Paper Mario: Color Splash Reviews
‘Paper Mario: Color Splash’ makes a game of dragging the past into the present
Paper Mario: Color Splash is a charming, but paper-thin RPG
Paper Mario: Color Splash could have been so much more than it was, but its attachment to Sticker Star’s failed mechanics holds it back.
Paper Mario: Color Splash is a vibrant, humorous and fun experience. Continuing on the path of Sticker Star, its lack of more traditional RPG elements will leave some players cold, but it still carves a satisfying path all its own.
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…
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.
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.
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.
Paper Mario: Color Splash is the kind of simple, lightly enjoyable experience that I might have willingly gotten lost in at one point in my life. It's mostly inoffensive, usually charming, and a visual treat. The battle system is a drag, but it's emblematic of a larger problem that is also reflected in the quests: it simply doesn't respect the player's time. With more aggressive story editing and less desire to reinvent the wheel, this may have been something truly special. Instead it's merely fine.
While I’m still wishing the RPG elements of Thousand Year Door were back here, I still had a pretty great time with Color Splash. It looks amazing, plays great, and has some really great pacing that kept me coming back knowing I was just one more step away from another paint star. Wii U owners have been looking for a new game for a while now, well you just found a great one here and I highly suggest picking it up.
Paper Mario: Color Splash is an absolute delight.
Nintendo continues to paint over some of the best features of previous Paper Mario games, but the great script just about saves the dull combat.
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
What’s so impressive about this latest Paper Mario game is that, for all intents and purposes, it could have been just as grinningly dumb. This is an adventure revolving around the antics of paper-thin varietals of cartoons. No one expects Tolstoy. But the writing is smarter than most serious videogames attempting to evoke actual emotions. And that attention to detail—and a restraint diametrically opposed to its surface lunacy—is what makes the experience so humorous.
Paper Mario Colour Splash might not be the Paper Mario game everyone wanted, but it's a game that oozes polish and manages to sit somewhere in a niche between RPG and adventure game. It's a memorable journey full of charm, craft, chuckles and a whole lot of paint.
Paper Mario: Color Splash brings a delightfully funny plot to an involving and extraordinary adventure that can keep the player in front of the Wii U for over 50 hours of gameplay. With its lovely visual presentation, exquisite soundtrack and well implemented gameplay mechanics, Paper Mario: Color Splash is set to be one of the Wii U's most outstanding titles in the console's still growing catalogue.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Although is not a perfect title (the fighting system is not entirely convincing in terms of balance and rhythm), Paper Mario Color Splash remains a work of undoubted quality; delicious to see, listen to and explore.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Paper Mario Color Splash isn’t frustration-free, but compared to the Mario platforming games Color Splash is light and refreshing, an opportunity to have an adventure with Mario and his friends that doesn’t require lightning-quick reflexes and high frustration tolerance. You’d better be ready for some cringe worthy puns, however.
Puzzles aren't exactly inspiring, but good writing and typically first-class presentation amount to a more-than-passable plumb pudding.
Excellent writing, impressive visuals, and great presentation save the game from the somewhat lackluster battle system and make it a solid game that will provide fun for fans of Mario games and the Paper Mario series.