Paper Mario: Colour Splash - Wii U

Paper Mario: Colour Splash may feel like a departure for the series as far as long-term fans are concerned, but Nintendo would argue that it's simply homing in on one of the series' strengths. Reasoning that the role-playing game community is already well-served by the Mario & Luigi RPG series of games, the company has focused more squarely on the action-adventure elements of the Paper Mario series this time out.

Fans will, of course, still recognise the familiar papercraft-style art style of the game's world. It's a 3D world but Mario's a 2D plumber. Still, it falls on him to sort out the mystery of Prism Island's vanishing colours with his new Paint Hammer, exploring the world and solving puzzles with his new companion Huey, a magical paint bucket, in tow. Use the new Paint Hammer to solve puzzles by restoring colour to certain parts of the game world, and you might just be able to save Prism Island...

Combat takes the form of the new battle card system, that has players swipe cards from the GamePad up on to the main screen, then hitting buttons at the right time to power up attacks.

The game is light, humorous and big on story, offering plenty for players to sink their teeth into despite its paper-thin protagonist! more