Paper Mario, the original cult-classic title that kicked off the beloved spinoff series, is on its way to the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service on December 10th.
It’s funny to think that we nearly didn’t get Intelligent Systems’ interpretation of a simple yet equally captivating RPG set in the world of the Mushroom Kingdom. Originally, Square Enix was the one intended to develop Paper Mario, yet its work on Final Fantasy VII for the PlayStation subsumed a lot of its attention and availability, so Nintendo sent the assignment to the studio that had made a handful of the Fire Emblem games.
Well, it turns out that it was a match made in heaven with praise pouring in for its approachable and accessible gameplay, curious puzzles, distinct art style and catchy songs. With the game returning through the Nintendo Switch Online's N64 offerings, fans won’t be waiting much longer to jump feet first into the charming world once more.
Advert
Check out this Super Mario 64 mod that turns the game into a first-person shooter - yes, really...
This is, of course, good news. But there does appear to be some murmurs amongst Switch Online subscribers regarding the rate of the N64 titles to be announced. “On one hand, one of my favorite N64 games of all time is exciting. On the other hand, are they gonna drip feed this with only one game at a time? That’s somehow even worse than the SNES and NES rollout…” said one. “And suddenly the value for money of the NSO expansion pack is ... still really really bad,” added another. “They need to do a lot more than this a lot faster to justify the absurd price point.”
The price of the Nintendo Switch Online subscription with the expansion that nets you Sega Mega Drive games, Nintendo 64 games and the new Animal Crossing: New Horizons DLC is £34.99 for a single account for a year. I have a Family Membership which I share with multiple people because it’s cheaper in the long run for all of us, however, the subscription and expansion costs £59.99 for a family account for a year. That’s a lot, considering that there are only nine N64 games at the moment with Paper Mario bringing the total to 10.
Advert
Moreover, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s emulation left a lot to be desired, so players are worried that there will be a few issues of quality for Paper Mario. Of course, there could be zero cause for concern and we’ll return to the classic adventure with a smile on our faces and glad tidings in our hearts. That’s the real message of the holidays, isn’t it?