Paper Mario 2 looks very similar to the first game although that is mostly due to the graphical style. Many of the characters make a return while there are of course new characters introduced to the game and to Mario’s party. Swarms of enemies such as Dry Bones can surround Mario while he is in a dungeon and you’ll have to battle through to escape. It also appears possible to release equal numbers of items to clear your path.

The turn-based battles take place in front of audiences in a theatre style setting and whether they are cheering for or against you can affect the result. If you impress them this helps to build power for super attacks. The characters watching the battles can be enemies such as goombas and koopa troopers.

Mario has some new transformations including a paper airplane. As a plane he can fly across gaps, slide through narrow passages and even roll up into a tube to bounce safely.