The Plucky Squire: Indie Gem Elevates Paper Mario

The PlayStation Showcase recently revealed some exciting moments, such as the Metal Gear Solid 3 remake and the Spider-Man 2 gameplay trailer, alongside trailers for charming indie games like The Plucky Squire. This title, which was initially announced in Summer 2022, serves as the debut for All Possible Futures, an indie studio founded by James Turner, former Art Director for the Pokemon series at Game Freak. The game is being published by Devolver Digital, a prominent indie game publisher. While The Plucky Squire has its own unique charm, it appears to capture the whimsical nature of the popular Paper Mario series.

In The Plucky Squire, players control Jot on a multidimensional, fourth wall-breaking adventure as he and his companions explore the world beyond their storybook and fight against the villainous Humgrump. The game's core mechanic involves jumping between 2D and 3D levels, similar to games like The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds or Sonic Generations. The 2D storybook art style is reminiscent of Paper Mario, and The Plucky Squire draws inspiration from the series while also innovating upon it in exciting ways.

The Plucky Squire Could Be What Paper Mario Fans Have Been Waiting For

For a beloved franchise, Paper Mario has been the subject of much controversy, with recent entries failing to meet the standards set by fans of earlier titles. Although traditionally a turn-based RPG series, Paper Mario games have experimented with other genres, such as the action-platformer Super Paper Mario and the puzzle-based combat of Paper Mario: The Origami King. The Plucky Squire draws inspiration from multiple titles, incorporating their best elements while retaining the charming aesthetic that has made the Paper Mario series so popular.

The Plucky Squire shares many similarities with Super Paper Mario, particularly in its ability to shift between dimensional planes, breaking the traditional constraints of a 2D game. While Super Paper Mario only allows players to switch to a 3D view of the same 2D level, The Plucky Squire takes this mechanic to the next level by allowing players to explore a fully 3D world outside of its 2D levels, complete with a separate 3D model for Jot. Furthermore, The Plucky Squire takes the fourth wall-breaking concept from Paper Mario and elevates it to a whole new level with its 3D sections.

The Plucky Squire appears to be the game that many Nintendo fans have been waiting for. With its top-down dungeon crawling gameplay reminiscent of classic Zelda titles, it fills the void of a potential "Paper Zelda" game that never came to fruition. The 3D sections of the game also showcase an art style and combat system similar to The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening on the Switch.

While it's clear that All Possible Futures drew inspiration from popular Nintendo series, such as Paper Mario and The Legend of Zelda, The Plucky Squire takes it to the next level by seamlessly blending multiple concepts and genres within its design. This results in an adventure that not only exudes charm, but also captures the magic of Paper Mario in a unique way, taking elements of the Nintendo series to uncharted territories.