In today's world of flashy 3d graphics and high resolution, computer generated cut scenes, what chance does a largely 2d game have when placed tow to toe? Paper Mario 2: The Thousand Year Door not only holds its own, but also exceeds many of the games out today in terms of fun factor and eye-catching graphics. Having never played the original N64 incarnation, this was my first experiences in the 2d land of Paper Mario and I came away extremely impressed.

The world and characters of Paper Mario 2 are each presented in different ways, but the final product blends together naturally. The characters are high resolution 2d sprits, while the environments are done in full 3d. Every world Mario visits on his adventure has its own specific feel; from underground sewers to frozen winter forests, to tropical island. A majority of the secondary characters that inhabit the world are unique sprits with their own personalities. My description and even screen shots do not do this game justice. The game holds a steady frame rate, even when dozens (sometimes over one hundred) characters are on screen. This simply couldn't be done in a game with full 3d graphics. Various paper effects, such as the world folding or blowing away to reveal a secret, are done extremely well and fit perfectly with the style of the game.

Paper Mario 2 is classified as an RPG, and as such the battles occur when Mario comes in contact with an enemy on the game world. The actual fighting takes place on a stage, complete with an audience, background sets and stage lights. Mario and his partner (more on that later) attack using a menu system, the standard for many RPGs, which starts off with the basics such as attack, defend, item, and run. Certain attacks, such as power stomp, use "flower points" which are similar to magic points in other RPGs, such as the Final Fantasy series. After obtaining the first Crystal Star, Mario gains the ability to perform special moves that can either damage his enemies or heal Mario and his partner. These moves are powered by star points, which are refilled by the reaction of the audience. By performing specific stylish moves, the audience will cheer more, giving you more star power. If you miss these moves, audience members will begin to leave and some will even try to throw objects at you.

Gives new meaning to "Throw 'dem bones."

As with the pervious games in the Mario RPG series, you have the ability to cause extra damage to your enemies by pressing "a" at the moment Mario or his partner attacks. By performing these "smash attacks", the audience will go crazy and their cheers will help refill your star gauge, also not as much as a stylish attack would. If you press "a" the moment before an enemy attacks, Mario or his partner can reduce the damage they take. By pressing "b" the moment before getting attacked, there is a chance to do a counter attack, but this very hard to accomplish.

Another important part of the battles are the various badges Mario can collect throughout his adventure. The different badges each have different special effects, such as increased attack power, flower power or defense, different attacks, or an increased chance of gaining items from battles. Most of the battle badges have two versions, one for Mario and one for his partner. There are also badges that do not have any function in battle, but are fun to wear. The Luigi badge, for example, changes the color of Mario's clothing, making him look like Luigi.

Out of battle, Mario can jump, ground pound, and hammer his way through environmental obstacles. He can also use his partners to solve problems. Goombella, the first partner you meet, has the ability to tell you important information about the area Mario is in. Other companions can shoot shells, blow parts of the environment away, sniff out treasure or blow up walls.

Mario's own stomping and his partner's abilities aren't the only ways of solving problems. Throughout the game Mario gains different paper abilities, which make use of the fact that Mario is only a 2d character. Eventually, Mario can fold himself into an origami plain or boat, roll into a tube or turn himself sideways to get past various obstacles in his way.

Dude, totally unfair!

Being an RPG, Paper Mario 2 is heavily story driven. Don't expect something grand like Shakespeare, because this game isn't trying to be serious. The basic premise is something we've seen before in pervious Mario games, but this time there is a twist. Princess Peach has gone missing (again) and it's up to Mario to save her (again). But this time he must collect seven mysterious stones called the Crystal Stars. Using the help of friends he makes along the way, Mario must travel the world in search of the stars. These objects are the key to opening a mysterious door that is located under the city of Rogueport, the last known location of Princess Peach. All Mario knows is that in order to find Peach, he must first find the stars. But what lies behind the door? Some say it is a great treasure, while others speak of something else, something more sinister. I won't ruin anything for you, but the story is very fun and never gets boring.

One of the strongest aspects of Paper Mario 2 besides its fun factor is the great dialogue between characters. At first glance, one might think this game is targeted at younger children, but that is simply not the case. The various side conversations and references to previous Mario games had me laughing and some of the negative responses to questions were hilarious. Without giving much away, any game that gives you the option of saying, "Guess again, nerd!" and "Let there be hotdogs!" is awesome in my book.

Clocking in at around 40 hours to complete, Paper Mario is a definitely a large game. With various side quests and a ton of stuff to collect, I could see myself spending another 10 or 15 hours with this game. There is so much to see and do and this game is just plain fun.