Super Paper Mario gets US date

Super Paper Mario will be released for Nintendo Wii on 9th April in the States, Nintendo told its American buddies this afternoon, confirming an earlier report in Nintendo Power to the effect that it would be out that month.

Developed by Intelligent Systems, Super Paper Mario had originally been lined up for the GameCube, but with that console's demise hastened by Wii excitement the game shifted to the newer format, where its platform and role-playing hybrid style will have a chance to find a wide early audience.

Like the N64 and GameCube Paper Mario games (and, to some extent, Alphadream's Mario & Luigi series) before it, Super Paper Mario will consist of side-scrolling platform-style gameplay, directed by holding the Wiimote sideways and using it like a regular game controller, but interestingly it will allow players to switch to three dimensions to aid exploration. Players will also collect Pixls, which add game functionality that draws upon Wiimote capabilities.

If that sounds a bit vague, it's because there simply isn't a huge amount known of the game. The good news is that, given the unquestionable pedigree of past Paper Mario games, it's probably a bit of a dead cert. Expect to see it ripped lovingly to pieces pretty soon after the 9th.