\nMario & Luigi: Paper Jam<\/em> is just as wacky and enjoyable as any other past iteration of the series, but it fails to change things up in a meaningful way for longtime fans.<\/h3>\n

At this point, the beloved and iconic plumber Mario is far from a stranger to the RPG genre. In fact, there are two distinct aesthetics nowadays for\u00a0Nintendo\u2019s\u00a0mascot\u00a0depending on which RPG off-shoot\u00a0he happens to\u00a0be appearing in. Whether exploring the Mushroom Kingdom as the traditional 3D Mario or his paper-thin counterpart, each look for the character and the adventure he participates in are\u00a0generally well-regarded by gamers. So, imagine the delight that came\u00a0when Nintendo announced that Paper Mario<\/em> would be crossing over into the world of Mario & Luigi<\/em><\/span> with a brand new RPG called Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam<\/em><\/strong>.\n<\/p>\n

Ironically, while the premise of this game sounds great on paper, the execution isn\u2019t anything drastically different from past installments of the series. That\u2019s far from a bad thing given the quality of both the gameplay and comedic dialogue\u00a0that often accompanies a Mario & Luigi<\/em> title, but those waiting for the franchise to take a step forward are going to be left anticipating such a move for a little while longer. With that said, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam<\/span><\/em> is still\u00a0a good game that 3DS owners will be sure to enjoy.\n<\/p>\n

For those that have never ventured into the Mario & Luigi<\/em> titles, each brother is controlled utilizing either the \u2018A\u2019 or \u2018B\u2019 buttons and the Circle Pad on the Nintendo handheld. This time around, however, Paper Mario has been assigned to the \u2018Y\u2019 button, which makes for a handful of new challenges and scenarios that only the flat hero can help the brothers overcome.\u00a0Admittedly, it\u2019s initially quite neat to interact with the environment in ways that only the paper plumber can, but flying over gaps by folding into a paper plane or sliding into cracks in the wall are far from game-changing elements \u2013 especially given that the bulk of the action takes place in turn-based encounters with various enemies.\n<\/p>\n

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The combat itself will be immediately recognizable\u00a0to anyone familiar with the genre, but the one big change up is that\u00a0the turn-based attacks require precision button presses upon impact. For example, hitting the \u2018A\u2019 button just as Mario jumps and lands on a foe will cause the airborne Italian to flip through the air and come back down for another strike. Defensive gestures play out in a similar fashion as well, and\u00a0different enemies will require different methods to take down. This system works well and makes for\u00a0a nice spin on traditional offerings, but it can become a little tedious when tasked with fighting the same type of baddie over and over again.\n<\/p>\n

The thing that makes this game standout from other entries in the series is undoubtedly the fact that Paper Mario has joined as a companion for the infamous brothers, but some sort of gimmick is to be expected. In the past the development team at AlphaDream has\u00a0had the brothers team up with Bowser (by going inside him, no less), baby versions of themselves, and even a dream-based, Freddy Krueger-inspired rendition of\u00a0Luigi. Basically, the formula of inserting a new hook into each\u00a0Mario & Luigi<\/em>\u00a0game has remained in Paper Jam<\/em>, but\u00a0it just doesn\u2019t do anything drastically new \u2013 sticking with the same core mechanics and gameplay that have appeared throughout.\n<\/p>\n

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Fortunately, the\u00a0script is enough to keep fans entertained and even laughing out loud at the scenarios that play out during a number of cutscenes. I won\u2019t give away\u00a0any of the core plot, even though it unfolds\u00a0in a rather expectedly manner, but it\u2019s obvious that the personalities of each Nintendo mascot largely fails to shine in any other romp outside of this series. As a result, it\u2019s always refreshing to see how these heroes address threats and challenges, as they\u2019ve never been as fleshed out and likeable as they are in the hours of content found within Paper Jam<\/em>. It\u2019s not a groundbreaking or revolutionary tale by any stretch, but it\u2019s a\u00a020 plus hour campaign\u00a0that maintains a distinct and pleasing tone throughout.\n<\/p>\n

In closing, Nintendo and AlphaDream have created another enjoyable turn-based RPG\u00a0starring one of the most iconic mascots in gaming and the universe in which he originates, but the biggest setback is just how many times fans have been here before. Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam<\/em> marks the fifth installment of a series that\u2019s starting to feel a little too familiar, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s a bad game \u2013 far from it, in fact.\u00a0Still, with a new hook \u2013 courtesy of Paper Mario\u2019s inclusion \u2013 and solid battle mechanics,\u00a0it\u2019s a solid return to familiar form for the koopa-crushing siblings.\n<\/p>\n

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam<\/em><\/strong> arrives exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS on January 22, 2016. Game Rant was provided a 3DS code for this review.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<\/p>","game_id":null,"fully_scraped":"1","active":"1","author":"Riley Little","link":"http:\/\/gamerant.com\/mario-and-luigi-paper-jam-3ds-reviews\/","image":"http:\/\/cdn.gamerant.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mario-and-Luigi-Paper-Jam-Review.jpg.optimal.jpg","source":"GameRant","temp_id":"dmZ9nKS7N3","type":"news","created_at":"2016-01-26 17:44:58","updated_at":"2016-08-26 14:57:36","editUrl":"https:\/\/victoriousx.com\/news\/40840\/edit","url":"https:\/\/victoriousx.com\/news\/40840-mario-luigi-paper-jam-review","pivot":{"game_id":"411","news_id":"40840"}},{"id":"42707","title":"Crashlands Review","body":"

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Developer Butterscotch Shenanigans delivers a rip-roaring success with crafting action RPG Crashlands<\/em>, bringing outlandish humor and addictive gameplay to the indie scene.<\/h3>\n

The crafting genre has become one of the most saturated markets in the indie PC scene, with a number of developers feeling that crafting mechanics\u00a0can get studios the most bang for their buck. Whilst there are some wonderful standout successes around, including obvious examples such as Minecraft<\/span><\/em> and Don\u2019t Starve<\/em>, many titles fall short of what the gaming community expects. Enter Crashlands<\/em>, taking crafting in a decidedly different turn.\n<\/p>\n

Eschewing the traditional crafting idea of a survival title, Crashlands<\/span><\/em> instead throws players into a zany action RPG. Developed by brotherly trio Butterscotch Shenanigans, the space-faring title focuses much more on action and combat, which helps to set it apart from the army of other crafting games available.\n<\/p>\n

Crashlands<\/em> is also unabashedly atypical in nature for an action RPG. The game is chock full of silly humor, moving away from the staunch darkness of most RPGs on the market. Similar in feel to side-scrolling action platformer Not A Hero<\/span><\/em>, the game manages to walk its own path through a well-trodden genre, and is all the better for it.\n<\/p>\n

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The parallels with the Roll7\u00a0title do not end there, either, with Crashlands<\/em> also steering clear of the story tropes that so often fall into the realm of the action RPG. The player character, Flux, is not some kind of spacebound paladin a la Mass Effect<\/span><\/em>. Instead, Flux is simply looking to deliver a parcel, not save the universe.\n<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, her delivery does not go quite to plan, after her ship is brought down by a malicious entity known as Hewgodooko. Thrown down onto an unfamiliar world, Flux must then find a way off the planet. Of course, that is easier said than done, particularly when the world itself is full of dangerous creatures. The creatures in question certainly aren\u2019t to be trifled with, and are all-too ready to attack Flux with ranged and melee attacks.\n<\/p>\n

The character models of these monsters are fantastic, and the design in question is one of the real joys of Crashlands<\/em>. Each creature or friendly NPC has a grotesque, cartoonish charm, reminiscent of indie roguelike champion The Binding of Isaac<\/span><\/em>. The monsters look disgusting, in a cute kind of way, and it adds to the overall fun, light-hearted feel of the game itself.\n<\/p>\n

The gameplay, too, has some similarities to the popular roguelike, particularly when it comes to the defensive elements of the combat. Flux cannot take too many hits before she dies, meaning that avoiding attack is the name of the game. Whenever the player enters combat, they must try to dodge around these telegraphed attacks, all the while getting in quick counters to whittle down the enemy\u2019s health, similar in nature to The Binding of Isaac<\/em>.\n<\/p>\n

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Crashlands<\/em>, however, is much more forgiving than The Binding of Isaac<\/em>. Rather than the permadeath\u00a0nature of Isaac<\/em>, where the player only has a single life in order to complete the game, the player character in Crashlands<\/em> will respawn back at their home base whenever they are defeated. The player will lose some of their inventory, and will then have to return to their previous place of death to reclaim their lost items a la Dark Souls<\/span><\/em> though.\n<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, not every element of the game\u2019s combat is as well-executed as its contemporaries. In Crashlands<\/em>, the player may find the general level of control during fights a little wanting. Flux\u2019s movement and attacks are entirely controlled using mouse clicks, and sometimes this can feel a little imprecise, particularly when trying to avoid attacks from multiple enemies at once.\n<\/p>\n

This may be a hangover from another of the game\u2019s releases, however, as Crashlands<\/em> is also available on iOS and Android devices. Whilst the simple control scheme may work fantastically well for mobiles and tablets, some PC users may not find it as decisive as they want. It\u2019s a minor issue, however, and one that is made up for by plenty of the other impressive\u00a0aspects of the game.\n<\/p>\n

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What\u2019s more, the title\u2019s mobile and PC hybrid nature leads to a fantastic mechanic that players would certainly make use of. Gamers who own the game on both PC<\/span> and mobile<\/span> are able to transfer their save games from one device to the other, meaning that Crashlands<\/em> is available to players regardless of their location, without needing to set up a new game. This flexibility is certainly useful, particularly given how much fun the game is to pick up for a scant few minutes here and there.\n<\/p>\n

The occasionally awkward controls are negated by one other gameplay decision: Flux can own pets. Occasionally, an enemy creature will drop an egg when it has been defeated. The player can then incubate the egg, and keep the newly-hatched monster in tow as a vital ally when exploring the dangerous wastes.\n<\/p>\n

These pets can also be used to gain useful or rare ingredients that are incredibly handy when using the game\u2019s crafting system. Being able to manage resources and craft effectively is a huge part of Crashlands<\/em>, as improved armor and weapons are certainly required once players venture further and further out from their central base. Flux will also need improved crafting tools as she progresses through areas, which can only be obtained by obtaining new schematics for crafting tables.\n<\/p>\n

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Crashlands<\/em> offers up a more rigid crafting system than the likes of Terraria<\/span><\/em> or Minecraft<\/em>, but it still works very well. This is partly down to the way in which crafting ties in with the game\u2019s story. Important items to build will be unlocked through completing quests, giving players an incentive to continue through the game\u2019s narrative. Meanwhile, other useful items, as well as decorative units, can be found through \u2018deconstructing\u2019 objects in-game, giving a random bonus for simply playing the title.\n<\/p>\n

All in all, the game is a hugely impressive release\u00a0for such a small development team. Butterscotch Shenanigans<\/span> has created a funny and intriguing action RPG, and one that is also extremely addictive. The sheer level of quality seen in Crashlands<\/em> is a huge testament to the skill and creativity of this trio.\n<\/p>\n

Crashlands<\/em> may not be as in-depth as some players may want, but the game is an entertaining action RPG romp that uses crafting mechanics without becoming tiresome. What\u2019s more, the game is a laugh riot, and the wonderful tone of the title easily makes up for any technical shortcomings. With an intelligent approach to keeping mobile and PC gaming together, Crashlands<\/em> is a great addition to the crafting fan\u2019s Steam<\/span> library.\n<\/p>\n

Trailer<\/h2>\n