While the rest of the world has had time to measure the game's worth, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam will finally arrive in the United States this Friday. Those on or near the fence about this one have a month and a half's worth of critical reviews on the role-playing game, and the critics have, for the most part, been kind to this one.
A rift between realms has pushed paper characters from their 2D world into the land of 3D. And in just a few days, when 3DS exclusive Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam is released, gamers in the United States will be tasked with helping the 2D Mario Bros. characters go back from whence they came.
Breaking up the action are side quests and challenges. The worst of those, according to IGN's Jared Petty, are the Toad Hunts. These "trial and error minigames" disrupt the pace of the game, according to Petty.
"I found myself cringing whenever Lakitu appeared, terrified that he would assign me yet another round of dull hide-and-seek exercises or timed chase sequences," Petty wrote. "The best of these Toad Hunts are simply puzzle or reflex challenges, while the worst had me wandering dull areas hoping I'd bump into the right little cluster of pixels and discover the last hiding toad."
Conversely, GamesRadar's Alex Jones seems to have enjoyed the minigames and said the pacing was "excellent."
"Despite boasting a lengthy main quest, monotony is an issue it deftly sidesteps - a feat few RPGs manage quite as well," noted Jones.
At the heart of the games are its battles and the turn-based system for managing them.
"Every power seems useful in multiple situations," Petty wrote. "Regular encounters rarely feel routine, and the boss fights are superbly orchestrated to stretch my skills."
The Verdict:
On Jan. 22, Nintendo 3DS owners in the United States will get their chance to weigh in on the game. But for now, here's a roundup of the review scores Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam has earned since its initial release in December:
• VideoGamer: 8/10
• Hardcore Gamer: 4/5
• Game Informer: 8.75/10
• Destructoid: 8/10
• GamesRadar: 8/10
• IGN: 5.9/10
• Pocket Gamer UK: 6/10
• TheSixthAxis: 7/10
• GodisaGeek: 9/10
