Did Color Splash's Bosses Have to Be Bad? (Paper Mario) | Boss Battle Breakdown

The bosses in Paper Mario Color Splash are a problem, but how could we fix it? It’s easy to talk about why boss battles with the Koopalings here are bad, but let’s also see where these fights could have been better within the story and gameplay. So today, let’s set the card battle system aside, forget the Sticker Star 2 comparisons, and just see how this aspect of the controversial title can be improved - on this episode of Boss Battle Breakdown!

Footage Used:

Music Used:
[0:00] “Cherry Lake” / Paper Mario Color Splash
[1:15] “Fight!” / Paper Mario Color Splash
[2:42] “Kiwano Temple” / Paper Mario Color Splash
[4:00] “Thing Card - Instant Camera” / Paper Mario Color Splash
[5:23] “Paper Mario Color Splash” / Paper Mario Color Splash
[7:57] “World Map” / Paper Mario Color Splash

-OTHER LINKS-

#papermario #colorsplash #bossbattle

[PragmaticAntithesis]

I think a good solution to the "you must use this thing" problem could be fixed by making it so that there's multiple solutions to the puzzle. Here are two alternate solutions for each Koopaling I'd like to see implemented.

Morton: Use a fire flower, fire bro, blazehammer, lava bubble, the charcoal grill or the fan to make the hammer burn more, thus causing it to burn itself out; or use an ice flower, an ice bro, the lemon, the washing machine or the plunger to extinguish the fire.

Iggy: Use an ice flower, cheep cheep, the teapot or the lemon on the track to make it slippery, causing Iggy to crash into a wall. Or use a hurlhammer, cat-o-luck, or a large enemy card to block the track, causing Iggy to crash into your newly made trap.

Ludwig: Use ranged attacks (hurlhammers, reflected projectiles from the tail, things, etc.) to sink his sub without needing it to go out of the water. Or use an ice flower or ice bro to freeze the water, then Mario will be able to walk across the water to take the fight to Ludwig!

Wendy: Use the bottle opener on yourself to pry the ring off you before collecting all the coins, or use a frog suit to jump over the ring.

Larry: Use the fan to blow the smoke away, or use a metal/drill jump to block the chimney with your body and steal the healing smoke.

Lemmy: Alternative to the disco ball: Use a KO hammer on the spikes to spin the ball around, causing Lemmy to lose his balance; or use a POW block, sledge bro, or rocky wrench to throw Lemmy off balance by shaking the ground.

Lemmy: Alternative to the Ice pick: Use any attack that works on aerial opponents (jumps etc.) to defeat Lemmy before he has a chance to kill you. Using the instant camera could buy you an extra turn. Or use the balloons, paragoomba, koopa paratroopa, or swoop to drag Lemmy off the ball.

Roy: Use the lightbulb, disco ball or magnifying glass to illuminate the darkened area, or use several unpainted cards or slurp snifits to absorb the black paint.

[jasonalen]

0:06 Shy Guy: "Red just isn't your color"
Changes to green outfit
Luigi: "Luigi number one by proxy!"

[BreakGlassForMemes]

I think the Thing system, if turned into it's own game and expanded upon greatly, could be fun. Imagine this: A party of three characters each with four different (infinite use) things equipped. Imagine you're fighting some sort of water monster. You could do the fight the long way, and just repeatedly attack it normally, OR you could try to freeze it somehow and instantly kill it with an ice pick, OR use some sort of heat based thing to slowly dry it up over the battle, or things like that. You could fight a walking refrigerator by using a screwdriver to unscrew the door and take the healing items inside. That actually sounds pretty fun.

EDIT: I’m talking about regular enemies here.

[dededeletethis]

I really like the paper koopalings, because they have personalities, personal themes, also it's the koopalings! Part of why i main bowser jr in smash are the koopaling alts!

[JABrules]

"heavily debated card battle system"

it being "heavily debated" would imply that anyone actually supports the battle system, but I'm pretty sure it's unanimously agreed that it sucks

also soundtrack is epic 11/10

[DaNintendude]

I honestly didn't think about how underwhelming the bosses were, because I was distracted by the personality of the Koopalings, and the great boss music that played.
The only one I had a problem with was Lemmy, because it's hard to know when you are supposed to use your thing cards. All the other ones I enjoyed, and I felt satisfied that I figured out the timing and/or the card needed just right.
I should probably pay attention to that next time I play the game.

I'm currently replaying Sticker Star, and it seems the bosses are a lot better. They have massive amounts of health, and it actually feels like a challenge. It has the major downside of not hinting at what thing is needed until in the middle of a a fight, but overall they are a lot more fun to beat.

[nickolias]

"Color in that subscribe"
*changes red button to grey

[OriginalGameteer]

The Thing cards definitely should have been optional. Similar to Hooktail and the fx badge, the Thing could have been an exploitable weakness that could still be a challenging fight if not known/used

[maks_____]

You know, it really hurts me that this game was only mediocre. It looks so beautiful, the music is great, I liked the levels and the writing was hilarious at times. I wanted to see this game succeed so bad..

[CalebWillden]

1:08 "Color in the subscribe..." But...if the button's red, that would mean I'm unsubscribed! ;-)

As soon as you mentioned it, incorporating a sort of color weakness system into the boss fights just makes so much sense! Colors give them power. Mixing other colors in disrupts it. I think that would have WAY better potential than how it currently is: "Hey, did you get the Thing? No? You lose. Yes? You win! Oh, a fight? Nah, there's no real fight."

Here's hoping the next Paper Mario takes a turn back to roots like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Oddesey!

[ColinCaboose]

Being required to use a Thing card against a boss is super poor game design. It removes a player’s options instead of expanding on them like a boss should. It stinks that this is the case, as I think under all its flaws, Color Splash could’ve been a great game

[cosmicspacething]

I think it should’ve been more like the Cricket hammer in TTYD, instead of being necessary it just makes the fight easier

[seabassthegamer]

I like that you showed the salt & pepper thing when you used the phrase "worth my salt"

[asierx]

These ideas aged so well in The Origami King:
-Summons are still necessary, but can always be used with enough skill and can be used several times to defend against attacks
-Bosses' patterns still loop, but the solution is still different

[cassie]

imagine a thousand year door remake with this art style. absolutely gorgeous

[spongyoshi]

5:59 this is actually what happens in Sticker Star. Their "Sticker Crown" make the boss super-powerful and pretty much make them go berserk (Although there's no color theming in this one) and thanks to you, I'm now surprised they didn't use that back in some way, shape or form!
I wasn't sure what was your solution for things card however but I remember it was better executed in Sticker Star. Specific things were mostly used in levels and for boss battles, if you needed a thing, it was usually basic and didn't lock you up for not finding out but it was usually harder to beat them without it although you usually had a bunch of different things that could resolve the conflict, not just one which was way better!
Personally, I loved Color Splash! While the overarching plot was way too basic and the battle system was pretty bad (and it's coming from someone who liked Sticker Star's) it had great level design and each level told it's own story which is something I can really appreciate + amazing soundtrack & graphics. It was close to it's former glory but still has ways to go. Let's hope they get it better for their next game!

[num]

A bit late, but something you forgotten to mention are Copy Thing cards. They act like their original counterparts, but when used with the Koopalings, they actually destroy it! They make a remark about it being a "knock-off", and proceed to their insta-death attack. (That last part is a bit fuzzy for me)

Which begs the question to their existence? It's not like getting the real deals are impossible! Truly makes me wonder how (possibly) nobody said anything.

I truly wonder what goes on in that director's mind. I truly do.

[BagelBrain]

What's this? A comment section on a PM video that doesn't have an overarching negative vibe? This is a seldom sight.
It's kind of funny that of what few modern PM fans there are, these people are significantly more positive than retro PM fans, despite being outnumbered by both fans and games. I don't see modern PM fans complaining about retro PM. r/hmmm 🤔

Anyway, thanks for providing a solution to the problem, rather than just addressing the elephant in the room without presenting a solution.

[ScottE-]

If there was ONE thing I wanted out of this was the return of partners to help you through their journey as you help them. Personally, I would've had it so that Mario's old attacks didn't work on these new powered up enemies so he has to use cards to inflict just a bit more damage and the more he carried, the better results and combinations of moves to solve the solutions.

Here's how we could have partners re-implemented into the game without the RPG level-up mechanics:

We could have a goomba companion that much like in the first two entries, be able to detect weak spots and total HP. While the goomba cannot jump as high as Mario, the goomba can knock off certain types of helmets with spikes or slippery surfaces that prevent Mario from Jumping on them, or the goomba from bonking them.
A Hammer Brother that used to do construction and carpentry that but loses his hammer when the Shy Guys invade his workplace. You help him find his stolen hammer, return it and he decides to join you because of the potential coins to earn and people to help along the way. His main function would be with flying type enemies that you cannot jump on or certain types that hide behind the environment.
One of the Shy Guys you've faced from the previous encounter with the Hammer Brother is out casted and rejected by his peers. But you cannot enter the area you find him in without a password that he has, therefore you must cheer him up with coins or items you find in the nearby areas. His role would be to steal items or valuable cards from the enemies and reach locked areas.
The final companion would be a ninji that could assist you in jumping to higher areas or cut out holes in the environment for travel or goodies hiding away in plain sight.

The main support of these companions would be the different colors of paint that affect their mood and stats from hitting harder or being prone to certain types of attacks while taking on more of one type of paint. The cards would boost their total strength and unlock special moves unique to each companion. Each companion would favor the type of paint that would either be prone to or oppose the boss of the chapter of introduction or later. The goomba could favor blue paint because it is relatively calm but dislike green because it is gross. The hammer brother would favor red paint because of the needed passion for his work, but dislike blue because he does not like cold or damp places. The Shy Guy would love Green but dislike yellow for the attention it draws. The ninji chooses to favor yellow paint for distracting or stunning its enemies but dislike red for the heat it brings.

I'd love to expand more on this but, I sadly don't have the time for it right now. I think I should however take note of this and possibly explore the idea in a video of my own. Excellent video dude and keep it up, you've earned a sub from me.

[ozzyrockin]

Funnily enough sticker star handled things with bosses a bit better, having fun, effective, but unessecery interactions, with just not enough interactions.