While Mario's proper 3D Wii adventure is still a ways off, Nintendo and developer Intelligent Systems have cooked up an engaging adventure to tide the plumber's fans over--Super Paper Mario. Although originally slated to be a GameCube release, Super Paper Mario has been shifted to the Wii to good effect. The unique game is a hybrid of platforming and role-playing that feels both new and familiar at the same time. The game has many of the aesthetics of the previous Paper Mario games and features an inventive story, eccentric characters, rock-solid gameplay, and genuinely funny dialogue. While the whole package isn't quite refined enough to attain classic status, Super Paper Mario is still a great game that stands among the Wii's best.

Mario is back to save the day yet again.

The game's story revolves around Mario's attempt to stop the dastardly Count Bleck, a new villain to add to the plumber's rogues' gallery, who has set out to destroy all worlds. Oddly enough, Bleck's plot of destruction is fueled by the forced marriage of Princess Peach and Bowser, which he has arranged and which creates a "chaos heart" the count then uses to get his destruction on. In the ensuing chaos, Mario is transported to the interdimensional town of Flipside and asked to help stop Bleck. To halt the destruction of all worlds, Mario must collect eight objects called "pure hearts" to form the purity heart, which is an ancient artifact of great power and the only thing that can stop Bleck's plans. To find the hearts, Mario must venture to various worlds through dimensional doors conveniently located in Flipside. Each door can be opened only by using a pure heart, which sets up the game's linear structure. Each dimension comprises a chapter in the game and is broken up into four parts. The fourth part of each chapter ends in a boss fight and yields a heart if you win. As you collect the pure hearts, you'll meet up with the game's colorful cast of characters, which include a number of familiar faces and some new, helpful friends. The story is told through a hefty chunk of text, and despite the volume of content to read through, there's a sparkling sense of humor that is on par with the previous games in the series.

Though Mario is the star of the game, you'll come to have four members in your party that you can switch between on the fly, though you can be in control of only one of them at any given time. Each playable character will feature a unique ability you'll need to use to progress. Mario gains the power to "flip" the 2D world around him into 3D, which lets him access new areas, avoid enemies, or see hidden items. The only limit to using the ability is an onscreen meter that counts down. If you stay flipped for too long, you'll lose one point of health, and the meter will begin counting down again. Princess Peach brings her mighty parasol into the mix. Besides allowing her to float during a jump, it can be used to defend against enemy attacks. The mighty Bowser is also along for the adventure and offers double the attack power of the other characters, as well as a fiery blast you can use to take out enemies or light things on fire. Finally, Luigi rounds out the party with his ability to leap to massive heights.

Besides the unique abilities of your party members, you'll need to make use of new companions known as pixls. You'll collect the creatures as you explore the various dimensions in search of pure hearts. Each pixl will have a unique ability that is often key to progressing in the game. For example, Boomer the bomb pixl will let you take out obstacles that impede your progress, while Dottie shrinks you down to the size of an ant, which allows you to gain access to new areas or slip past foes who are oblivious to you. As with the playable characters in your party, you can have only one active pixl out at a time, but you can change them on the fly. The exception to this rule is Tippi, who is always around. Tippi is a butterfly-like pixl who serves as your guide in the game much like Navi in the Zelda games or Goombella in 2004's Thousand Year Door for the GameCube.

Though the adventure is new, the gameplay is familiar.

As mentioned, the action in Super Paper Mario blends elements of a platformer and a role-playing game into a unique package. The framework of the game is like a standard RPG. Though you have the set goal of collecting the pure hearts, you can talk to locals in Flipside and in other towns in the different chapters. These conversations lead to side quests or simply offer useful information you'll need later. You'll also find various shops where you can purchase items, get your fortune told, or even learn to cook. Though the town of Flipside appears to be fairly basic, once you gain Mario's ability to flip and start adding more pixls to your party, you'll find there's quite a bit to explore.

When you set out to collect pure hearts and go through the various dimensional doors, Super Paper Mario feels more like a platformer. You'll go through levels on a 2D plane, whether it's running from one side of the screen to another or ascending straight up into the clouds. The levels even feature various power-ups that offer new twists on familiar items. Megastars transform you into a giant retro pixilated version of whichever character picks it up, while various colored flowers will speed you up or slow you down. Mario's flipping ability and the various pixls add a great deal of depth to the levels and make for some smartly designed and challenging puzzles. Seemingly dead ends become paths to new areas when you look at them flipped or use a pixl's ability.