Mario & Luigi Paper Jam Reviews
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros is wholesome, warm, but occasionally wearisome.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam is just as wacky and enjoyable as any other past iteration of the series, but it fails to change things up in a meaningful way for longtime fans.
If you've never played a Mario & Luigi game, this is the perfect on-boarding point. It's got a hilarious script, near-flawless battling, and bucketfuls of charm.
Mario & Luigi continues to have the best sense of humor of Nintendo's assorted franchises, and a quicker pace in the tutorial and storytelling departments make this one of the best entries yet
Paper Jam's cute and punchy moments are offset by its frustrating repetition
AlphaDream hits the mark again in terms of combat and dialogue, even if some new additions fall flat.
Delightful, yet tedious. Paper Jam is beautifully crafted but just doesn't know when to quit.
Surprisingly, however, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam dishes up an interesting take on the Mario RPG formula without wandering too far from its roots. Some may scorn the lack of drastic change in the gameplay and while it's fair to conclude it is more of the same in most parts, Paper Jam is — at its heart — a solid RPG with plentiful personality. It may not be the RPG we had sought at the beginning, but it's one that marries together most (though not all) of what makes this Mario spin-off so immediately engrossing.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam totally succeeds as an accessible, entertaining and lengthy crossover for fans and newcomers alike. It introduces a solid list of worthy new mechanics, particularly building upon the battle system in some exciting new ways, and breaking exploration up with random quests. It's more of a mini RPG than ever, but doesn't quite nail it when it comes to environmental design and storytelling. In the end it's Paper Jam's simplicity that makes it a great starting point and an easy recommendation, but also holds it back from taking full advantage of more dimensions than ever before.
This game is in no way a revolution of what's come before, but that doesn't matter one bit - the mechanics are still as solid as they always were, the humour still makes my face ache from smiling, and not once did it ever outstay its welcome.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam does everything you would expect it to do, and is all the better for it.
As a crossover between two of the more beloved alternative Mario adventures coming together as one, it truly feels like the paper mâché of the spin-off Mario RPG titles. Not all of its elements stick together entirely or fit nicely, but Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam still gets by with a lot of heart and humor to boot.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam can get a bit grindy at times and drag on at certain times, especially the first time where it looks like the game's end is at hand. But there's more than enough masterfully comedic writing to carry the day, between the sight gags, fourth-wall-breaking references, and Luigi's pratfalls. While that can be used to describe most Mario & Luigi RPGs, it's tough to maintain comedic consistency in video games, so Nintendo and AlphaDream definitely deserves some props for managing to wring out a few smiles.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam is an odd game, a semi-successful title that achieves a lot of success in its different elements but fails to come together as a cohesive title. Where gameplay is good, it's got subtle strengths and intense engagement. Where it's bad it borders on game-breaking design, likesome of those Toad-capturing sections, and RPG-lite mediocrity. Hopefully, the game is representative of growing pains for the series.
Overall, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam is a really rock solid game, with a few visible creases that need to be noted before purchase. It captures the bright colorful fun of the Mario universe perfectly, pairing it with incredibly well localized dialogue and a very strong combat system. While it sometimes holds your hand for a little too long and at times fails to take proper risks, it was consistently polished, enjoyable and memorable.
The latest entry in the Mario & Luigi and Paper Mario series is a good one. The new trio works smoothly, and the game is as funny as it always been. But the Paper Toad missions are a bit tedious and the Papercraft battles lack something.
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There's a disappointing lack of invention in the paper thin story and characters, but the combat and witty dialogue is as good as the series has ever been.
Nintendo's latest handheld RPG is bursting with entertaining activities and a clever wit to boot. Just don't use your Amiibo with it and you'll have a blast.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam is a wonderful mashup of two already great series. The visuals aren't all that impressive, even for the 3DS, but the gameplay is classic Mario RPG stuff. Fans of either series will like how these two come together in the story department, with a truly enjoyable script that will have players laughing throughout.
All in all, Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam is still a fun RPG that fans of the previous game will enjoy. The mini games regarding the Paper Toads are really annoying and monotonous after a while, but the core game play is solid and works really well. Top that off with a great art style and some pretty funny humor, and there's still a lot of enjoyment to be had with Paper Jam. I still highly suggest it.