Paper Mario Color Splash

These role-playing games strive to give players a fresh perspective on a world and characters they know well. Paper Mario Color Splash's initial appeal is simply its visual style -- and the characters' awareness of their two-dimensional nature. Mario and his friends are completely at home with the notion that Toads can be folded and mailed, and Slurp Guys talk about "stacking up" in groups in order to be stronger fighters. This, combined with some pretty original paper-themed scenarios -- like a stretch of road being rolled up as Mario runs away, or a piece of tape holding down a paper object blowing in the wind -- help to create a sense of wonder in players as they delight in the game's creative design.

By the time this novelty wears off, assuming it ever does, most players will be thoroughly hooked on the game's fun -- if not entirely original -- mechanics. Coloring in blank spots in the environment to completely restore a stage and achieve a 100 percent rating is weirdly compelling. And the turn-based combat, while simple and eventually a bit tedious, should still give players some satisfaction as they attempt to dispatch their often too-easy enemies as quickly as possible by selecting the most efficient attacks. Contextual puzzles solved by using the stylus like a pair of scissors can be a bit more challenging, but only because it's not always immediately clear when this needs to be done. The main reason kids -- and maybe grown-ups -- will keep playing, though, is simply because of the inventive world and humorous writing. There's a reason why generations of players have grown up loving Mario games, and Paper Mario Color Splash serves as an eloquent explanation.