me personally and it is new. I've heard that Wind Waker has a swordfighting system that doesn't suck (and frankly OoT was downright limited; Majora's Mask is a reasonable step up with the masks but still meh). Pikmin...no comment needed. Animal Crossing was never released in the US until now.
So...where's these lacking sequels? If you're referring to Mario Party 23419 those are no longer programmed by Nintendo; Capcom is doing them IIRC.
OH MY GOD! HOLLYWOOD RERELEASED CASSABLANCA ON DVD!! THEREFORE THEY'LL NEVER MAKE ANOTHER INNOVATIVE MOVIE EVER!!
Seriously though, Nintendo hasn't been making innovative story/gameplay? Umm what are you smoking? Warioware Mega Microgames is the best new gameplay I've seen in several years. Nintendo made Pikmin fairly recently. Nintendo made Animal Crossing. There's plenty of more examples but I grow tired of relisting to this kind of thing over and over. The point stands, they can and do do BOTH things at once. Don't they own more development studios than anybody else? Multitasking is NOT a hard thing for them to do.
First, just because it's paper-style doesn't mean it can't be vastly different from the original.
No, its because its Nintendo that it can't be vastly different than the original.
Their new motto is: Since we are running out of new ways to sell you the same old crap, can we literally just resell you the same old crap?
Though, Paper Mario is fairly cheap on EBay, so that's a solution.
I liked Paper Mario & Super Mario RPG a whole lot better than Superstar Saga.
Tuh, it still goes for ~40 over here, and I can get gamecube games new at Amazon for 30.
Well, movie studios rerelease films on DVD.
Well, uh... that's why they're the guys who make us the games. We say "Huh? There's no way to improve upon this game/franchise!" and then they come out with the Super Mario Bros. 3s, the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Times, and the Super Smash Bros. Melees of the game industry. ;)
In other words, just sit back and wait for the magic to come to you. (That sounded odd. O_o)
Agreed, and Nintendo above all others are good at making sequels of complex games anyway, Zelda anyone?