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 Published in 2004, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is the sequel to 2001's Paper Mario, which itself was a pseudo-sequel to 1996's Super Mario RPG. The Thousand Year Door was released on the Gamecube, and sadly has not seen re-release on the Virtual Console. However, I won't let that stop me from enjoying what is probably one of the best RPGs ever released on a Nintendo system, if not anywhere. The basic idea is you're controlling Mario in a 3D world, and he's looking for the seven crystal stars for vague reasons relating to an ancient treasure map. Along the way he'll gather a series of partners who will help him out in combat, and so on and so forth. It's the same basic gameplay loop as the first Paper Mario game. Oh and the game has a really strong papercraft aesthetic. Some of the sets look like cardboard dioramas, and even the characters are literally paper thin. Look at them from the side and they almost cease to exist. Instead of suffering fall damage when falling from a great height, Mario will lazily drift to the ground like a loose sheet of paper. It's completely adorable and really adds to the game's charm. What Kind of LP is it? This will be a screenshot LP with I'm also going to attempt to post links to the various bits of the soundtrack throughout the LP. Be sure to give those a listen from time to time. There's a lot of good stuff in there. EDIT Feb 18, 2016 - WebMs can be pretty taxing on your CPU, so if your browser starts to choke and die while reading, there's links to each individual update by itself.  Please no unmarked spoilers. This is a story-driven JRPG, so don't be a dick y'all. There are folks out there who have somehow never played this game, and to spoil the story for them would be a pretty lousy thing to do. While I would appreciate if you guys didn't talk about stuff we haven't seen yet, I'm not gonna make a big fuss as long as you use spoiler tags. Just please try to keep the thread from looking like a classified FOIA document, yeah?  0-1 - Welcome to Rogueport 0-2 - Exploring Rogueport 0-3 - The Thousand-Year Door 0-B - Bloo-BLOOP  1-1 - Entering Petal Meadows 1-2 - Exploring Petalburg 1-3 - Super Fun Quirk Quiz 1-4 - Fuzzy Shhwonk Fortress 1-5 - Hooktail's Castle, Ground Floor 1-6 - Hooktail's Castle, Upper Floors 1-B - The Dragon Hooktail 1-7 - What Is Love? 1-8 - Luigi and Minister Crepe 1-9 - Part 1: Going To A Lot Of Trouble 1-9 - Part 2: Defrauding A Criminal Organization  2-1 - Psychedelic Forest Floor 2-2 - Madame Flurrie, World-Renowned Actress 2-3 - Meeting the Punies 2-4 - It Looks All Dry and Wrinkly and Gross DoubleNegative fucked around with this message at 02:09 on Apr 23, 2016 |
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Feb 15, 2016 15:44
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Link To This Update By Itself  Hello everyone. Today we're gonna play that oh-so-well known game series published by Nintendo and developed by Intelligent Systems.  I'm of course referring to Paper Mario. Buckle in for story time folks. Intro Story  : Ahem! Today I'm going to tell you the story of the Thousand-Year Door. An awfully long time ago in a strange and far-off land, a big, bustling town thrived. Am I the only one to get really strong Wind Waker vibes from this? It really feels like this should have The Legendary Hero playing over it. Could be just me. : It was a town where all people lived very happy lives. And it was said that the town was very prosperous. But one day... tragedy befell this blessed place. A great cataclysm struck the town and its people. : Darkness filled the skies, and the earth roared and shook. It was as if the very world had come to a violent end. And in but a single night, the town sank into the depths of the earth... : Many moons rose and set. Stories of the town passed into the pages of fairy tales. And when the town's site no longer held relics of its past, people gathered at that spot and built a new town. : But word soon spread among the people who moved in that an ancient city lay deep underground, and that a magnificent treasure rested there. Indeed, this is the tale of the fabled treasure of Rogueport. : Yes, this is where it begins, in the sea town of Rogueport. The tale of the quest for the legendary treasure and the Thousand-Year Door... starts here.https://zippy.gfycat.com/DrearyAdeptLangur.webm Peach and the Mysterious Map  It's Princess Peach, walking around freely. Don't get used to it folks. It won't last long. Spoilers, Princess Peach gets kidnapped in a Mario game. It's one of those universal constants like water being wet, or food always tasting better on someone else's dime.  : Finally! I have a minute without Toadsworth watching over me! He's so paranoid! : I come all the way here on holiday... only to be stuck with Toadsworth! It's so stifling! Once in a while I'd like the chance to look around on my own and see what I want. : But... now that I'm doing it, all I see is that this town has a very... umm... distinct flavor... : Oh, Missy... Missy... : Do you mean... me?!? : Won't you buy something? I have a wide assortment of knickknacks and doodads!Just for future reference, the portrait is called "mystery.png". It's just shorthand for not knowing who is talking, or for a bit player that doesn't even warrant a portrait.There aren't many of the latter. As of the time of this writing, I've made over 130 of the suckers. So despite kicking the entire plot into motion, this person is so inconsequential that they never show up ever again. Thus they don't get a portrait. : Oh! Well... Umm...  This game is adorable. Everyone is so expressive. : Well, that's a pretty box! What's inside it? : It is said that this box holds a map that shows where a legendary treasure sleeps... But the box has a magic lock on it that will only open for a pure and noble heart. As you can see... It won't so much as budge if one such as myself touches it...: Ooooh...: I know. If the box will open for you, Missy, then you may have whatever is inside. I am sure that whatever is in there would be of no use to someone like me. So, Missy... Take this box in your hands and see what happens...: Um... All right... What's the harm? : I'll try to open it.https://fat.gfycat.com/UnhealthySaneArmyant.webm Main Theme So all of that was the game's attract mode. Shall we get started?  We could name the file anything, but Mario feels like it fits the most. It doesn't change anything but what we see when we load the game. Mail for the Mario Brothers  If you've played the original Paper Mario, then surely this is a familiar sight. Even if you haven't, it's pretty easy to figure out what this is. It's Mario's house!  Here comes one of Mario's companions from the first game. He's only one of two in the game, and this is the only time he appears. Meet Parakarry.   : Mail call!Parakarry flies away, off to deliver mail.   Luigi walks back inside.   : Hey, Bro! Check it out! A letter from Princess Peach arrived for you! : I'll just read it to you, how's that sound? : Ahem! Now let's see here... :Hello there, Mario! I am now on holiday, traveling in the Mushroom Kingdom. In my travels, I came into possession of a mystical map...a treasure map, actually. It was inside a box I got from an old merchant in a town called Rogueport. But since it would be too difficult for me to try to go find the treasure all by myself... I thought you could help me hunt for it! You will, of course, won't you? I've included the map with this letter, so please bring it with you when you come. I'll meet you at Rogueport. (That means you MUST come!) : What do you know? It's true! There's a weathered old map in here with the letter. Check it out!  https://zippy.gfycat.com/RepentantConsciousAnkole.webm Adventure Begins All Aboard for Rogueport  This game is so full of giffable moments. So expect to see a bunch of those, assuming my computer can handle the emulator displaying them. Chapter Introduction https://zippy.gfycat.com/AltruisticCanineFulmar.webm  : Excuse me... Sir? Please wake up, sir! The town you'd been speaking of has come into view. Look! That's Rogueport!https://zippy.gfycat.com/SlightEnragedBaiji.webm : You see? We'll arrive shortly. Please prepare to disembark. !!!Rogueport!!! Give this one a listen. This is the theme for the hub town, and it's drat good.  : I must apologize, sir. Our arrival was delayed just a bit by rough weather... Are you quite sure you want to disembark here? I... did tell you all the sordid tales about Rogueport on our way here, did I not?: What's that? I'm sorry? You say there's a princess waiting here for you? Is that so? Er... of course, sir. Well, if that's what you think, then I won't stop you. But, uh... you be careful, sir! Don't say I didn't warn you!https://zippy.gfycat.com/BossyGreatCoyote.webm By the way, Paper Mario isn't just a clever title. The entire game's aesthetic is papercraft. So objects in the world behave like paper would.  So, welcome to Rogueport. The quote by Alec Guinness stands pretty reasonably here. It is indeed a wretched hive of scum and villainy.  As such. The locals are rough around the edges.  : You look a bit green, so 'ave a wee bit of advice on me: hit that Save Block to save. 'Cause the thing about life is, ya never know when you're gonna kick the ol' bucket.Up behind the sailor bob-omb is a toad.  : What you want, pal? Huh? A princess in a pink dress? I ain't seen nothing like that, no. I'd remember a princess, probably. Why do you want this chick, anyway, pal? Owe you money? Or is she yer girlfriend? This is the aforementioned save block. Jump up into it to activate it, which lets you save your progress. Fairly standard stuff.  There was tutorial text here, but I just explained everything it did, and with less words used to boot!  Heading up past the sailor... X-Nauts Attack : Hey! What do you want?!? Get away from me, freak!!!  : Oh come off it, you airhead! I know it's tough for you, but don't play dumb with me! I've seen you walking around town asking for information about the Crystal Stars. Well, now I'm doing the asking, so be a good girl and tell us what you know! Right. NOW! : Never! I don't have anything to say to you creeps! Eww!: I suppose it wouldn't be right if a sassy little lass like you met with an untimely demise... Buh! Buh! Buh huh huh! Boys, we're taking this firebrand to our fortress! : As you command, Lord Crump! We're on it!They approach the goomba girl. : N-No! Stop right there, you weirdos! I'll scream! Really! A nasty business, that. We should probably see if she needs some help. After talking to everyone nearby, naturally.  : Huff! Hoof! Harf! Horf! Haff! Outta the way, ya scallywag! Move yer ever-lovin' bones!: Blimey! A fight?!? Corkin'! Heh heh! Ain't nothin' so fun as watchin' some poor bloke 'ave it out wif his missus, eh? Am I right, mate? : Yikes, looks like trouble over there... Probably best not to get involved, huh? I wouldn't meddle with other people's problems in this town, even if I had an extra life.Yeah, gently caress that. Time to beat up big purple over there. We're Mario! We're a big drat hero.   : Like I'd go anywhere with smelly lunatics like you! Hmph! Not likely!: Whuh? What do you think YOU'RE doing, chump? You think you can screw up my plans?!?https://zippy.gfycat.com/TartFormalAlabamamapturtle.webm : Gah! It's always something... Looks like I'm going to have to give you a little taste of the old CRUMP-A-BOMB!https://zippy.gfycat.com/HarshFaintHart.webm Event Battle  So welcome to the battle screen. Here's where we're gonna be spending the majority of our time. The UI is pretty easy to read. Mario has 10/10 HP, he has 5/5 Flower Points, 0 Star Points, and 100 coins. Flower Points and Star Points will be explained in due time. So don't pay them much mind yet. Coins are merely this game's currency.  : Battle time, Mister Man! Just find a way to beat this freak of the week, OK? Don't sweat the details. Just jump on him and hit him with your hammer! The actual combat UI is also pretty easy to figure out. We've got four icons. Let's show off jump first.  Unlike its predecessor, this game lets you use timed hits from the word go. They're also much easier to hit in this game.  I still manage to gently caress it up. : Yes! You're doing awesome! Don't you let up!https://zippy.gfycat.com/HandmadeWastefulAnaconda.webm  You can also use timed hits to reduce incoming damage by 1. In this battle, Lord Crump only has 1 attack power, so if you can time the dodge correctly, you can avoid taking damage.   The timed hit on hammer attacks is much easier to pull off. https://zippy.gfycat.com/NeedyDemandingDikdik.webm Just hold left until you hear the last beep and let go. Super simple! : You've got him on the ropes! C'mon! Keep whaling on him! This is the items menu. It's empty right now, but that will change before too long.  The tactics menu is gonna be super helpful throughout the game. More options will be added to it as the game progresses. Right now all we can do is defend, which also reduces incoming damage by 1. I don't actually know if you can do a timed block while also defending, to further reduce damage. I've never tried to be honest. https://zippy.gfycat.com/DisfiguredRemorsefulBird.webm Just to prove that I can hit the timed button press on jumps sometimes. You may have also seen the Stylish icon pop up a few times throughout this tutorial battle. They're something that the game will hint at in the future. Right now they serve no purpose besides looking awesome. That will change in the future, naturally. The timing on them is incredibly strict. You have to hit the A button at certain points in each attack. The only two I can do reliably are the basic jump and hammer strikes. Though I'm pretty sure each attack in the game has a timing window for Stylish.  : You did it! You did it! YESSS! And you got Star Points!!! Yeah, I bet you know, but you get these things called Star Points when you win battles. When you get 100 points, you'll go up a level. Don't forget that, OK?Battle Won!  So for beating up on Lord Crump, we got 9% of a level.  Not bad. Not bad at all. So did you all enjoy Crump being somewhat threatening earlier? Well that's now officially over. He's the game's recurring comic relief villain. He's also the game's primary antagonist insofar as he's who we fight the most throughout the game. So get used to seeing him. : Buh! Buh! Buh huh huh! OK, you got a couple decent shots in, I'll give you that. But... unfortunately for you... that means... https://fat.gfycat.com/DentalWindingKid.webm : PUNISH HIM!https://fat.gfycat.com/DeadlyHardHydatidtapeworm.webm That latter gif used to be 20MB before I cut it down by more than half. Also be sure to watch it closely. You can watch the goomba girl casually stroll out of the dogpile.  : Quick! This way! : Phew! What a bunch of loons! Let's just sneak out of here, what do you say? See ya later, shitlords.  : Buh-HUUUUUH?!?  : Where'd they go?!? Huh? You! Johnson! Did you see them? Did anyone?  : Uh... crud! They bolted!Our villains, everyone.  Video: Intro Cinematic, Mail Call, Lord Crump DoubleNegative fucked around with this message at 03:54 on Feb 19, 2016 |
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Feb 15, 2016 15:45
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I loved playing the first Paper Mario on Virtual Console (I'm just a little too young to have had much interest in RPGs when it came out the first time around...), and I always wanted to pick up this one, but second-hand copies proved kind of hard to find, so I'm excited to see how it plays out. I remember the story being a real strong point, kind of charming with how simple but well written it was.
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Feb 15, 2016 19:53
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Hell yes. One of my all-time favorite games, and so far you're giving it one hell of a presentation. Definitely looking forward to more.
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Feb 15, 2016 21:37
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This reminds me: I need to replay this game. Also, the mosh-pit of enemies thing comes up a surprising amount. Is it just me, or did they just want to show off their ability to do that a lot?
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Feb 15, 2016 23:07
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NewMars posted:This reminds me: I need to replay this game. They were in fact trying to show off the processing power of the Gamecube. IIRC the back of the box that tells you about game features says that one of them is the Gamecube's ability to process hundreds of characters at a time. I thought it was really cool while playing it and the graphics and art direction for this game are still stunning.
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Feb 16, 2016 01:59
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Lets Pickle posted:I thought it was really cool while playing it and the graphics and art direction for this game are still stunning. There's just something about Gamecube games from the early 2000s. So many of them had absolutely stunningly gorgeous art styles that, despite their age, will always look good. NewMars posted:Also, the mosh-pit of enemies thing comes up a surprising amount. Is it just me, or did they just want to show off their ability to do that a lot? It's always hilarious when it pops up, that's for certain!
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Feb 16, 2016 03:43
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Ah, the last of the genuinely good Paper Mario games. Let's enjoy the ride and hope that Nintendo someday makes something similar to it again.
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Feb 16, 2016 04:15
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Hell yea, looking foward to this Lets play OP! I just beat the game recently myself doing a unique run, so this'll be good.
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Feb 16, 2016 04:27
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I never played this and I'm curious to see where it goes. Paper Mario was really good, and I've heard people say that this one is even better, so I'm curious to see how that is possible. Especially with no Lady Bow in the party.
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Feb 16, 2016 04:59
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I just want to point out this really underappreciated theme. Seriously, If you're gonna click on one music link not featured by DoubleNegative, make it this one. It's like the perfect intro theme for any great adventure  .This game, by the way, is one of the finest works of art I've ever had the honor of witnessing. If you've never played this game before, you're in for a real treat! DoubleNegative posted:You may have also seen the Stylish icon pop up a few times throughout this tutorial battle. They're something that the game will hint at in the future. Right now they serve no purpose besides looking awesome. That will change in the future, naturally.
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Feb 16, 2016 05:04
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Well poo poo it's one of my favorite games of all time. Too bad they'll never make another one. Looking forward to this.
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Feb 16, 2016 05:12
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Geostomp posted:Ah, the last of the genuinely good Paper Mario games. Let's enjoy the ride and hope that Nintendo someday makes something similar to it again. Paper Jam was a fun game!  Okay, that's just a Mario and Luigi game with Paper Mario along for the ride.I will defend Sticker Star though. It's definitely the worst Paper Mario game, but it's not an abomination that a lot of people treat it as for some reason.
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Feb 16, 2016 07:33
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Ground floor!  I remember playing the everliving gently caress out of the original Paper Mario and Super Mario RPG, and I am chuffed to bits to see an LP of this. 
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Feb 16, 2016 07:54
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loving love this game, played it so much as a kid and I'm so happy to finally see it on SA.Dr. Fetus posted:Paper Jam was a fun game! I'd argue that Super Paper Mario was a good game, it just wasn't a good Paper Mario game. Sticker Star Saga wasn't too good though. Haven't played Paper Jam yet, but I've heard mostly good things? As a whole, I really like the Paper Mario series. It just has some odd design decisions sprinkled here and there throughout its history.
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Feb 16, 2016 10:24
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I played SPM without the preconception that it should have been a JRPG (yes this means I didn't play the earlier entries, so I'm looking forward to this!) and enjoyed the hell out of it. I did bypass the money chapter with FAQ magic, to be fair.
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Feb 16, 2016 10:28
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Arcade Rabbit posted:I'd argue that Super Paper Mario was a good game, it just wasn't a good Paper Mario game. This is pretty much how I feel about Super Paper Mario. The whole "swap from 2D to 3D" mechanic would make for a really awesome side-scrolling platformer all on its own, however. I'm honestly surprised that Nintendo hasn't revisited the idea.
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Feb 16, 2016 10:59
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DoubleNegative posted:This is pretty much how I feel about Super Paper Mario. The whole "swap from 2D to 3D" mechanic would make for a really awesome side-scrolling platformer all on its own, however. I'm honestly surprised that Nintendo hasn't revisited the idea. Fez used it, I think. Edit: or at least a spin on the same idea, anyway.
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Feb 16, 2016 13:09
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On the topic of games with perspective gimmicks, there's also a freeware indie game called Ortho Robot.
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Feb 16, 2016 13:22
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Dr. Fetus posted:Paper Jam was a fun game! I like Paper Jam well enough, but I'd argue that it suffers from the same bizarre restrictions on characters and story that plagued Sticker Star because someone at Nintendo took the results of a dumb survey way too seriously. It's better than Partners in Time, and I like that it finally gave the Kooplings personalities, but I find it less memorable than the other three Mario and Luigi games.
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Feb 16, 2016 13:23
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Geostomp posted:It's better than Partners in Time, and I like that it finally gave the Kooplings personalities, but I find it less memorable than the other three Mario and Luigi games. Unless that's the joke; you find another Mario and Luigi game less memorable, as there are 4 others, 5 in total.
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Feb 16, 2016 16:28
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DoubleNegative posted:https://zippy.gfycat.com/NeedyDemandingDikdik.webm Is this a joke?
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Feb 16, 2016 16:30
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Paused posted:Unless that's the joke; you find another Mario and Luigi game less memorable, as there are 4 others, 5 in total. Excluding the two I mentioned, there are three other games.
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Feb 16, 2016 17:11
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RareAcumen posted:Is this a joke? I think you'll find that it has always said hold left. We've always been at war with Eastasia. (Thanks for catching that. This is why I shouldn't be allowed to pen updates at 3 AM.)
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Feb 16, 2016 17:14
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TTYD is a very good game and probably my favorite Mario title.
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Feb 16, 2016 17:45
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TTYD is one of the best RPGs of all time.
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Feb 16, 2016 18:22
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Rodyle posted:TTYD is one of the best RPGs of all time. Whoa, whoa whoa, tone it back.
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Feb 16, 2016 19:16
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Rodyle posted:TTYD is one of the best RPGs of all time. *grabs the mic from u* Hey yo Mario, I'm happy for you, and I'ma let you finish, but Final Fantasy had one of the greatest RPGs of all time OF ALL TIME! *tosses mic back, shrugs, exits*
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Feb 16, 2016 19:36
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RareAcumen posted:Whoa, whoa whoa, tone it back. He's right though.
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Feb 16, 2016 19:41
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Head Hit Keyboard posted:He's right though. OK, fine. You guys are way more forgiving about backtracking than I am then.
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Feb 16, 2016 19:49
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Head Hit Keyboard posted:He's right though. OK, fine. You guys are way more forgiving about backtracking than I am then.
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Feb 16, 2016 19:49
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TTYD is really close to a perfect game in my mind, so I'm happy to be on the ground floor for this LP. Every character and setting has undeniable charm, and the writing is really sharp. I hope every day that Nintendo announces a VC port so I can play this on my Wii U. good luck, DoubleNegative
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Feb 16, 2016 21:50
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RareAcumen posted:OK, fine. You guys are way more forgiving about backtracking than I am then. well yeah i just had to backtrack to read your posts!!
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Feb 17, 2016 01:05
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Looper posted:well yeah i just had to backtrack to read your posts!! 
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Feb 17, 2016 01:09
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Geostomp posted:I like Paper Jam well enough, but I'd argue that it suffers from the same bizarre restrictions on characters and story that plagued Sticker Star because someone at Nintendo took the results of a dumb survey way too seriously. It's better than Partners in Time, and I like that it finally gave the Kooplings personalities, but I find it less memorable than the other three Mario and Luigi games. Incidentally, the decision to not use original characters was actually AlphaDream's decision, and it was because of issues with handling the crossover, instead of being some sort of mandate like with Sticker Star. RareAcumen posted:OK, fine. You guys are way more forgiving about backtracking than I am then. Yeah, it's a great game, but it is not without flaws. There's a couple of parts in TTYD that are stinkers.
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Feb 17, 2016 01:27
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Dr. Fetus posted:Incidentally, the decision to not use original characters was actually AlphaDream's decision, and it was because of issues with handling the crossover, instead of being some sort of mandate like with Sticker Star. Even then, you'd expect something other than nameless Toads (both the paper and non-paper varieties) to fill the space. The Mario series has so many characters that never get to do anything, so there's no need to replace them with such boring generics.
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Feb 17, 2016 02:21
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Dr. Fetus posted:Yeah, it's a great game, but it is not without flaws. There's a couple of parts in TTYD that are stinkers. Yeah, that's what I was getting at saying that it was kind of putting it too high on the shelf of goodest RPGS ever. It's good but there're a few problems and to be fair, most of them are just an age of the game issue.
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Feb 17, 2016 07:12
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Lets Pickle posted:They were in fact trying to show off the processing power of the Gamecube. IIRC the back of the box that tells you about game features says that one of them is the Gamecube's ability to process hundreds of characters at a time. I thought it was really cool while playing it and the graphics and art direction for this game are still stunning. Huh. I just thought the giant crowd of dudes was a sight gag. Apparently it was a sight gag and a tech demo.
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Feb 18, 2016 00:35
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Link To This Update By Itself Hello everyone. Today's update doesn't cover a lot of ground, but it's still fairly dense. This game has a lot of flavor text and we're gonna be delving headfirst into it. Shall we get started?  We rejoin Mario and his new goomba friend in Rogueport's main plaza. : Wow, Mister! You... totally saved me! Thanks! I have just GOT to give you a little reward!https://zippy.gfycat.com/SardonicEachBarracuda.webm The animated images may look a lot better in this update. I'm using a new method entirely, and I think it's bearing fruit wonderfully. They're all a stable 30 frames per second and a fraction of the size of the GIFs-turned-WebMs from the previous update. I know you're likely reading this and going "I don't care." but I do and think they look 10,000x better. Let me have this.  Anyway, back to the game...: My name's Goombella. I'm a student at the University of Goom. Nice to meet ya! So, uh... Who are you? Mario is a silent protagonist in this game. This is how he responds anytime someone asks him a question. I'd rather not post a few thousand different variants of this pose, so in the future I'm going to abstract this as such:  : ...It should indicate he's responding, while leaving it up to your imagination what he's saying. : ...Mario? Wait, you mean, like, that famous guy? Wow! I can't believe I met you here! Cool... Anyway, no offense, but it looks like you just rolled into town yourself. Right?Mario nods. : Me, I already HATE it here! There are freaks and weirdos EVERYWHERE! It's nasty! I mean, I know the place is called Rogueport, so I should have expected it, but sheesh! I'd never come to a place like this if there weren't some legendary treasure here.: ...: What? You're looking for the legendary treasure, too? Seriously? Mario nods again. Also there are two piantas in the background wearing suits. Keep an eye on them. : Whoa whoa WHOA, bucko! Whatcha got there?  : Omigosh! Is... Isn't that a treasure map?! You HAVE to tell me where you got that!: ...: ...Princess Peach? What?: Great hoogly-boogly! If it isn't Master Mario!https://zippy.gfycat.com/QuickFabulousBellsnake.webm There's a full blown gang war going on in Rogueport, and it looks like the local mafia is winning. Oh and Toadsworth is here.  : OOOOOF!: Stay down, Bro! : Da boss sends his greetin's!: How's dat road taste, punk?: Are you OK?: That... hurt.: Those jerks. : We won't forget this!All of that happens in the background while you're chatting pleasantly with Toadsworth.   : So tell me, Master Mario, what in the world brings you to this wretched little burg?: ...: ...Hmm? Ah! Indeed?!? Princess Peach sent you a letter and a treasure map? And she told you that she'd meet you here in Rogueport?!? Intriguing...: ...: You're asking me where Princess Peach is? Erm... I was about to ask you that. We stopped in this town to acquire a spot of fuel for our ship, don't you know... I only took my eye off her for a moment, but as soon as I did, she vanished. : You know how headstrong she is, Mario... I just assumed she'd be back momentarily. But at this point, I fear we must embrace the possibility that she may never return. I've been at a loss as to what to do. I've been fraught with worry, I tell you! But I'm feeling better with you here, Master Mario. Surely we'll find her! Surely! But I know my place, Master Mario... and this is not it. I leave this task to you. : I believe I'll recline in the inn right over there and enjoy a spot of tea, perhaps. In fact, I highly recommend it, particularly if you find your HP running low. Just drop on INN! Ho ho! ...Yes, anyway, a little rest there will fill all of your HP. I must say, though, the rest of this town is a bit... rough. Yes, rough, indeed... Jesus he loves to hear himself talk. : Um... Princess Peach? Did he mean like, Peach, the Mushroom Kingdom princess?!? The princess who always gets nabbed by Bowser, the Koopa king? The one you rescue? Wait a sec'! This is crazy! Princes... PEACH sent you that treasure map? Mario nods. : Whoa. This is really intense. Well, where could she have gone, then, do you think? You think maybe she got sick of waiting and went to find the treasure on her own? : Oooh! Oooh! I know, Mario! Come with me! One of my professors is here researching that treasure. We'll show him your map! If we start looking for the treasure, then maybe we'll catch up to Princess Peach!Mario sure nods a lot. I should probably find a way to abstract that as well. : Great! We're all good, then! Let's go, Mario!New Party Member  Learning A New Skill    : This is Rogueport Plaza. It's the center of town, and the main business district. It's a crossroads where many people meet, including more than a few shady characters.  : That's Goomther the Goomba. He's always complaining about being swindled or mugged...      https://zippy.gfycat.com/DependableAmusingHalcyon.webm The little book icon is Goombella's tattle log. I'll be using it to show off her tattle for each new screen we enter, as well as all the people we encounter on those screens. Thankfully I have a FAQ with all that information. : First off, we gotta go find my professor. Thing is, since I just got to town myself... I, um, don't actually know where he lives.  So now that we finally have control, this is Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. And before I forget... : This is Rogueport's main square. It's sorta the central shopping area, I guess. There are lots of regular working folks here, but there are also ne'er-do-wells... If you venture into the back alleys, be ready to deal with some nasty sorts...Over to the right are two goombas. First the guy in the back, who doesn't have a name.   : If you press  , you can check your current HP. I can't believe you didn't know that.: That guy's a local Goomba. He'll give you advice and stuff, so he's OK. His tips totally might come in handy, so you oughta talk to him as often as possible.The goomba in front of him, that we can't see yet, is Goomther. We met him in Goombella's tutorial.  : If you find that jerk, give him a wallop for me!: That's Goomther the Goomba. He's always grumbling about getting ripped off... ...He must be easy to con. Which isn't to say that we should con him, of course!Over on the left is a purple mouser and a doogan. First the mouse...   : Looks like my star is finally starting to shine... not that it's any of your business.: That guy's Mousimilian. He sniffs out propositions that might make him loot. With his nose for opportunity, he could really do well in the straight business world... But I guess no one in Rogueport is really cut out for the suit-and-tie life...  : Just go east from here. As you enter town from the harbor, just hang a right. So, uh, what about him? Did this guy steal something important from you, or what?: That's a lazy Doogan. He hunts shady "jobs" that he expects to pay well. I bet he's never done an honest day's work in his life. What a piece of work. : Turf war between the Pianta syndicate and the Robbos heating up! Apparently! Best stay indoors! :*Graffiti Corner* I just saw the most beautiful, elegant princess in Rogueport. I think I'm smitten... -Podley's best customer  The billboard and graffiti corner change after each major chapter. Anyway, let's head back into this cramped alley.   : But not next time, man! I'm coming back a winner! The odds favor me now!: That's a suspicious Doogan. He craves that one big score, but I doubt it'll happen. I mean, even if he did make some money, he'd just blow it. He depresses me...Over on the... right? Left? Over on the opposite side of the alley from the doogan we find another goomba.  : I was a thief in another town up until about three months ago. Yeah, a good one. But then the heat came down and I needed to hide out, so I came to Rogueport. Now that I told you, you gotta keep it a secret, OK? Heh heh... I'm so sly...: That's McGoomba. A Goomba, obviously. I think maybe he's on the lam from somewhere. I mean, why else would he be chilling in this back alley? It's nasty here! McGoomba is hiding behind the item shop that we're now passing. Let's head to the west...   : You two! Not another step! Don't come this way!!! Some complete JERK just bumped into me and made me lose a contact lens! I'm looking for it right now, so DON'T YOU DARE MOVE!!! You hear me? Whatever you do, do NOT move an INCH! NOT AN INCH, YOU HEAR?!? We're given back control, but this is an impossible to win situation.   You can go left, you can go right, you can go up, you can go down, you can jump. No matter where you go or what you do, you're gonna crush her contact lens.  : I told you NOT TO MOVE!!!!! Don't your stupid ears work? What were you thinking?!? This is your fault! Now I have to buy a new contact lens! But YOU'RE gonna pay for it! Compensate me, Mr. Clumsy!Mario shakes his head no.  : I'm gonna block the gate to the west side until you bring me a new contact lens!: That's Zess T., a super-skilled Toad chef. With the right ingredients, she can make ANYTHING! She's like a kitchen magician! I am like, a TOTAL klutz in the kitchen, so I really respect a chef's touch. Maybe the item shop will have a contact lens in stock. She never once said they had to be her prescription.   : Welcome! Yes, welcome to the Toad Bros. Bazaar!: ...: Eh? What's that? You want a contact lens, you say? Hmm. Wait just a moment. : Gee, fella, I'm sorry, but we don't have any in stock right now. Tough luck, I know. I can special-order one right away for you, but it'll take a while. Check back soon, OK?Read: Come back after you finish Chapter 1. : Toad Bros. Bazaar is run by a pair of Toad brothers. This one's Thriff T. They must get along really well to be able to run a shop together, y'know? ...But then again, you and Luigi are pretty tight, too, right? You guys ever fight? : I always like to explain our shop-point system to new customers, so bear with me. Customers receive on shop point for each purchase they make. You with me so far? Save up enough shop points and you can get prizes, including some rare items. You'll find a list of prizes posted in any shop, so be sure to check it out. It's a pretty simple promotion, wouldn't you say, fella? Need me to explain it again?: That's Plenn T., the manager of the Toad Bros. Bazaar. He originally opened this store with his brother, Thriff T. Those two guys... I can never tell them apart, y'know? They're totally identical. The list of items you can get in exchange for points. The Gold Bars in particular are particularly nice. If I'm not mistaken, you can sell them for pretty close to the listed amount, but in coins. Anyway, I'm sure you all are wondering about those nice items on the shelf behind Mario. Starting from the left...  : (Mushroom) A feel-good mushroom. Replenishes 5 HP. 5 coins. : (Honey Syrup) A sweet snack. Restores 5 FP. 5 coins.  : (Tasty Tonic) A tasty medicine. Cures poison and other ailments. 3 coins. : (Fire Flower) Attacks all enemies with fireballs and burns them. 10 coins. : (Sleepy Sheep) Temporarily puts all enemies to sleep, immobilizing them. 8 coins. : (Fright Mask) Summons a scary spirit to chase some enemies away. 5 coins.The pro purchases here are the mushroom, the honey syrup, and the fire flower. I doubt I've ever intentionally used a sleepy sheep or a fright mask, and we won't be encountering poison for an incredibly long time, which limits the usefulness of the tasty tonic.  Our next stop in the tour of Rogueport is the inn that Toadsworth mentioned.  : I used to go 'round explodin' all over the place without givin' it much thought.: That guy's a Bob-omb sailor. I think he comes here every time his ship makes port. I don't blame him. This place has totally cool atmosphere. I'd be a regular, too... : ... Can't you take a hint, pal? "..." means SCRAM! Don't talk to me!: That guy practically lives here... He must like it, huh? He's like, the ultimate regular. As far as I can tell, he's recounting the tales of every love of his life, one by one.He's our mysterious graffiti artist from earlier.   : ...Who, me, you ask about? Ah! I am called Flavio. I am, how you say? A trader. The richest man in Rogueport.: That's the entrepreneur, Flavio. He's like, super-rich, and he owns lots of ships. What's he doing in here so early in the day, though? Think he's doing OK?  : This is Podley's Place, a humble little cola shop where folks mix stories and drinks. By the by, there's an inn upstairs. When you're weary, go on up and relax.: That's the innkeeper, Podley. He looks distinguished, always polishing those glasses... I wouldn't mind having a cold Chuckola Cola sometime and listening to him talk... He opened this inn a long time ago, so he really knows about the townsfolk.Upstairs is the inn proper.  : That's Toadsworth, steward of Princess Peach's castle. He's an active senior! He's been really worried since Peach went missing... I hope we can mellow him out.The lady next to Toadsworth has generic innkeeper dialogue. I'm sure you can picture its like already. However, Goombella's log does have something to say on her... : That woman runs the inn. She's sweet and helpful, unlike most Rogueporters. If your HP and FP get too low, come here to get them restored with a night of rest.Over to the left of Toadsworth and the innkeeper lady is a door out.  This is the badge shop. We'll cover that more in the future. For now it's closed until we  That does it for the first screen of Rogueport. I'm sure there's going to be a lot of extra dialogue I've already missed. Some folks have more if you talk to them repeatedly. I'm not going to be showing that off. I love this game, but not nearly enough to give it the sort of treatment that Grandia got. (By the way, that LP is a pro read. It's good stuff, with updates dedicated to covering flavor dialogue you'd never see unless you went well out of your way.) Anyway, moving on... https://zippy.gfycat.com/AdeptCanineGuillemot.webm : Hey! What's your beef, pal? YEAH, I'M TALKING TO YOU! : Mario! You gotta wake up! That guy just stole half of your coins! Indeed, our coins just got cut by half. Now I'm curious what happens if you don't have any coins when you get robbed. : That is SO lame! Ugh! I HATE this town!Luckily for the purposes of this LP, I know exactly where the blue bandit lives.  This is in the main square of the town, in the back alley if that weren't immediately obvious.  This is the bandit that just robbed us.  : Eeeeeeeeeeeooops! Uh... Fancy meeting you here! You're pretty dang persistent, buddy! What a pain! Fine! FINE, OK? You got me. I'll give you your coins back. Here. : Lemme give you a news flash: even the innocent-looking people in town are thieves! So, don't come grumbling to me about losing a little pocket change, OK, buddy?: That's a bandit who's made this place his hideout. Seems like he totally loves this place... but would it kill him to clean up a bit? Now that we're back to 100 coins, let's look at the second screen of Rogueport. : This is Rogueport's east side. It's considered dangerous here, even for Rogueport! This is Ishnail's turf. He's the leader of a band of thieves called the Robbos. Then again, you can also find Merlon here. He can help your partners level up. Still, it's definitely too rough a place for a girl like me to walk alone...  : Hey, ya big old rube! It ain't smart, talking to people you don't know. You never know when a guy might go nuts and attack! Be careful, live longer!: That's Goomfrey the Goomba. He looks kind of shady, I guess, but he's cool. People call him a "fixer." Y'know, a guy that can make any problem... just go away. This is Gus. We'll deal with him and his dialogue later. But for the time being, here's his tattle information. : That's Gus. He's part of that band of thieves who call themselves the Robbos. He looks like a total maniac, but he's actually a nice guy. Don't judge books by covers! The house with the shine sprite over the door is Merlon's house. He's gonna be super important to us throughout the game.   : Welcome to the home of Merlon, the super-magician. I foresaw your arrival. I can aid you, if you wish. With three Shine Sprites, I can power up your partners. Of course, that means I boost their Attack power, but I also throw in a new move for free. So... which partner would you like me to power up? Huh? You don't have enough Shine Sprites! Begone! Come back with more!: That's Merlon. He's this odd old man who says really bizarre things sometimes. He helps power up your allies here. For three Shine Sprites, he raises a partner one rank.It's not a hard and fast rule, but you can expect to power up one partner per chapter you complete. There are exactly enough shine sprites in the game to level up every partner twice.  Something looks off about this brick wall in the background. You can see it better while walking past, but even looking at it you can see that something doesn't look quite right. https://zippy.gfycat.com/DimMetallicFlycatcher.webm It's not a well kept secret. In fact, it's only a trick of perspective to us. But it's still pretty drat cool I think. : Heh heh heh! I'm pullin' another card trick today and makin' tons of loot! ...But somebody started tailin' me, so I came here to hide out for awhile. Don't tell anyone you saw me here... OR I'LL BONK YOU!: That's Larson, the bandit. The word's out on his scam, so he's laying low here. Of course, he wouldn't have to lay low ANYWHERE if he'd just kept his nose clean. You think maybe he just gets a thrill from breaking the law or what? : That's Darkly. He loooooooves the dark. He just stays here in the shadows all day long. Sounds kinda creepy to me, but hey, whatever powers you up, know what I mean? Moving back past Darkly, we can find some boxes to jump up on.  Flailing about blindly nets us our first Star Piece! We don't have a use for these quite yet, but there's no reason why we shouldn't start a collection. Anyway, that's enough faffing about. Next time we'll talk to Professor Frankly and get this game underway. No highlights this time! DoubleNegative fucked around with this message at 13:55 on Feb 22, 2016 |
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Feb 18, 2016 15:08
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