For Backlog 365 I plan on playing one game on my backlog everyday this year and write about it. For each game I will decide if I want to put it on my "Shelved" list (games that I plan to come back to and play in depth) or put it on the "Retired" list (games that I will delete or sell and move on with my life).

• January 4
• Wii (Virtual Console N64)
• Time Played: 1 hour, 1 minute

Right off the bat I have to say Paper Mario bored me. I feel bad saying that, I always feel bad when I dislike a beloved Nintendo franchises. But I think I need to admit to myself that I just don't like a lot of Nintendo stuff. Mario is the prime example. I hear people rave about a Mario game (see Galaxy), I think that I will like said Mario game, I try to like said Mario game, and I really don't like said Mario game. Therefore, I have decided to have an intervention with myself. I need to give up Mario. I'm serious about this, so I'm quitting cold turkey. (I'm even removing New Super Mario Bros. from my backlog. I'll replace it with something else.)

I think you know where this is going. But, you may say, Paper Mario isn't like other Mario games, it's an RPG! Well, sir, I found that out when I started playing. I got Paper Mario when Nintendo was ending its reward program and didn't know much about it. I knew some people really held the game in high regard so I decided it was my best option. When I started playing it I thought, "huh, this is like Super Mario RPG." Turns out it's a sequel. And... I didn't like Super Mario RPG. I could have saved us all some time by actually looking up what I was buying.

I'm going to put Paper Mario on my "Retired" list, but this wasn't a complete waste. I can now proudly say I am a Mario hater, and I have been Mario free for 1 day (almost).

Judgement: Retired

Paper Mario is definitely one of my favorite games, but I can see why someone would be turned off by its simplistic combat system. Your best bet is to go all in and experiment with badges and badge power and even then the game isn't really fully rewarding when it comes to turn based battles. It's the sense of humor, art style, and diverse environments and surprisingly touching story that makes it revered by people like me. The sequel might be more up your ally if you'd be willing to give it a shot and Super Paper Mario has one of the better stories if you see it through to the end, but the gameplay is arguably easier.