Opinionated Logan: Mario and Luigi – Paper Jam

My six year old son Logan loves video games, and is falling into step with his dad nicely in that regard. He likes Mario, he likes Animal Crossing, and he loves the odd family friendly game on my Xbox One. Last night, I found him curled up in his bed – after hours mind you – playing Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam. Despite my frustrations with him A) sneaking my 3DS into his bed, and B) still being awake at 10:30 at night, I couldn’t help but ask him what he thought.

Take into consideration that he is only may be an hour or two into the game. For a six year old, he was initially utterly confused. For playing a few hours, he was not very far. The learning curve, he openly admitted, was pretty steep. Button combinations that were second nature to me were very difficult for him. Despite this, however, he was making progress and he was getting through. Personally, I would have thrown in the towel if I were him, but he was having a great time.

The language used in the dialogue is very universal. Even at a Grade 1 reading level, he wasn’t having any problems getting through the text – which, at the beginning of the game – is pretty intensive. The biggest plus for him was being able to turn on assist mode. In this mode, everything slows down just a bit, allowing you to make precise movements when necessary in battles; as battles get longer, Mario and Luigi’s attacks get stronger, while the enemies attacks get weaker. Also, whenever a player wants – whether in easy mode or not – you can practice a move before actually using it, something Logan was doing VERY often.

Overall, Logan is having lots of fun with Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam. It is colorful and fun, and the music is outstanding. He fully understands the story. Outside of the deep learning curve, Nintendo has once again created a very accessible game. While Logan is more advanced then most children his age when it comes to playing video games, I still feel that Nintendo has made a (almost) all ages game.