Color Splash was the follow up to the much derided Sticker Star, which I have personally played to *almost* completion. Sticker Star, while reviewing relatively well with a metacritic of 75, was extremely flawed.
Gone were the snappy dialogue and charming characters. The focus on story was very much de-emphasised when compared to the previous games. And the combat, while returning to a turned-based system after the changes made by Super Paper Mario, was turned into a system where literally every move required a consumable sticker to use. It was even possible to "run out" of moves. An additional frustration, and the reason I stopped playing, was some battles required single-use items that could not be collected in multiples. In addition, it telegraphed these requirements extremely poorly, meaning you could bash your head against a battle for hours, with no feedback to let you know "You need the THING. Go get the THING". In my case, this was in the FINAL BATTLE. And I have never gone back.
So... I could very much understand the hesitation people would have had going in to Color Splash. Particularly given that the game was shown to have a battle system that also used consumable items. And so, I was prepared for a game that would frustrate with baffling battle mechanics.
What I was not prepared for was just how GOREGOUS this game is. I present for you, the surprisingly epic opening sequence:
Even the paper has a rough paper-like texture!
Do you see this? Good lord.
The WiiU was the first system Nintendo had with the capability of rendering anything with this level of quality. And despite it being an entire generation behind its peers, when Nintendo applied themselves they could make it sing. For this game, the graphical fidelity is not only impressive, but also the art direction is fantastic. This game leans very much into a craft aesthetic, making each area look like something that someone could actually make. Corrugated cardboard edges are visible, clouds are hanging by wires, and the various materials have believable textures.
The opening of this game is impressive for a second reason: Mario is able to be controlled by the player within mere minutes. Compared to the last few games I've played for this blog with a story component, this is a huge relief.
Another thing that very quickly impresses is the music! The later WiiU era was one where Nintendo's internal music composition really came together. Mario Kart 8 is probably the most impressive in this regard, but this game is almost as impressive. Check out his jaunty tune from the title screen!
That is of course, not to forget the remarkably menacing music in the introduction video earlier! Over the two levels of my playtime was a variety of songs that kept up with this quality. One even uses an accordian!
Quickly it becomes apparent that unlike Sticker Star, this game has the wit and charm in the writing to match the best of the series. While the majority of characters are different coloured stock characters (toads and shy guys to begin with, but there will surely be more), much like Paper Mario Origami King, the characters are each written with a great deal of care.
The game has a relatively simple premise that leans into the game mechanics itself. Bowser's minions have been sapping colour from the world. Mario, wielding his trusty paint hammer, can restore these decoloured spots and characters. The paint used by this hammer are a consumable resource, with each of the three primary colours used. In a clever twist, mario collects this paint from the environment, where the colour collected is broken into the primary colours for use - for instance, a green tree drops green paint, which when collected tops up both the yellow and blue tanks.
The battle mechanics of Color Splash are, as expected, the weakest part of this game. Fortunately, it's not as bad as I had feared, but is by no means frictionless.
Throughout the world, Mario can find battle cards in blocks, crates and other destructible items. Each of these cards is used like the stickers were in Sticker Star, consumed to perform a specific action. Once a battle begins, when it is time to chose an attack for Mario, you use the WiiU touchscreen to select a card. Once confirming the card you wish to use (after already selecting it), you are then asked to expend some paint to colour the card, which makes it more powerful. After doing so, yes, you again to have to confirm you are ready to attack, before Mario actually performs the chosen action.
This is indeed, made far more complex than it needs to be. I suspect it, much like many of the choices I've lambasted previously for DS games, is a result of prioritising use of the systems gimmicks over actual gameplay (in this case the gamepad screen). Were this to be replaced with a simple menu on the main screen, it could be done in a fraction of the time.
This could really hurt the game, but at least in the first hour, battles are rather brisk, lasting only 1 or 2 turns, so the long time required to chose a move isn't too frustrating.
The levels are colourful and fun to navigate, with simple environmental puzzles and characters throughout. The first level requires a water wheel to be reactivated to unwind a roll of toilet paper to allow Mario to pass through an archway. And the second level (the last I was able to play in my short time) had one heck of an action set-piece, as part of the level is rolled up behind Mario, with trees, crates and other items falling down as hazards to dodge.
At the end of my time with Color Splash I find myself eager to play more. After the disappointment that was Sticker Star, I can certainly see why people were wary of this game, but upon actually playing it, it's a pretty fun time! The battle system has problems, but the game looks beautiful, sounds incredible, and has a great sense of humour.
Next up, my first 3DS game for this project: Mario Party Island Tour.
Comments
Post a Comment
Want to comment? Then be nice.