Paper Mario: The Space Chronicles

***Paper Mario: The Cosmic Medallion*** is an RPG for the Nintendo Switch developed by Crash Co. It is the seventh game in the *Paper Mario* series and the second released for the Nintendo Switch, following *Paper Mario: The Origami King*. It returns to the combat-focused gameplay of *Paper Mario* and *Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door*, with battles taking place on stages with an audience and partners that adventure with Mario. The game's story revolves around a new villain named Lord Blotter obtaining the Cosmic Medallion, and using it to send a meteorite to the Mushroom World to destroy it so he can create a new one in his image. To counter this, Mario goes on a quest to awaken the Lunar Spirits, who have the power to override the powers of the Cosmic Medallion. The game also has intermissions between chapters in which the player takes control of Peach, Bowser, Luigi, and Pearl, who each have their own stories that complement the main plot.

## Gameplay

In terms of gameplay, the game brings over the core mechanics of previous *Paper Mario* games, specifically *Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door* and *Paper Mario: The Origami King*. The player controls Mario, who can move around, jump, and other actions as he explores open worlds. Partners return as well, who have their own abilities and HP as in *Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door*. Additional party members exist in the form of Lunar Spirits, who join Mario once awakened and can provide him new special moves.

Paper Abilities return from *Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door*, allowing Mario to traverse new areas. Paper Mode, Plane Mode, Tube Mode, and Boat Mode all return from said game, and new abilities are introduced as well. This includes Crumple Mode where Mario gets crumbled into a ball, enabling him to hop around and enter small passageways, and Wet Mode, allowing Mario to get wet and stick to surfaces and reach new areas.

### Battle System

As in *Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door*, battles take place on a stage in front of an audience. In addition to turn-based combat, characters also interact with the scenery, such as the background falling down and dealing damage or random props dropping on the characters. The audience plays a role too, as they will cheer the player on when they land attacks and give them Star Power to use special moves, and exit if the player does poorly. They can also throw items and harmful objects at the player and enemies.

Mario, one of his partners, and one of the Lunar Spirits are always present in battle. The order in which they attack and are positioned can be changed. Mario has the most attacks of anyone, able to have Jump and Hammer attacks among others by equipping Badges. Partners have their own HP and attacks, with new upgrade trees available to give them a different set of attacks. Lunar Spirits also have their own HP and can be upgraded, but lack upgrade trees, making them similar to partners from the first two entries. However, if one Lunar Spirit falls in battle, Mario is unable to use their respective special move.

When Mario or his allies are attacking enemies, they can select their target, though some enemies can't be targeted (ex. most Hammer attacks can't hit flying enemies). Action Commands return, and can be used to enhance the damage dealt to enemies. Stylish moves, extra commands that can please the crowd and gain more Star Power, return as well. Guarding and Superguarding, done by pressing the A and B buttons respectively, can also be performed to negate damage while enemies are attacking. Guarding is easier, but only blocks one damage, while Superguarding is harder, but negates all damage and physical attackers also get damaged.

### Leveling Up

Every time Mario and his allies win a battle, they will receive Star Points from the enemies they defeat. When Mario reaches 100 Star Points, he will level up, replenishing all of his HP, FP, and SP and allow him to increase one of the following: HP by five, FP by five, or BP by five. Every time Mario's level reaches a multiple of five, he is also given the option to increase his Attack or Defense by one. Should the player decide not to, they are still given the option later on, but once selected, neither can be upgraded until Mario's level reaches the next multiple of five (i.e. if Mario chooses to not upgrade Attack or Defense until Level 7 and does so, he cannot upgrade either again until Level 10).

Partners and Lunar Spirits can be leveled up as well. As in *Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door*, the player can collect Shine Sprites and use them to upgrade one of their partners, increasing their HP, Attack, and giving them a new ability. Partners have new upgrade trees, allowing the player to select from one of three paths of attacks to give them. Partners can be upgraded up to three times: two on one path, and one on another path. Should the player be dissatisfied with their partner, they can reset their partner to default and upgrade them again to get a better set of attacks at no cost

Meanwhile, Lunar Spirits are upgraded in a similar fashion to partners from the first *Paper Mario*. The player can hit blocks found throughout the game, which will upgrade one of his Lunar Spirits, giving them a new attack, higher HP and Attack, and decreasing the SP required for their special move by one.

## Characters

### Partners

As in *Paper Mario* and *Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door*, Mario can recruit partners to adventure with him. Each provide their own abilities in the overworld and in battle, and can be upgraded for three Shine Sprites each.

 **The King and The Duke****Chapter 1** | **The King and The Duke** are a duo of a Koopa Troopa and Buzzy Beetle respectively, who claim to be the rulers of Everbloom Plains, and join Mario's party to lead them to the castle's treasury where the first Lunar Spirit is. However, they turn out to be thieves in disguise, and take the spirit for themselves and frame Mario, locking him up. The Cosmic Medallion's powers affect the Lunar Spirit, and she turns the real king into a monster. They team up with Mario to defeat it, and upon learning the gravity of the situation, join his party from then on.
 **Rocko****Chapter 2** | **Rocko** is a large, purple Frogog and a member of the Scale Syndicate, being its strongest member. He has scars all over his body, including his eye, over battles against the rival mob family, the Mask Gang. When Mario and friends first appear in New Splatnought, Rocko captures them for trespassing on their territory, and takes them to the boss. However, his boss thinks they can be useful, as the Mask Gang are creating a weapon to take the syndicate down. The boss says he will trade the Lunar Spirit if they can defeat the Mask Gang, and he assigns Rocko to go with them. He at first hates Mario, but grows to respect him throughout the adventure.
 **Ms. Yime****Chapter 3** | **Ms. Yime** is an old, elderly Yoshi who teaches finance at Jurassic University. When Mario arrives in search of the Lunar Spirit here, Ms. Yime welcomes them and says she will help in the search any way she can. However, when students go missing and mysteries start making themselves present around campus, Ms. Yime travels with Mario personally to try and sort everything out.
 **Swirl****Optional** | **Swirl** is a living, sentient hill in Everbloom Plains that Mario can talk to by hitting him on the head 10 times. He takes Mario by surprise, and claims to be a living being who was turned into a hill. Mario nor his allies believe him, but he decides to tag along for their adventure anyway, in hopes he can find a way to turn back.
Swirl's overworld ability is to boost the frequency of HP and FP drops after Mario wins a battle.

## Enemies

 **Woodland Piranha** | This is a Woodland Piranha, a type of Piranha Plant that's adapted to living in dense forests. Max HP is 5, Attack is 3, and Defense is 0. It's not much different from a regular Piranha Plant, so you shouldn't have much to worry about. Those teeth are razor-sharp, so don't try to jump on them.
 **Static Piranha** | This is a Static Piranha. It's got special teeth that allow it to discharge electric energy! Max HP is 8, Attack is 5, and Defense is 0. Its bites are more dangerous than that of a regular Piranha Plant's, as it can shock you and freeze you in place for a few turns! One isn't too much of a problem, but if there's multiple, you better tread carefully. You can avoid static shocks with Guarding.
 **Pale Piranha** | That's a Pale Piranha, a Piranha Plant that's adapted monochrome colors by living in deep caves. Max HP is 20, Attack is 8, and Defense is 0. Yeah, it's pretty tough. And if that wasn't enough, it's got the abilities from Putrid, Frost, and Static Piranhas! Using really strong attacks to take it out quickly seems like the best course of action.