Paper Mario: Color Splash Reviews

Paper Mario: Color Splash is ranked in the 63rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Oct 7, 2016

Kunterbunt und quietschfidel: Color Splash sprüht nur so vor Kreativität, Spielwitz und Abwechslung und macht trotz abermals schwacher Kämpfe einfach nur Spaß.

Review in German | Read full review

Feb 8, 2018

"Clever writing, pretty visual style, overly simplified combat system."

Review in Finnish | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Oct 4, 2016

Paper Mario: Color Splash überzeugt mit einer amüsanten Geschichte und interessanten Aufgaben, spart aber leider etwas an den RPG-Elementen und übertreibt es ein wenig mit dem Einsatz von dem alt bekannten Pilzkopf der Mario Reihe. In Sachen Gameplay fordert der Titel einen leider auch meistens recht wenig, aber dank den gelungenen Animationen und den vielfältigen Kampf-Karten, macht der Titel trotzdem ordentlich Spaß.

Review in German | Read full review

9 / 10
Oct 4, 2016

Paper Mario: Color Splash isn't the Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door successor that many still resolutely hold out for, but that day may never come. But, the adventure that unfolds is a remarkable one, and joyously memorable for all the right reasons.

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8.5 / 10.0
Oct 4, 2016

It improves on the shortcomings in Super Paper Mario and Paper Mario: Sticker Star and while very different to The Thousand-Year Door it exudes the same quality fans have been expecting form the franchise. A must have title on the Wii U towards the end of its lifespan.

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7.2 / 10.0
Oct 9, 2016

Paper Mario Color Splash was a solid game that's great for all ages packing not only a vibrant world, but a charming story as well.

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7.3 / 10.0
Oct 9, 2016

Overall, Paper Mario: Color Splash is quite a remarkable experience despite some ideas falling flat. The sluggish battle system hinders the gameplay as a whole, despite the amount of fun I had exploring each level. It may not be the sequel to the ever beloved Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, but I’m glad I played it.

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7 / 10.0
Oct 24, 2016

A colorful experience held back by a few paper cuts

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6 / 10.0
Oct 13, 2016

Color Splash's story, gorgeous aesthetic, and brilliant writing keep it from being an absolute waste of time. But, it's utterly broken battle system proved to be just as aggravating and pointless as it was three years ago.

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Geeks Under Grace
Wesley Lantz
7 / 10.0
Aug 3, 2020

Paper Mario: Color Splash continues a trend away from the series' roots, and while that may not be what fans want, the end product is still engaging and, most importantly, fun.

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9 / 10.0
Oct 5, 2016

There’s a lot of content and fun to experience here, and Wii U owners owe it to themselves to give this game a chance. It’s not a direct sequel to Thousand Year Door, but it doesn’t need to be. Color Splash is a fantastic game in its own right, and deserves to be played by everyone.

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Adam Riley
Top Critic
6 / 10
Oct 10, 2016

Paper Mario: Color Splash is a complete joy aesthetically, looking and sounding fantastic, complemented by some very amusing script work. At its core, though, whilst attempting to mix things up as much as it can in order to keep the action fresh, its battle system grows tiresome very quickly, dragging the enjoyment factor down several notches. When tied in with its unnecessary - and awkward - reliance on the GamePad, it makes for somewhat of a rollercoaster ride, with fun elements followed by lots of frustrating experiences during the battling sections. Nintendo and Intelligent Systems should pick one route and stick with it: either go for straight-up platform action or make it the true RPG successor to the original Paper Mario and The Thousand Year Door that fans keep asking for. This current mish-mash of styles just drags down the series' reputation. For now, stick with the Mario & Luigi titles…

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Digitally Downloaded
Clark A.
Top Critic
Oct 26, 2016

Paper Mario: Color Splash is an endlessly charming, cutesy journey that represents a greater achievement for the art directors and script writers than Intelligent Systems as a whole. It’s a shame that such a talented studio opted only to tweak the flawed Sticker Star and, as a result, dull and unbalanced gameplay often holds back this whimsical romp. As one of the final Wii U titles, though, it’s certifiably hilarious and might just warrant a second look.

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GameSpew
Top Critic
9 / 10
Oct 15, 2016

Prism Island is full of secrets, and finding them all is an adventure worth having in itself.

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78 / 100
Nov 19, 2016

Paper Mario: Color Splash makes some mistakes that prevent it from being one of the iconic plumber’s best role-playing outings, but its level of creativity, wit, and overall charm is irresistible, resulting in a very entertaining time.

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Nintendo News
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Oct 5, 2016

With the battle system aside, Paper Mario: Colour Splash is filled with vibrant colour, characters and fantastic in-game level design. It may not be on par with The Thousand Year Door, but it’s still an enjoyable journey and, nonetheless, is a must-play for fans of the series. Besides, it’s never paper thin on content.

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Unscored
Oct 5, 2016

Paper Mario: Color Splash has vibrancy but little depth

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8 / 10.0
Oct 9, 2016

So, yeah, while Color Splash isn’t quite perfect when it comes to its battle system, there’s still more than enough to enjoy here, especially when it comes to exploration, storyline, genuine laughs and solid presentation. If all you have is a Wii U this holiday season, consider this a colorful addition to your collection.

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4 / 5.0
Oct 5, 2016

Paper Mario: Color Splash has a lot going for it. Most of the time, it's the kind of game that simply brings a smile to your face as you enjoy the fresh world and amusing dialogue. If it weren't for the tedious side effects of the card system and the disappointingly unoriginal cast, it could be a genuine Game of the Year award contender. As it is, it's still thoroughly worthwhile for its enchanting paper world (and the attendant tunes) alone.

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4.4 / 5.0
Oct 29, 2016

Although there are many similarities with the last Paper Mario game, the developers have addressed the concerns of their fans and created a much more rounded and enjoyable experience. The setup of the game is great as you explore the world, take on the Shy Guys plus the meddling Bowser, it’s assisted by the stylised graphics to help with the overall immersion factor. The soundtrack is brilliant as well, so if you’re looking for something fun to play without too many headaches, Paper Mario Color Splash is that game and so far, it’s my favourite game on the Wii U this year.

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