Over the last two decades Super Mario has been more than a mascot, an icon, or even a legend in the gaming industry; he is its ambassador. And not surprising, no other franchise in the history of video games has had the far reaching impact on how games are played or viewed. With the possible exception of Pac-Man, Mario is by far the most recognizable figure in the history of games, be it to the most casual or hardcore of gamers. What Elvis was to Rock and Roll, Mario is to video games.

Unfortunately, for the last couple of years, Mario had declined into a fat, mid-70's Elvis-style stupor. Ever since Mario 64, Nintendo has slapped Mario into every possible genre imaginable. Some with excellent results (Mario Kart), others that were less than stellar (Mario Party, Mario Vs. Donkey Kong), and a bunch of so-so sports games that are so numerous I'm not even going to attempt to name them all. The RPG Paper Mario series has typically been one of the stronger Mario spin offs since its inception on the N64 nearly a decade ago, even if it has never achieved the sheer brilliance of Squaresoft's Super Mario RPG on the SNES.

While Mario has been well represented in the RPG genre for the better part of 3 console generations, his roots in the platformer genre have gone largely neglected. Save for a pair of overrated 3-D adventures on the N64 and Gamecube and Game Boy Advance ports of his classic adventures, we've been waiting since the days of the Super NES for a new 2-D Mario game. Prayers were finally answered last year with the release of New Super Mario Bros. on the DS. Nintendo finally listened to all the fans' clamoring for a return to Mario's roots, and Nintendo was rewarded for coming to their senses with a flagship title for their now ridiculously popular DS.

Now onto Nintendo's latest system, our patience is further rewarded with another superb 2-D Mario game. However, this one is unlike anything you've ever played before. Post-modern film theory states that anything truly original is impossible, because everything has already been done before. Therefore, the only way to come up with something original is to combine things that have already been done before in new ways. If we applied post-modern theory to video games, it would culminate into Super Paper Mario. SPM is one of the ultimate examples of mixing together classical conventions in order to create something refreshingly new.

The story begins with Mario and Luigi sitting at a table eating breakfast. No sooner than Luigi complains about nothing exciting ever happening do the brothers receive word of a tragedy. Apparently the princess has been kidnapped! As soon as Luigi exclaims: "Who could be responsible for such a thing?" it becomes obvious that this game has its tongue firmly inserted in cheek. Of course, as any Mario fan knows, it is none other than Bowser who is responsible, and the Brothers spring into action. Just as the Bros. interrupt Bowser's attempted wedding to the princess, a floating apparition named Count Bleck appears. Bleck has in his possession an ancient tome called the Dark Prognosticus, which foretells the end of all worlds. Through the knowledge he's gained he is able to banish Mario, Bowser, Luigi, the Princess, and Bowser's entire army of minions to an alternate dimension. Mario ends up in a town called Flipside in which he meets a companion named Tippi. Tippi is essentially a fairy that follows Mario around and gives him clues, similar to Navi in the Zelda series. While in Flipside Mario encounters a sage named Merlon who informs him that he is likely the hero foretold in the Light Prognosticus; The hero who will save all worlds from destruction. In order to succeed, Mario will have to find 3 other heroes and collect the 7 pure hearts in order to battle Bleck for the fate of all worlds. Of course, Bleck and his minions will try to interfere every step of the way.

Super Paper Mario's story succeeds because it doesn't attempt to take itself seriously. The game constantly pokes fun at many video game conventions, and the characters constantly find themselves in quirky and unique situations. Dare I say that this is the funniest RPG that I have ever played? Yes I do. Furthermore, SPM eschews many of the disposable characters that pollute most Mario games these days such as Waluigi. In their place, we get a plethora of new and interesting characters. Bleck is a deep villain with mysterious motivations and remarkable secrets. His minions are all very memorable and have distinct personalities, and they play off each other well in the game's humorous cut-scenes. The chemistry between all the characters result in a hilarious and satisfying story that will keep you interested until the credits roll.