Paper Mario: Paper Caper

Paper Mario: Paper Caper is a new Paper Mario game exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. Unlike the recent titles, it goes back to the classic style seen in Paper Mario N64 and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, but still keeping the papercraft world seen in Sticker Star and Color Splash.

Opening: The Destruction of the Grand Heart
It begins when Mario and Princess Peach get an invite to Heartica Island,for the annual Heart Festival.

Prologue: The Quest Begins
The Heart Guardian, Heart-Thor, explains the problem to Mario

Peach Interlude:
Peach is in her cell in Bowser's Castle. She is sad that Bowser has destroyed the Grand Heart, and that everyone on Heartica Island will perish. But then, a strange voice calls her. She finds that a Heart Spirit followed her from the scene of destruction on Heartica Island, and Peach is happy to hear that Mario is saved, thanks to her. The Heart Spirit introduces herself as Trixie. They soon discover a secret passage in the cell, and they enter it. They find it leads to a vent that goes through all bits of the castle. Peach gets the idea to hunt for information in Bowser's castle for where the Power Hearts are hidden. They hear voices at one end, and find it leads behind the throne room. From the vent, They overhear Bowser & Kamek talking about Mario being alive, and also, Kamek mentions the Goomba Castle, where the Red Power Heart is. When they get back to the cell, Peach asks Trixie to bring Mario her Lucky Star pendant, and and she sends a Holo-Peach to let Mario know about her and where to find the first Power Heart. Trixie agrees, and leaves at once.

Back to Mario:
Meanwhile, back on Heartica Island

Storyline Text:
' ''And so Mario and his friends defeated the Mega Goomba King, saved the Koopa villagers, Koopelle's parents, and recovered the Red Power Heart. That's one Power Heart down, but there are still 6 left to find. The fate of Heartica Island, Princess Peach, and, possibly, the world, lies in the hands of Mario... and his new friends. Mario's adventure has only just begun.'''

Peach Interlude:
In Bowser's Castle, Peach is worried about Mario, but Trixie shows up, and tells her that Mario got the message, and that he found the Red Power Heart. At that moment, Bowser shows up, forcing Trixie to hide. He explains that he found out that the Red Power Heart was recovered, and he suspects that Peach knew that the Goomba King failed. Peach refuses to discuss anything more about the issue. When Bowser leaves, Peach and Trixie use the secret passage and discover a way into the main area of the castle. Soon, they find a way into the armory room. Once they get in, they find a good hiding place, and overhear Kamek talking to a bunch of Fly Guys called the Fly Bros about the location of the Yellow Power Heart, hidden in the hidden temple of the Sunbaked Desert, and about a key hidden in the Sunbaked Oasis. Peach & Trixie escape the armory without the Fly Bros noticing, and get back to the cell. Peach creates another Holo-Peach to tell Mario where to go, and Trixie goes to deliver it. When Trixie leaves, Peach heads to the cell window, wondering how Mario is doing.

Storyline Text:
'' 'Mario and the gang, with the help of Flavio, the rogue Fly Guy, solved the secret of Sunbaked Oasis, found the hidden temple, defeated the menacing Mummipokey, and recovered the Yellow Power Heart. With one third of the Power Hearts recovered, Mario sets off to his next objective. Will the Grand Heart be restored? Will Kamek make good on his promise of defeating our hero? And what of Princess Peach? The answers will be revealed soon...'''

Peach Interlude:
Peach is glad to hear from Trixie that the Yellow Power Heart was recovered, and Trixie tells Peach that on the way, she heard Bowser and Kamek talking about the Heartica Tropics, and about the Blue Power Heart being kept there. Using the secret passage again, they sneak through the castle, and find themselves in Bowser's library. She and Trixie travel to the top of the library, and after a bit of platforming skill, they soon find the Heartica Tropics book, and they learn about a secret fight club in the island village. Peach quickly puts the book back, and using a nearby vent, she gets back to the cell, so they can make a Holo-Peach for Trixie to deliver to Mario to tell him where to go. Kamek, however, had secretly been listening in on Peach's conversation...

Storyline Text:
'' 'Gooper Blooper was running the fighting club in the sunny village in Heartica Tropics and using the Blue Power Heart to make himself powerful. But Mario and the gang, with the help of former Major champion Mr Inkwell, defeated him, and recovered the Blue Power Heart. Mario now has 3 Power Hearts, so he is well on his way to recovering all of them, restoring the Grand Heart, and saving Heartica Island and Princess Peach, but the foes grow ever stronger, and the paths more perilous. Where will the adventure lead them next?'''

Peach Interlude:
This interlude is only a question answering sequence as opposed to the others. Peach hears from Trixie that the Blue Power Heart was recovered. They plan to use the secret passage again to look for more information, but before they can, Bowser and Kamek enters the cell, forcing Trixie to hide. He tells her that Kamek and his squad will be heading to the Frozen Valley, where the White Power Heart is, and he asks Peach to tell him what he should put out to stop Mario if he approaches. After Peach tells him his instructions, he thanks her, and leaves. As soon as he's gone, Trixie pops out, worried that the princess might be joining Bowser's side, but Peach tells her she isn't, and creates another Holo-Peach to tell Mario about Frozen Valley. As soon as Trixie leaves, Peach hopes Mario will be alright.

Storyline Text:
'' 'It wasn't easy, but Mario and the gang, with the help of Rosalina and Lumos, a light up Luma, defeated Betty and Billy, the Blizzard Twins, and recovered the White Power Heart. 4 Power Hearts have been recovered, and that means Mario's adventure is more than halfway done! However, the island will not be safe until Bowser is gone, and the Grand Heart is restored. 3 Power Hearts still remain, but where are they being held?' ''

Peach Interlude:
Trixie tells Peach that Mario got the White Power Heart. Peach is very happy, and, using the secret passage again, she and Trixie sneak out of the cell to find more information, and they soon notice a Snifit, and follow it to a darkened room. When they enter the room, they find to their surprise they've ended up on the 'Snifit or Whiffit' quiz show. The Snifit she saw earlier asks Peach to join in the quiz. During the show, several of the questions reveal the location of the Purple Power Heart, hidden in a hotel in Spooky Valley. For participating, the Snifit host thanks her, gives her a Disguise Mask, a Snifit mask that allows her to be disguised as a Snifit, and also, points out a secret route back to her cell. Once back in the cell, Peach makes a Holo-Peach to tell Mario where to go next, and Trixie heads off to deliver it.

Storyline Text:
'' 'Boo Motel was full of tricks, traps, and surprises, and, most importantly, Boos. With the help of Vexi, the good Shadow Siren witch, Mario got through the tricky traps, defeated King Boo, and the Purple Power Heart was recovered safely. Now Mario has 5 Power Hearts, he is one step closer to restoring the Grand Heart, and saving Heartica Island. But Bowser's goons are getting tougher by the minute, so getting the last 2 Power Hearts will not be easy...'''

Peach Interlude:
Peach is overjoyed to discover from Trixie that the Purple Power Heart was recovered. But Bowser comes in, and orders Peach to keep the noise down, for he's gonna have an important meeting in his throne room. This gives Peach an opportunity to sneak into the secret passage, use the Disguise Mask to disguise herself as a Snifit, and enter the meeting. In the throne room, she hears Bowser talking to his troops about Kamek planning a last ditch effort plan to stop Mario when he comes to save the princess, stating it will make him unstoppable. Peach also hears about Bowser making a plan to ambush Mario when he reaches the Toxic Wood, where the Green Power Heart is located. Once the meeting is over, she escapes the room, and races back to the cell, and creates a Holo-Peach to inform Mario about the Green Power Heart's location.

Storyline Text:
'' 'What seemed like an easy stop to find the Green Power Heart led to Mario and company getting trapped in Bowser's ambush camp in the Toxic Wood. But Mario & the gang managed to trounce Petey Piranha, the guard of the camp, and recover the Green Power Heart. Now only one Power Heart is left, and that one Power Heart is the one that will make the difference between success, and failure. Can Mario find the last Power Heart?'''

Peach Interlude:
Upon hearing that Mario escaped Bowser's ambush camp and recovered the Green Power Heart, Peach uses the passage again to sneak through the castle, and enters a strange laboratory, but a Magikoopa sees her, and promises not to tell Bowser about her escape if she helps him create a potion for Kamek's secret plan. Trixie is reluctant about this, but Peach tells her not to worry, and, after following the instructions he provides for her in his Potion Lab, Peach gives him the complete potion, and the Magikoopa is grateful, and he tells her about Rock Rock Mountain, where the last Power Heart, the Orange Power Heart, is hidden. Peach creates a Holo-Peach to give Mario the information about Rock Rock Mountain, and Trixie sets off to deliver it. But before Peach can question him about Kamek's plan, the Magikoopa quickly magics her back to her cell.

Storyline Text:
'' 'It was a high speed battle to the top of Rock Rock Mountain. Mario & the gang fought their way through Bowser's defences, dethroned King Digger, and recovered the final missing Power Heart - the Orange Power Heart. Now Mario has all 7 Power Hearts, he can restore the Grand Heart, and Heartica Island will be saved. And hopefully, Princess Peach will be saved, too. But as long as Bowser's around, Heartica Island is still under threat. Can Mario defeat him and rescue the princess, or will the adventure be all for nothing? Only time will tell...'''

Peach Interlude:
Peach is very excited to hear from Trixie that Mario has found the last Power Heart. She knows that as soon as the Grand Heart is reborn, things will finally go back to normal, and that Heartica Island will be safe. Soon, she & Kersti start talking about the adventures they've had. They are so happy to have the Paper Heart back, they forget that Bowser has come into the cell, and discovered the cutout. When they return to the cell, they end up trapped by Bowser, who revealed the Black Gem he gave Peach earlier was actually a disguised communication device, which allowed him to hear all of Peach's information, and that he planned to have Peach set up for Mario when he comes to his castle. Peach is taken away to Bowser's throne room, but Trixie manages to escape, and sets off to tell Mario.

Chapter 8: The Final Showdown
Mario and his friends return to Heartica Plaza.

Tattle Log
For details, see Paper Mario: Paper Caper bestiary/Tattle Log

Special Moves
For every time you find a Power Heart, your Star Power will increase by 1, and you will unlock a new Special Move. Some of them are reused from the older Paper Mario games [sans Super Paper Mario], and some of them use Things from Sticker Star.

List of Special Moves:

 * Cure: Same as Refresh from Paper Mario. [gotten from the remains of the Grand Heart]
 * Star Focus: same as in Paper Mario. [gotten from the remains of the Grand Heart]
 * Scissor Strike: The Scissors Thing attack from Paper Mario: Sticker Star. [obtained after getting the Red Power Heart]
 * Sandstorm: A sandstorm blows sand in the enemy's eyes, blinding them. [obtained after getting the Yellow Power Heart]
 * Music Power: Same as the Boom Box sticker from Sticker Star. [Obtained after getting the Blue Power Heart]
 * Frosty Chill: Based on Chill Out from Paper Mario N64, but with a blast of icy wind. [obtained after getting the White Power Heart]
 * Clock Shock: A pocket watch appears and freezes time for all enemies, like in Sticker Star, and like the Time Out move for Paper Mario N64. [obtained after getting the Purple Power Heart]
 * Evergreen Heal: Heals Mario & his partner by 30 HP, and cures all status effects. [obtained after getting the Green Power Heart]
 * Earthquake: Same as Earth Tremor from Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. [obtained after getting the Orange Power Heart]
 * Supernova:  Same as in Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door.  [gotten from the restored Grand Heart]

Playable:

 * Mario:
 * Peach:

Non Playable:

 * Trixie: A Heart Spirit.
 * Sprixiannia: A Sprixie who lives on Heartica Island. She can level up Mario's partners to Super Rank for every 2 Super Gems. Once you find the Ultra Stone, she can level them up to Ultra Rank, for 3 Super Gems per partner.

Partners
Partners return in this game since Paper Mario N64 & Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door.

Trivia

 * This is the first Paper Mario game to have more male partners than female partners.