About[]
Paper Mario Golden Galaxy is the Sixth main entry in the Paper Mario series, and it will be released on August 11th 2019 for the Nintendo Switch. The game will act as a return to form for the series, mixing together aspects from all of the Paper Mario games, along with entirely new gameplay mechanics.
Story[]
The story begins during a typical night in the mushroom kingdom. While Mario and Luigi are asleep in their house, an alien spacecraft flies by, beaming up both of the brothers. The spacecraft then flies by Bowser and Peach's castles, beaming them both up as well. A little while later, Mario awakens on the spacecraft and sets off to figure out what is going on. After finding Luigi and Peach and fighting off a confused Bowser, an alien in a suit and top hat teleports into the room with Mario and the others. The alien introduces himself as President Hatrick, CEO of Hatrick industries, the largest corporation in the galaxy. Hatrick explains that the Mushroom Kingdom has been invited into the galactic council, and that Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Bowser have been selected to represent their kingdom. The spacecraft is currently on its way to Port Galactica, a massive spaceport in the center of the galaxy.
Once they arrive at Port Galactica, Mario and the others are given a tour by Hatrick, and a celebration is then held in their honor. During the celebration Mario hears a strange voice coming from a nearby alleyway and decides to investigate. When Mario peers down alley, he sees a large cloaked figure surrounded by smaller cloaked figures. The large figure then begins begins talking about a prophecy, and how he is sure that their new guests must surely be the ones of legend. The head figure then touches a strange symbol on the ground, and a secret passageway opens up. The figures proceed into the passageway, and Mario follows them in from a distance. After following the figures though the long passageway, Mario eventually arrives at a large room, filled with treasure. In the center of the treasure filled room is a golden pirate skull. The hooded figures approach the golden skull and the head figure says some words in an ancient language, causing the skull to come to life. The skull then starts badmouthing the hooded figures, and, sensing Mario's presence, calls him out from his hiding spot. After discovering Mario, the head figure challenges him to a battle. With the help of the golden skull, Mario is able to defeat the cloaked figure in battle.
After his defeat, the cloaked figure congratulates Mario on his victory and leaves the treasure room, much to the dismay of his minions. The golden skull then introduces himself as Captain Flint. Flint apologies for making Mario fight the cloaked figures, and says that they were probably just trying to steal his treasure. Flint then explains that thousands of years ago, he was the greatest space pirate captain in the galaxy, until has treasure and his ship were stolen and he was sealed away inside of his own treasure room. Flint says that his treasure was just a clue to uncovering an even greater secret, and that if it fell into the wrong hands, it could mean the end of the universe. Mario then sets off with Flint to find the lost treasure and uncover the greatest mystery in the galaxy.
Gameplay[]
Battle[]
The battle system in Paper Mario Golden Galaxy is based on the battle system of Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door, with some systems being reworked. In battle, Mario and his partner's attacks are determined by cards, which act similar to badges from previous games. Mario and his partners all of exclusive cards that can only be used by them, as well as cards that can be used by any character. Cards can be found in the overworld, in special shops, or even after completing sidequests. Unlike badges, cards don't unlock new abilities for Mario, and only act as commands for in battle. In order to use a card, Mario must have the specified amount of card points, which replaces flower points from previous games. Mario earns card points each turn, depending on his preformance in battle. While a specific card can only be used once per turn, that card will return to Mario's hand at the next turn.
As well as using cards, Mario and his partners can also use one time use healing and attack items, as well as preforming strategic actions that don't require a card. The number of actions Mario and his partner are limited to a certain number that is shown in the upper left corner of the screen. Whlie this number starts at one, it will quickly increase as Mario meets new partners and completes chapters, eventually maxing out at five. While one character can preform all of the actions during a turn, the audience prefers it when both Mario and his partner are active. Speaking of the audience, it is another returning feature from previous games. Depending on the player's fighting style, Mario will attract different characters to the audience, each providing different benefits. There are even special story characters that will join the audience if Mario completes their individual sidequest.
Cards also all have unique action commands, similarly to previous games. Mario's partners also all have their own action commands to block enemy attacks, some of which being more or less effective against specific enemies. By defeating enemies in battle, Mario and his partners will earn star points. Instead of leveling up after collecting 100 star points, each character will have a skill tree that can be explanded by spending star points. While HP, CP, attack, and defence can be upgraded in the skill tree, character specific abilites can also be unlocked, similar to abilites held by badges. Finally, in battle each character will have a special meter, which will allow them to use a powered up version of one of their regular moves after it is filled up.
Overworld[]
Overworld exploration works similarly to previous games, with Mario being able to jump, use his hammer, and use partner abilities. All locations throughout the game are interconnected, without the need for a world map. Replacing save blocks from previous games are checkpoint flags, which act as both save points and warp points, also replacing the sewer system from the first two games. In the overworld, Flint acts as a glorified cursor, allowing Mario to select objects and get information about them. Additionally, Flint also allows Mario to draw on the world, similar to the game Okami. This mechanic acts as a new way to find secrets, solve puzzles, and interact with the world.
Like the first three Paper Mario games, Paper Mario is broken up into many different chapters. This time around, the total number of charpters has been increased from eight to twelve. Unlike the first three games, chapters are unlocked in sets of three or four. Each set of chapters can be completed in any order, with the exception of the first and last chapters. Also returning from the first three games are the intermissions between chapters, allowing the player to take control of Peach, Bowser, or Luigi. Each chapter will have it's own self contained story, while also revealing new elements of the main story. While the main story does see some development during each chapter, major plot elemnts are usually reserved for the intermissions in between sets of chapters.
Partners[]
Captain Flint[]
Captain Flint used to be the greatest space pirate in the galaxy, until his mysterious treasure was stolen and he was sealed away under Port Galactica thousands of years ago. Now, it's up to Mario and friends to help Flint find his long lost treasure and discover what really happended all those years ago. In the overworld, Flint can use his wide array of knowlege to tell Mario about nearly anything. Additionally, Flint can use his magic quill to literally draw on the world, allowing Mario to discover all sorts of hidden secrets. While he isn't in any condition for fighting, Flint can still help out in battle by tattling on enemies.
Prince Kooply[]
Prince Kooply is an arrogant koopa prince from the Dragonian Kingdom with dreams of exploring the world. While he is sometimes far too confident in his own abilities, his unbreakable courage and royal charm make him a strong asset to Mario's team. In the overworld, Kooply can launch forward in his shell, allowing him to hit far away switches and retrieve hidden items. In battle, Kooply can use his durable shell to penetrate any defence and block any attack.
Bombetty[]
Bombetty is a Bob-omb waiter at the Nowhere Diner, a popular resting stop on Spaceroute 66. While she tries to act tough, she is actually just a scared young girl trying to support her family. At first, she is hesitent to join Mario on his adventure, but she eventually sees it as an opportunity to prove to herself that she is capable of conquering her fears. In the overworld, Bombetty can explode, revealing hidden pathways and clearing away debris. In battle, Bombetty can use a wide array of explosives, damaging many enemies with one explosion or hiding behind a decoy that will explode on impact.