Review Information
Game Reviewed Paper Bowser World 3, by toodles_team
Review Author VinnyVideo
Created Aug 15 2011, 1:54 AM

General Commentary and Game Overview
Paper Bowser World 3 is the third installment in Toodles' much-acclaimed PBW series. After years of anticipation - and procrastination - Toodles has revived his PBW: Back in Action project and finally finished it after being inspired by Dazzle's "fangame of a fangame."
 
Pros + Top-notch cutscenes and dialogue
+ Very appealing graphics
+ Nice use of sound effects
+ Good music
+ Above-average replay value
 
Cons - Game is too easy
- Almost nothing in the way of boss battles
- Some may argue the game feels too much like the original
- Sporadic minor engine and gameplay glitches
- Requires you to install two fonts for text to display properly
 
Impressions
Gameplay
9 / 10
The sequel to the original Paper Bowser World wasn't as well-received as the original, so PBW 3 mostly returns to the formula of the original: Relatively simple gameplay centered around Bowser, along with a story that avoids becoming excessively convoluted (if you read the synopsis of the original plot, you'll see what I mean).

The game opens in Bowser's castle as he holds a meeting with Kammy about King Koopa's latest plot to do what he does - that is, kidnap the Princess for the sake of kidnapping her. The queen of Magikoopas prepares a "Welcome Peach" cake as Bowser sets out on his latest quest, determined not to make the mistake of again being a - gasp - hero!

Thus the actual gameplay begins. The mechanics feel a whole lot like the first Paper Bowser World. As Bowser, you stomp and smash your way through standard Mushroom Kingdom environments, submitting to the same baser desires that drive run-of-the-mill London street thugs. The frequent invincibility sequences (World 3-3 is a particularly notable example) are especially enjoyable for those needing to let off some pent-up steam.

The plot continues to develop, introducing the delightfully obnoxious MC Ballyhoo and some other recurring characters. The complexity of the cast and plot is toned down from the original prototypes, but the crisp dialogue and humor are still strikingly present.

Once you've played the game for a world or two, however, you'll notice something: This game is a lot like the original Paper Bowser World. A whole lot like it. Other than the Clown Car sections, which are a nice addition, the game offers little that's actually innovative. I can't blame Toodles for this, considering some of G.R.O.M.'s gimmicks were widely criticized, and since this game was in grave danger of being canned forever. Still, I wouldn't have minded seeing a few more new mechanics and enemies, even something as simple as a Lakitu level.

Another beef I have: The game's bosses are intentionally underwhelming, to say the least. Again, this is understandable when you're controlling a character designed to be a big, bad bully who's able to crush and stomp everything in his path (even if he ultimately fails in the end), but it still would've been nice to have at least a final boss that took more than three seconds to defeat. Furthermore, the game as a whole is probably too easy - I don't know if I even lost a half-dozen lives in my very first playthrough. I understand if the game wants to focus more on the story than super-intricate gameplay, but it gets annoying when you keep beating levels without even taking a single hit.

A random note I'm including for sake of completeness: There are at least two levels in PBW 3 with very tight time limits (especially 4-1). This is the first time I've ever run out of time in a level in any of the 200 or so Mario fangames I've played over the past half-decade.

A special treat is included for anyone who amasses 500 golden monetary units. This is not a difficult goal to achieve for anyone who beats the game in a single sitting. You may be able to use the password system to skip the first world and still get any coins to reach this threshold.
 
Graphics
9 / 10
Just about all of the sprites, tiles, and backgrounds in this game are original creations, and everything flows together seamlessly, making this game a real delight for the eyes.

A few minor complaints keep this score from reaching a 10: The small Bowser sprite is a blurry scaled-down sprite of the larger Bowser rather than an original sprite, and part of the non-antialiased HUD looks blocky compared to the rest of the graphics. Bowser's pause animation looks funny when Bowser is in midair, and MC Ballyhoo's hat is animated while his body isn't.

And while this doesn't affect the game, I wish the text would display properly without players having to install two fonts, even if both fonts are included with the game (and one was already installed on my PC). I know it's a little thing, but I don't know why Toodles couldn't have embedded the fonts into the game itself, which I know you can do in newer versions of GM.
 
Sound
9 / 10
The music in this game consists of original remixes, and they get the job done even if they're compressed quite a bit and aren't always incredibly memorable. My only real complaint is the title theme doesn't quite loop right.

The sound effects in this game are consistently well-executed - you won't get bored by the same old SMB 3/SMW sounds that still dominate the MFGG scene. PBW 3's sounds are usually considerably louder than the music, which is also a rarity among fangames. The comparatively low volume isn't a bad thing, either, although it contributes with the background music's tendency to, well, fade into the background.
 
Replay
7 / 10
This game boasts OK replay value by fangame standards, though it's not as high as in the first game since you can only play as Bowser. This score is boosted by the hidden surprise, which may or may not have a name similar to an MFGG spinoff forum run by an effeminate Briton, waiting for those who collect a certain number of coins.
 
Final Words
9 / 10
One of the funniest and nicest-looking games ever to appear on MFGG, Paper Bowser World 3 feels like a rehash of the original PBW. Whether this is a good thing or not is up to you.

Comments
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toodles_team
Aug 17 2011, 12:48 PM
Thank you for the review! As far as I am aware, you can't embed fonts in Game Maker 5.3a. If anyone is aware of a way to do it, I'd be happy to update the game!
 
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VinnyVideo
Aug 18 2011, 12:04 PM
You're welcome! I'm pretty sure GM 6 has this feature, and I know you can in GM 7 or GM 8.
 
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Dim_Yimma_H
Sep 25 2011, 2:49 PM
I liked the couple of tight time limits, more of those would been welcome as the game is easy otherwise.

I really loved the hardness of the Minus World though. Did you find it more fun than the rest of the game?

(I did :)

Vinny, awesome review btw.
 
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