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[maxcriden]

It's one step forward, two steps back with this game for me.

Some of the writing and scenarios are incredibly clever and charming. But the whole thing where the game lets you proceed without having what you actually need to proceed is a detrimental design flaw.

I hope they figure it out for the next PM.

Not to be obtuse, but what do you mean by lets you proceed without having what you need? Like going into a boss battle without the pertinent card? The hints are generally significant as to what you need, at least. Better than they were in Sticker Star, IIRC. (But I really liked that game also so I'm part of the problem haha).

There is, but if I invest 5/10 minutes into the boss battle, I have to sit through all of that again after restarting, going to the world map, town, spending ages in the shop buying/managing cards and then going all the way back through the train level until I reach that same save point.

By the time I reach the save point, that's probably burnt a lot of cards I just picked up in scrub battles.

It's a chore.

I think n64coder is saying you'd go right back to that same point in the level, though I wasn't sure if he was correct in that as I'd thought if you leave and go into another level and then re-enter a level you saved in you restart the level from its beginning though any conditions completed are still completed. I might've misunderstood his post, though. Yes, it is frustrating to have to backtrack and come back. I recommend you build up a ton of cards, and if you need coins to do so just find a roshambo temple, one if the early ones that only requires luck when you first fight the Rock Paper Wizard, and keep going hack in and bearing the theee enemies that dont require luck to beat them (once the RPW is gone). You'll get an insane amount of coins this way if you need to. RSB Temple guide is here BTW, and note an important correction in post #5: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/187636-paper-mario-color-splash/74429882

As a rule of thumb, don't use any Thing cards younger until you each an in-game or in-battle condition specifically requiring them. At least, if do use one, immediately go buy it or acquire it again. I hope that helps.

This is false.

The scripted encounters/sequences won't happen again, and you could literally run past most if not all the enemies on the train, it's also a really short level once you did everything leading up to the boss.

You're making a big deal out of nothing, especially since the game encourages you to stop and stock up. Plus, now that you know the types of enemies in the level, you can buy cards in relation to their weakness.

It's fun, get into it!

This, too. Even if you don't start right next to the boss, you'll start on the train and the game will remember all the scripted sequences have already been completed, so you can just race to the boss. That's what I was trying to say above, but you said it better.

 

[Haganeren]

As a rule of thumb, don't use any Thing cards younger until you each an in-game or in-battle condition specifically requiring them. At least, if do use one, immediately go buy it or acquire it again. I hope that helps.

And you can have duplicate very easily anyway so... There is really no need to use them that much.

 

[maxcriden]

And you can have duplicate very easily anyway so... There is really no need to use them that much.

Right. I'm not sure if replica cards are any weaker, never could figure that out, but they're powerful nonetheless and you can get them very easily from battle spins and sometimes in the world.

 

[Notor!ousG]

Finally beat it over the weekend. My feelings on the game remain mixed, but I'm glad I played it. I did feel a bit for Bowser.

Spoiler

All he did was get a colourful Pride shell, but he accidentally mixed the paints. Continuing to bop him in the face with a hammer once he turned back into himself felt needlessly mean-spirited. I guess that fit with the reason of the game's writing though.

Oh please, after all he's done the past 25 years, he had it coming.

Also beat the game over the weekend.
Despite its obvious shortcomings (battling gets boring at the end, the card system, ...) I really enjoyed it. Actually one of the best games I've played this year, gives me a warm feeling inside.

Final boss was bad though, didn't like the blocking mechanism at all.

 

[wild wild rice]

Not to be obtuse, but what do you mean by lets you proceed without having what you need? Like going into a boss battle without the pertinent card? The hints are generally significant as to what you need, at least. Better than they were in Sticker Star, IIRC. (But I really liked that game also so I'm part of the problem haha).

One example is the game show, which is a great idea and would have been fun, but here's how many times I visited:

1. Noticed the dude outside selling cards. Had a full deck, didn't need any decided to proceed. Obviously it eventually became apparent that I needed those cards to proceed.

2. Dumped/sold 30 cards, bought the 30 cards from the shady dude, went in. Finished it no problem, got offered the bonus round, said nah I'm good, let's get on with the damn game.

3. Way down the road found out I needed to complete the fucking bonus round. (Because I fought a boss who needed a certain Thing card to be beaten, which I had discovered by trying to fight her, more wasted time.) OK, here we go.

4. Had to do all 7 rounds for the third time, got to the bonus round, lost on the final question. OK, maybe that's on me for missing the question, but the game's structure already had me wasting enough damn time on this game show.

5. Again, selecting 30 cards to dump (saving this time), buying the 30 cards going back in, was afforded the chance to skip to the bonus round. Sweet, OK game, that's a bit more reasonable. Finished it.


By the 5th time I was seriously ready to quit on the damn game.

Yes, I know this can all be avoided by constantly checking in with Trash Toad and Newspaper Toad, but is that really the best game design possible? I don't think so.

 

[maxcriden]

Final boss was bad though, didn't like the blocking mechanism at all.

Spoiler

The hit box or timing for getting the final block right was ludicruously tiny. I had to die after 3 failed attempts, go back in, do it again and I think my first or second time that time I blocked the final breath. But man. I'm not even sure how my timing was different that time. The timing in ridiculously specific. I enjoyed the final battle personally but I did think that was a bit too stringent.

One example is the game show, which is a great idea and would have been fun, but here's how many times I visited:

1. Noticed the dude outside selling cards. Had a full deck, didn't need any decided to proceed. Obviously it eventually became apparent that I needed those cards to proceed.

2. Dumped/sold 30 cards, bought the 30 cards from the shady dude, went in. Finished it no problem, got offered the bonus round, said nah I'm good, let's get on with the damn game.

3. Way down the road found out I needed to complete the fucking bonus round. (Because I fought a boss who needed a certain Thing card to be beaten, which I had discovered by trying to fight her, more wasted time.) OK, here we go.

4. Had to do all 7 rounds for the third time, got to the bonus round, lost on the final question. OK, maybe that's on me for missing the question, but the game's structure already had me wasting enough damn time on this game show.

5. Again, selecting 30 cards to dump (saving this time), buying the 30 cards going back in, was afforded the chance to skip to the bonus round. Sweet, OK game, that's a bit more reasonable. Finished it.


By the 5th time I was seriously ready to quit on the damn game.

Yes, I know this can all be avoided by constantly checking in with Trash Toad and Newspaper Toad, but is that really the best game design possible? I don't think so.

No, I understand. The Newspaper Toad only gives very general hints and doesn't offer nearly as much help AFAIK as the Trashcan Toad. That is an instance of indisputably frustrating design. They should have made it clearer in the dialogue that the Bonus Round item is crucial. Also, I think "Thing-Dar" should exist so you know what levels have Thing items you've never gotten. A few of them are ridiculously hard to find IMO. So I do understand your frustrations, and I appreciate your reply. I guess for me these frustrations (Tangerino Grill despite enjoying it) were few and far between so I loved the game despite them, but, I can understand how they could absolutely impact your enjoyment. I'm glad they let you skip to the bonus question that last time, at least. I also think once you beat the game they should have silhouettes/names in the card galleries because otherwise you're 100% using a guide. At least a couple people have been so kind as to make guides for these early. And at least the drop rate for cards increases after you beat the game. But, yeah, there are some QOL improvements to be made still. I did love the game, though. (Still need to do a couple things for 100% completion, thank goodness the last two RSB Temples took <1 hr combined, somehow, just dumb luck* but I'll take it).

*All RSB temples have at least 1/3 of the battles entirely luck-based, but as you get further to the end of them several of the temples go...down in potential to win overall. No spoilers but it's pretty messed up.

 

[Alpha_eX]

This is false.

The scripted encounters/sequences won't happen again, and you could literally run past most if not all the enemies on the train, it's also a really short level once you did everything leading up to the boss.

Unless I already did this once, it's only right I'd assume I'd have to do this all over again so excuse me for that.

I just find the battles a chore, I don't ever seem to get stronger in battle, so I always have to hit 10 jumps in a row or I've wasted a card.

I really wanted to be fine with the cards, but after the boo pirate island section, it just wore me down as I had to do tons of battles I just perfected. It felt pointless.

I'll try again later to get further, but I just want the story at this point.

 

[wild wild rice]

And despite my beef I'd still give the game a strong 7, meaning above average, simply on charm alone.

 

[maxcriden]

Unless I already did this once, it's only right I'd assume I'd have to do this all over again so excuse me for that.

I just find the battles a chore, I don't ever seem to get stronger in battle, so I always have to hit 10 jumps in a row or I've wasted a card.

I really wanted to be fine with the cards, but after the boo pirate island section, it just wore me down as I had to do tons of battles I just perfected. It felt pointless.

I'll try again later to get further, but I just want the story at this point.

Your assumptions are perfectly fair! The game is a bit unorthodox in how it makes you semi-but not fully-replay levels if you re-enter them after saving partway and then going into another level. I understand your frustration with the battles. I would point to my advice above about buying high powered cards and then also would just mention that Mario within battle never gets stronger, only outside of battle he does insofar as he can squash enemies rather than battling them. Many of the battles are a mild puzzle as to what can vanquish the enemies most quickly. If you get into a battle, you don't necessarily need Excellents (5 hits in a row, only 10 in a rows are the Hopslippers) to beat them. Get a stockpile of cards and then also do a battle spin (spending extra for the Faces and Slow modes) and get yourself a Replica Thing card nearly every turn that way. There are definitely ways to make battles easier on yourself. I hope this advice helps you to enjoy the remainder of the game as much as possible. There are some really creative moments still to come based on where you are in the game (80-85% I'd say).

 

[The Awesomest]

Wendy fight was a blast. So glad I've been playing lots of Rhythm Heaven.

 

[Im_not_that_talented]

After 45 hours, I finally completed the campaign.
All in all I really enjoyed the whole experience. The game felt fresh and it threw new things when you weren't expecting anything new anymore

Spoiler

The SMB3 + Super Paper Mario level was awesome.

Yes, somethings got frustrating (the battle system, running out of coins etc.) but when it's all said and done, I'm very happy with the experience I had with Paper Mario Color Splash. Another fantastic addition to the Wii U game library.

 

[Malus]

Finished this game a little while ago. It doesn't live up to Super Paper Mario imo (the only other game in the series I've played, I loved that game from start to finish) but it had a lot of memorable moments. The 5th star with the train journey was my favorite, jokes were on point throughout.

But like others have said it's a shame that Color Splash is dragged down by a variety of annoyances such as:

- Insta-death QTEs
- Unskippable cutscenes (except in Roshambo Temple for some reason)
- The single use card system that can lead to some unwinnable or tedious battles and backtracking
- Lack of character variety
- Only being able to pick up 1 star at a time even when they're literally right next to each other
- That obnoxious sniffit or whifit minigame. Slow as heck, game over for losing, and potentially unwinnable
- Some really punishing mechanics like Dark Bloo Inn's hidden timer and Shy Bandit sucking away completion percentage. These didn't happen to me in my playthrough thankfully.
- Kamek was just a pain in the butt throughout and like many things in this game felt like more of an annoyance than a challenge.
- It's not always clear where the "start boss battle" boundary is.

I really don't like the whole "talk to the trash toad and he'll tell you what you need" mechanic either, nor the similar one used for the tangerino grill boss battle. It just feels cheap and not fun to have characters tell you exactly what you need to do, but at the same time I did use those characters because I didn't wanna waste time with unbeatable bosses.

Imagine a point and click adventure game where your puzzle items are single use even if you use it on the wrong thing, and you need to warp back to the hub to buy more. It's not quite as bad as that sounds because it's not a pure point and click, but it feels really shit sometimes. Especially when you guess wrong during a boss and it kills you, sending you back to your last save.

Color Splash sure did have a lot of highs though. Awesome music, visuals, writing, and set pieces. Enough that I'm looking forward to the next entry even if they don't fix these issues. But please do fix them Nintendo/IntSys.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

I've almost got the Purple Paint Star,. Really enjoying the game, and you can definitely see more of the spirit of past Paper Mario games in this title compared to Sticker Star. My criticisms are still the same from early on in the game:

Nintendo needs to either go all-in or completely without on the battle system. In this hybrid system, battles are completely pointless and only act as a punishment.

Secondly, stop being so scared of telling original stories and creating original characters. You can tell that this game's story really wants to be something more, but continuously seems to hit against some arbitrary limitation imposed on the developers.

Otherwise, a fun game, where my only concern is that it seems to suffer the 21st century gaming problem like Super Mario 3D World and Monument Valley where it's almost more of an interactive journey rather than an actual game.

 

[n64coder]

I'm 55 hours in and about to do Emerald Circus. Still enjoying the game a lot. I've been filling up the museum as I go along. Whenever I get a new card, I don't use it and will save it for the museum. I'm now always using the battle spinner and will choose the faces option. 99.9% of the time, I get the replica card or some other card that I want.

Yes, somethings got frustrating (the battle system, running out of coins etc.) but when it's all said and done, I'm very happy with the experience

When did you run out of coins? Early in the game? Did you do the Roshambo Temples? There was never a point in the game where I was close to running out of coins. For the most part, I'm always around 7-9K coins.

But like others have said it's a shame that Color Splash is dragged down by a variety of annoyances such as:

- Insta-death QTEs
- Unskippable cutscenes (except in Roshambo Temple for some reason)
- The single use card system that can lead to some unwinnable or tedious battles and backtracking
- Lack of character variety
- Only being able to pick up 1 star at a time even when they're literally right next to each other
- That obnoxious sniffit or whifit minigame. Slow as heck, game over for losing, and potentially unwinnable
- Some really punishing mechanics like Dark Bloo Inn's hidden timer and Shy Bandit sucking away completion percentage. These didn't happen to me in my playthrough thankfully.
- Kamek was just a pain in the butt throughout and like many things in this game felt like more of an annoyance than a challenge.
- It's not always clear where the "start boss battle" boundary is.

I really don't like the whole "talk to the trash toad and he'll tell you what you need" mechanic either, nor the similar one used for the tangerino grill boss battle. It just feels cheap and not fun to have characters tell you exactly what you need to do, but at the same time I did use those characters because I didn't wanna waste time with unbeatable bosses.

I liked the Snifit or Whifit game. The first time, I lost. Then I won the first portion. I think it took me 3 or 4 times total to get both prizes. Wasn't bad.

When you referred to the lack of character variety, were you referring to the fact that some of the enemies had color variations rather than be different types? I didn't mind this.

Dark Bloo Inn hidden timer got me the first time because I didn't really know what I was doing. Then it clicked for me and I was able to breeze through the second time.

I found the trash toad/newspaper toad to be useful because there was one point where I was stuck. I think the problem is that I'm playing the game 3-4 times per week and it's easy for me to forget some of the details. I couldn't figure out which food to get and it saved me from having to go all over the place.

I didn't mind dying (8-10 times total?) in the game. Heck, in some of the old NES/SNES games, I died 50+ times so it wasn't an issue for me.

 

[Malus]

I liked the Snifit or Whifit game. The first time, I lost. Then I won the first portion. I think it took me 3 or 4 times total to get both prizes. Wasn't bad.

When you referred to the lack of character variety, were you referring to the fact that some of the enemies had color variations rather than be different types? I didn't mind this.

Dark Bloo Inn hidden timer got me the first time because I didn't really know what I was doing. Then it clicked for me and I was able to breeze through the second time.

I found the trash toad/newspaper toad to be useful because there was one point where I was stuck. I think the problem is that I'm playing the game 3-4 times per week and it's easy for me to forget some of the details. I couldn't figure out which food to get and it saved me from having to go all over the place.

I didn't mind dying (8-10 times total?) in the game. Heck, in some of the old NES/SNES games, I died 50+ times so it wasn't an issue for me.

Even if you don't mind the issues I bring up they're still problems with the game that can be improved imo. I played Tokyo Mirage Sessions recently on hard difficuly, a niche JRPG for hardcore gamers, and I found it less frustrating and more user-friendly than this Mario RPG. I can't imagine that's the experience Nintendo was going for.

I'm fine dying in games, I've died hundreds even thousands of times in some games before. It's the way they handle it that matters to me. This game had a theme of unwinnable or unfair time-wasting situations and it was always on my mind while playing. I'd be having fun but at the same time thinking "when is the game gonna screw me next." Trash Toad isn't a good way to solve that problem for the reasons I stated above.

The character designs in particular can easily be improved. They've handled it perfectly fine in the past.

After I used the Blow dryer to get the magnifying glass, I noticed the instruction manual icon pop up in the corner. I wondered why, since nothing new was happening, so I opened up the instruction manual and there were some dev notes about how they created that part of the game

Spoiler

like how they had a barbecue just to research the steak and charged it as part of the job

! It was a really creative use of electronic manuals, I thought. I appreciate the devs adding little things like that.

Yeah I really enjoyed the little details like that.

 

[The Awesomest]

After I used the Blow dryer to get the magnifying glass, I noticed the instruction manual icon pop up in the corner. I wondered why, since nothing new was happening, so I opened up the instruction manual and there were some dev notes about how they created that part of the game

Spoiler

like how they had a barbecue just to research the steak and charged it as part of the job

! It was a really creative use of electronic manuals, I thought. I appreciate the devs adding little things like that.

 

[maxcriden]

After I used the Blow dryer to get the magnifying glass, I noticed the instruction manual icon pop up in the corner. I wondered why, since nothing new was happening, so I opened up the instruction manual and there were some dev notes about how they created that part of the game

Spoiler

like how they had a barbecue just to research the steak and charged it as part of the job

! It was a really creative use of electronic manuals, I thought. I appreciate the devs adding little things like that.

The manual has a lot of really cool stuff in it! It's great. Thankfully there are spoiler tags so you know what you can read based on where you are in the game.

 

[n64coder]

I defeated the final boss. Great game. At the end, I 100% all of the paint spots except for 1 island which was slurped by a Slurp guy. I also got all of the basic cards in the museum except for a triple hopslipper. There are a bunch of enemy cards (probably around 20) that I still need to get and about 5 thing cards. Took me 63 hours to get to this point. I will go back through the game to finish the enemy cards. Not sure if I'll do the same for thing cards.

Oh, I also got around 92% of the cut outs.

 

[wild wild rice]

Got to the final boss and lost after falling into a battle of attrition and having to spin for one card at a time, a heart or a hammer depending on the need of the turn...only to essentially have to start over again after failing to block the final attack.

I'll try once more. For Huey, cuz I like him. But if I don't finish, it's off to YouTube the ending.

Final score: 6/10. They NEED to figure something better out for the next PM.

 

[maxcriden]

Got to the final boss and lost after falling into a battle of attrition and having to spin for one card at a time, a heart or a hammer depending on the need of the turn...only to essentially have to start over again after failing to block the final attack.

I'll try once more. For Huey, cuz I like him. But if I don't finish, it's off to YouTube the ending.

Final score: 6/10. They NEED to figure something better out for the next PM.

I liked the game a lot better than you did, but I agree the hitbox or window for that block was ridiculous. I recommend huge hammers for the attacks, if that's any help for the sake of expediency in getting back to that part.

 

[wild wild rice]

I liked the game a lot better than you did, but I agree the hitbox or window for that block was ridiculous. I recommend huge hammers for the attacks, if that's any help for the sake of expediency in getting back to that part.

My plan is to go to the card shop, sell everything and load up on huge hammers and mushrooms for the most part.

 

[Nocturnowl]

Having the final fight basically rely on not screwing up one counter input that doesn't have the timing it appears to was definitely a pretty dubious way to end things.

 

[n64coder]

Having the final fight basically rely on not screwing up one counter input that doesn't have the timing it appears to was definitely a pretty dubious way to end things.

I struggled with the blocks in my first go around because I was doing them too late. I figured out that I had to do it earlier and then it was a breeze.

A couple of nights ago, I 100% the game. Beat Bowser for the second time to unlock the final item in the museum. Spent 75 hours to 100% the game.

I really enjoyed the game and my kids loved watching me play. Now I'm trying to figure out the next game I should play. I'm debating between Zombie U or Wind Waker.

 

[wild wild rice]

I ended up beating him. Glad I didn't YouTube the ending, it was nice in an old school way.

Spoiler

I love endings that act as a retrospective of your adventure, featuring all the places you've been and characters/enemies you met.

 

[maxcriden]

I ended up beating him. Glad I didn't YouTube the ending, it was nice in an old school way.

Spoiler

I love endings that act as a retrospective of your adventure, featuring all the places you've been and characters/enemies you met.

Yeah, the ending was lovely. I'm glad you enjoyed it as well. That was a trying final fight given the aspect you mentioned above. If you didn't 100% beforehand you may want to YT the "true" ending. Which as I understand is just slightly (but notably) different.

 

[Incitemaybe]

Just got this yesterday and it's certainly engaging so far. I was a little concerned about all the steps each battle wanted you to go through but the 'advanced touch controls' option consolidated it a bit and it's been fun learning optimal ways to take out groups using the cards you have.

 

[n64coder]

Just got this yesterday and it's certainly engaging so far.

Is this your first time with the Paper Mario series or have you played one in the past? Hope you continue to have fun with it.

 

[Toadthemushroom]

I noticed a lot of people got this for Christmas, enjoy! I really dug this game, and it's definitely one of my favourite adventure-RPG games and was probably my most enjoyed game of 2016, even if it isn't the most well-rounded.

 

[Kyrios]

Got this game for Christmas. I'm really, really enjoying this game. No complaints at all from me so far.

 

[Toadthemushroom]

Even if you don't mind the issues I bring up they're still problems with the game that can be improved imo. I played Tokyo Mirage Sessions recently on hard difficuly, a niche JRPG for hardcore gamers, and I found it less frustrating and more user-friendly than this Mario RPG. I can't imagine that's the experience Nintendo was going for.

I'm fine dying in games, I've died hundreds even thousands of times in some games before. It's the way they handle it that matters to me. This game had a theme of unwinnable or unfair time-wasting situations and it was always on my mind while playing. I'd be having fun but at the same time thinking "when is the game gonna screw me next." Trash Toad isn't a good way to solve that problem for the reasons I stated above.

The character designs in particular can easily be improved. They've handled it perfectly fine in the past.

Color Splash can be quite exacting at a small number of points, I don't think it's fair to bring it up as a theme the game has. And their frequency (for me I got frustrated by the Dark Bloo Inn and the steak grilling) certainly wasn't enough to make the game a frustrating experience. It's definitely something to be improved upon but it's a pretty minor issue when all's said and done.

I guess it's about what you value and how you perceive the flaws. I found Tokyo Mirage Sessions to be a dull game, despite being a competently made one. Color Splash has a lot more character in its execution and mechanics, and I love it all the more for it. It rarely felt rote in its structure or design, and I loved how I was playing it because I was genuinely interested in seeing what was coming next, I didn't feel like I was being pulled forward by the need to level things up or watch numbers go up like a lot of RPGs tend to fall back on.

I don't think the lack of character variety is much of a criticism -- that the game's scenarios are so entertaining and compelling is a testament to the writing and design, and proves that the game didn't need to make very obvious NPCs out of characters. I found it refreshing to play a game that gave more weight to generic members of the Mushroom Kingdom populace.

 

[Conkerkid11]

Wow, these graphics are amazing. And the writing's great as well. Combat doesn't seem nearly as bad as I thought it would be either.

Edit: When's this bucket gonna stop reminding me about pressing down on the d-pad?

Also, doesn't it kind of defeat the purpose of forcing the player to use the gamepad if anything on the gamepad pauses main screen features anyway? I'd rather play with a nornal-sized controller.

 

[maxcriden]

Wow, these graphics are amazing. And the writing's great as well. Combat doesn't seem nearly as bad as I thought it would be either.

Definitely check the alternate battle options if you haven't already. They're a must IMO.

 

[TLZ]

I think I hit a wall and can't proceed.

 

[Conkerkid11]

Definitely check the alternate battle options if you haven't already. They're a must IMO.

I turned on advanced touch controls and I can now paint cards before going to the second screen. Is that all?

 

[n64coder]

(for me I got frustrated by the Dark Bloo Inn and the steak grilling) certainly wasn't enough to make the game a frustrating experience. It's definitely something to be improved upon but it's a pretty minor issue when all's said and done.

What was frustrating about the Inn and steak grilling? I mean, I didn't know what I was doing the first time around for both places but it clicked and I was successful the second time. I thought Dark Bloo Inn was a cool story and adventure.

Edit: When's this bucket gonna stop reminding me about pressing down on the d-pad?

Also, doesn't it kind of defeat the purpose of forcing the player to use the gamepad if anything on the gamepad pauses main screen features anyway? I'd rather play with a nornal-sized controller.

I don't remember the bucket reminding me about pressing down. I forgot, what does pressing down on the d-pad do again? I didn't have any issues with the gamepad usage myself. I thought it was useful to be able to quickly go through your card selection.

I think I hit a wall and can't proceed.

Where are you stuck?

 

[Incitemaybe]

Is this your first time with the Paper Mario series or have you played one in the past? Hope you continue to have fun with it.

I've played all of them in their time I'm sure I'll enjoy this one, warts and all. Both my husband and I are part of the rare kind that even enjoyed Sticker Star haha.

 

[n64coder]

I've played all of them in their time I'm sure I'll enjoy this one, warts and all. Both my husband and I are part of the rare kind that even enjoyed Sticker Star haha.

I also enjoyed Sticker Star. We're not as vocal as the TTYD loyalists. My daughters enjoyed watching me play Color Splash. They love the toads.

The only game I still need to play is the Wii Super Paper Mario. I probably put about 4-5 hours into the game and then stopped.

 

[leroidys]

Sticker Star fan checking in. Really need to get back to this one though. Am I the only one who finds the battle system worse now?

 

[Toadthemushroom]

What was frustrating about the Inn and steak grilling? I mean, I didn't know what I was doing the first time around for both places but it clicked and I was successful the second time. I thought Dark Bloo Inn was a cool story and adventure.

For the inn I thought the chimes on the clock were what was helping me to progress, not my actions saving each ghost Toad. So I waited around and then I got kicked out, haha. Once I nailed down what I was meant to be doing it was all good, but I did think it was a kick in the nuts to have to do it all again, including painting surfaces.

As for the steak grilling, I thought the amount was really exacting. Despite the Steak looking like it was done to the level I expected I was getting it wrong many times, and the time I did get it right felt like luck rather than me actually understanding something.

 

[maxcriden]

I turned on advanced touch controls and I can now paint cards before going to the second screen. Is that all?

From GameFAQS: "Advanced touch controls combine selecting cards and painting them. Basically you can place a card and then press on it to paint it instead of having to paint on a separate screen." Wanted to check that since we haven't played the game in a few months. Basically, it removes one of the screens you originally had when battling, you can paint and select at once instead of a separate paint screen. We felt like that one helped streamline battles; some others reported preferring like the other alternate control scheme, I don't recall at the moment what it's called (touch + buttons?) but it's a bit faster as well. When you get into as many battles as there are in the game, getting rid of one of the screens helps considerably.

 

[Conkerkid11]

Really starting to dislike the game now. Combat's pretty boring, and unrewarding, so I'm actively avoiding every fight. Disconnected world due to the whole overworld thing from Super Mario. Now it feels even less like Mario RPG, and more like the streamlined experience they've started to turn Mario games of every type into. Even if they were going for more of an adventure game, it feels less like that now because of all the backtracking.

Also so much handholding.

And the cutout ability is dumb and lazy. Trace the line for an excuse to use the gamepad, then really basic platforming. Meh.

Also, the entire game seems like recolored toads. Even the enemies have no variety.

 

[Incitemaybe]

"That only counted as one coin!"

Haha


Enjoying working my way through this. I really am enjoying the world.

Just made it to Dark Bloo Inn &#10084;&#65039; The music in many areas is great.

 

[Wikzo]

Really starting to dislike the game now. Combat's pretty boring, and unrewarding, so I'm actively avoiding every fight. Disconnected world due to the whole overworld thing from Super Mario. Now it feels even less like Mario RPG, and more like the streamlined experience they've started to turn Mario games of every type into. Even if they were going for more of an adventure game, it feels less like that now because of all the backtracking.

Also so much handholding.

And the cutout ability is dumb and lazy. Trace the line for an excuse to use the gamepad, then really basic platforming. Meh.

Also, the entire game seems like recolored toads. Even the enemies have no variety.

My exact thoughts! I am a big fan of the previous (console) games. On the surface, Color Splash looks and feels a lot like a proper Paper Mario, but slowly you start to see that it's only a shell of what the core of the series used to be. Still continuing it, though, even if it makes me rather go back and re-play The Thousand-Year Door (please release it on the Switch Virtual Console!).

 

[Conkerkid11]

My exact thoughts! I am a big fan of the previous (console) games. On the surface, Color Splash looks and feels a lot like a proper Paper Mario, but slowly you start to see that it's only a shell of what the core of the series used to be. Still continuing it, though, even if it makes me rather go back and re-play The Thousand-Year Door (please release it on the Switch Virtual Console!).

I started another playthrough of Thousand Year Door awhile back, and put that down to play this and a couple other things. Probably gonna temporarily drop this so I can go back to Thousand Year Door though.

I'm fine with their whole stance on Paper Mario now being an adventure game, while Mario & Luigi's the RPG. Whatever. We've still got two of the best Mario RPGs of all-time to go back and play whenever we want. But will they ever release Mario & Luigi on a home console then?

 

[VDenter]

So i am insanely disappointing in this game. Loved the classic two Paper Mario games like everybody else. I also did not hate Sticker Star as much most people. Coming into this game i wanted it to be a improved sequel in every way i felt that this was not an unreasonable expectation considering how many flaws Sticker Star had in every area. Well at first this seemed to be the case the humor and charm are better than they ever were. The writing is excellent. The new visuals feel fresh it all seems good for an hour or so.

Then it hits you like a train this game has the worst combat system in any game i have ever played. Even worse than Sticker Star. They somehow outdid themselves in just how boring it is to play. This game. A case could be made in Sticker Stars defense that its an experimental game and it was somewhat interesting to see what all the stickers would do since all of them were new. However since Color Splash is a sequel and it reuses many of Sticker Stars items even the most basic elements that were interesting of the combat system in sticker star are not present here. You can level up your paint meter in this game but it seems that Nintendo just tacked on this feature because people complained about the combat in SS. So they just patched it over what feels like its almost an afterthought during development . Considering how easy this game is and how boring the combat is that you just walk past every single enemy in the game you dont ever need to level up.

The game was just so boring despite all this charm and attention to detail. It honestly makes me even more depressed because it feels like all this effort that went into it keeps begging to be in a better game a game that has an ounce of depth in its Game play. In that sense all this effort that went into this game feels wasted it feels like a game that you just walk around in with no stakes whatsoever and avoid one of the most boring battle systems ever. Even worse you have to select cards, paint the cards every turn and its just one unnecessary step at least in SS you pick a sticker and use the sticker the end. They even removed the health of enemies so you wont even know how much damage you will do.

This is one of the most baffling games Nintendo ever made! I want to like it so much but i just cant. Because i cant force myself to play through it since the gameplay puts me to sleep. It really pains me to say this about a Paper Mario game. There was a time in my life where i could not wait to see the next big Paper Mario from Nintendo now i feel nothing for this series. Its just one more franchise Nintendo decided to take in a terrible direction this generation.

 

[Toadthemushroom]

Stick with the combat, it only gets better the more you play it as more enemy types, card types and strategies become available. Later cards, which you absolutely have to carry around to remain competitive with certain enemies, also have a much higher paint cost, and that paint cost outweighs the progress I made expanding that paint metre. There is an awkward initial period where you have to get used to the combat though (for me the ordering of your card list was something I was unfamiliar with at first), and it's painfully simple at first, but I ended up agreeing more with this post the more I played through the game:

Not to pick on you guys but I just don't see how the battle system can be called shallow after a few hours. Aside from the benefit of just being different and making you rethink everything, it's deeper and more challanging even though it's more streamlined. Each battle has real consequences (losing cards), outfitting your deck is way more complex than putting on the best gear, you have to plan the order of your cards rather than adjusting after each move, you actually have to throw stuff away permanently all the time, you are encouraged to use powerful cards as stashing them forever is a liability, weak cards have real strategic value, health is more of a concern because it requires room in your deck, so many cards and enemies to figure out, the color system and how it limits your options sometimes, crazy gags and surpises that actually mess with you--tha's just off the top of my head, I think I can write an essay about how this system is more difficult to master while catering to all kinds of play styles.

 

[maxcriden]

But will they ever release Mario & Luigi on a home console then?

Unless the series has been shelved, which I think is unlikely, it will be on an ostensible home console by virtue of (presumably) releasing for Switch.

 

[Malus]

Color Splash can be quite exacting at a small number of points, I don't think it's fair to bring it up as a theme the game has. And their frequency (for me I got frustrated by the Dark Bloo Inn and the steak grilling) certainly wasn't enough to make the game a frustrating experience. It's definitely something to be improved upon but it's a pretty minor issue when all's said and done.

I guess it's about what you value and how you perceive the flaws. I found Tokyo Mirage Sessions to be a dull game, despite being a competently made one. Color Splash has a lot more character in its execution and mechanics, and I love it all the more for it. It rarely felt rote in its structure or design, and I loved how I was playing it because I was genuinely interested in seeing what was coming next, I didn't feel like I was being pulled forward by the need to level things up or watch numbers go up like a lot of RPGs tend to fall back on.

I don't think the lack of character variety is much of a criticism -- that the game's scenarios are so entertaining and compelling is a testament to the writing and design, and proves that the game didn't need to make very obvious NPCs out of characters. I found it refreshing to play a game that gave more weight to generic members of the Mushroom Kingdom populace.

Yeah just gotta agree to disagree with these points. I wanted to like this game for it's charms, but it repeatedly burned me and I'm generally very patient with games.

 

[Wolfgang Jr]

I started playing this today; not far in, just a few hours, but it had completely shocked me.

The graphics are UNBELIEVABLE. Even on the shitty GamePad screen everything looks beautiful.
The characters are great, the music is amazing and the sounds the everything thing together.

So I'm playing this beautiful game, knowing that it's definitely not the Paper Mario we want, but I was still grinning ear to ear the whole damn time; you know why...?

I 100% believe that we all be getting a FULL FLEDGED Paper Mario RPG for the Switch USING THIS ENGINE.

If makes complete sense; they have been making the engine for a long time, Wii U starts to die, they put the PM RPG on the backburner because it'll take too long to get out and they come up with a shitty action action game using the engine to pad out the Wii U's life.

Nintendo knows their fans want a full fledged RPG; now they have a complete, beautiful, engine and a whole console timeline to work in it.

Imagine the possibilities &#128563;

 

[LizardKing]

I started playing this today; not far in, just a few hours, but it had completely shocked me.

The graphics are UNBELIEVABLE. Even on the shitty GamePad screen everything looks beautiful.
The characters are great, the music is amazing and the sounds the everything thing together.

So I'm playing this beautiful game, knowing that it's definitely not the Paper Mario we want, but I was still grinning ear to ear the whole damn time; you know why...?

I 100% believe that we all be getting a FULL FLEDGED Paper Mario RPG for the Switch USING THIS ENGINE.

If makes complete sense; they have been making the engine for a long time, Wii U starts to die, they put the PM RPG on the backburner because it'll take too long to get out and they come up with a shitty action action game using the engine to pad out the Wii U's life.

Nintendo knows their fans want a full fledged RPG; now they have a complete, beautiful, engine and a whole console timeline to work in it.

Imagine the possibilities &#128563;

I wouldn't be surprised if this series is dead. This failed to reach even a half million sales worldwide where the previous ones were selling around four million