Paper Mario: Color Splash: Difference between revisions

Upon being shown at the March 3, 2016 Nintendo Direct, ''Paper Mario: Color Splash'' received negative reception from some fans, the main complaint focusing around the game's similarities to ''Paper Mario: Sticker Star''. Within hours of the game's reveal, a petition on {{wp|Change.org}} ordered the game to be canceled, which TechRadar described as "a frightening example of how quickly, and harshly, we judge games we know next to nothing about."<ref>http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/paper-mario-color-splash-has-been-around-30-minutes-and-people-already-hate-it-1316232</ref>

Despite this, the game received generally positive reviews at release. Most critics praised the game's art direction and humorous writing, though the lack of original characters and still-simplistic storyline were points of contention. In addition, while several reviewers noted gameplay improvements from ''Paper Mario: Sticker Star'', some elements still drew criticism, such as the battle system and linear level design.

Terri Schwartz from IGN gave the game a 7.3/10, praising the game for balancing the battles and paint demands while also admitting it "could have benefited from more than one card shop (at the main hub of Port Prisma) and more readily available save blocks throughout the levels."<ref>https://www.ign.com/articles/2016/10/05/paper-mario-color-splash-review</ref> Ben Reeves from GameInformer gave it an 8.5/10, praising the game for its beautiful visuals and funny dialogue. He, however, said that the battle system was overly simple and that it "felt aimless with few far-reaching character goals."<ref>https://www.gameinformer.com/games/paper_mario_color_splash/b/wii_u/archive/2016/10/05/paper-mario-color-splash-game-informer-review.aspx</ref> Matt West from NintendoWorldReport gave the game a 9/10, praising the combat system for being strategic with the paint supply, while also praising the game's soundtrack and visuals. While he did say that the overabundance of Toads made the NPCs feel "same-y," he noted that those were "minor complaints in an otherwise excellent package."<ref>http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/43515/paper-mario-color-splash-wii-u-review</ref>

Miguel Concepcion from GameSpot gave the game a 7/10, praising the game's visuals and that its dialogue is a vast improvement over the previous ''Super Mario'' RPGs. However, they criticized the Cutout ability for being difficult to know when to use, and that it "can leave one stumped, disrupting the game's pacing and enjoyment of levels considerably."<ref>https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/paper-mario-color-splash-review/1900-6416536/</ref> Alex Jones from GamesRadar+ also gave it a 7/10, saying that while backtracking was a recurring theme and that the battle system was cumbersome, he also said the dialogue was superb and the presentation was carefully crafted. He ended by saying it is one of "one of the most heartwarming games you’ll play this year."<ref>https://www.gamesradar.com/paper-mario-color-splash-review/</ref> CJ Andriessen from Destructoid gave the game a higher rating, at 8.5/10. They praised the game for its rich storytelling, varied soundtrack, and beautiful visuals. Additionally, they noted that while the world map and battle system made the game feel slow at times, they said "the rewards you receive for stomping and smashing the familiar crop of Mario baddies are actually useful."<ref>https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-paper-mario-color-splash/</ref>

Conversely, Dan Ryckert from Giant Bomb gave the game a 40/100, criticizing the game for having a tedious battle system that ruined the game's otherwise enjoyable gameplay. He noted that the fights made it easy to waste cards on almost defeated enemies, that strong cards can often be taken from the player without warning, and that he "never once felt like any of the standard fights were doing anything to progress the story or my character’s abilities."<ref>https://www.giantbomb.com/reviews/paper-mario-color-splash-review/1900-753/</ref>