The second game in the Paper Mario series.

A typical Mario RPG, yet a surprisingly good Cube game. Now since this is my first Review, I’m just gonna let ‘er rip!

I will rate on a 1-10 scale, with 1 being the worst game ever and 10 being the best.

Graphics: 7
Hey, it’s not like you’ll see perfect 3D, but for a game with paper graphics, the majority of the game has a cool 2D/3D look to it, so only 3 points off.

Sound: 5 1/2
Ok, an average score, but the tunes aren’t “get stuck in your head good”, as most tunes were soft, repeating tunes. But what I really liked were the Crystal Star sound effects, and other little things. So, 5 ½.

Characters: 7
The bosses were very creative, especially Magnus von Grapple. Even Luigi gets some spotlight! Some enemies were boring or old (Spinia or Amazee Dayzee), but it doesn’t hurt the score much.

Story: 4
A low score, but typical Mario story, Princess Peach gets kidnapped. Seen it many times, but with a treasure map twist. I gave it a little below average.

Controls: 9 1/2
The controls are fantastic, simply put for a Mario RPG. The only thing I don’t like is the spring jump and spinning hammer. They confuse me sometimes, so half a point off.

Gameplay: 9
For gameplay, it’s pretty much an advanced version of the first Paper Mario, but don’t get me wrong, traveling around the overworld is better than it seems. Now when you get into a battle, it goes like this: your turn, partner’s turn, and enemy’s turn. That plus the crowd cheering for you, throwing stuff at you, and dodging attacks equal an awesome battle. I took 1 point off for hard-to-dodge attacks.

Replayability: 7
With tons of badges, items, recipes, and Shine Sprites, you’ll be playing a good 100 hours or so. Though you can’t replay bosses without starting a new file.

Difficulty: 5
The game is around average, some bosses are really hard, like the Shadow Queen, and some are easy (Gus). So it’s a varying difficulty, but I say 5.

Fun Factor!: 8
The game will take a while to finish completely, but gathering experience is fun, and playing small minigames and taking on troubles is fun too.

OVERALL: 8
It’s a good game; there are no frustrating points (except the end), and collecting items is great. I would buy a used version for $25, but if you can find a Player’s Choice version for $20, buy it. It’s pretty good and there’s a 99% chance you’ll be satisfied. Yup.