Super Mario RPG 4 | Paper Mario 2 Finally Confirmed for GC!

However, there was the slip-up made by Nintendo of Europe, who accidentally listed 'Paper Mario' for the GameCube 2004 Spring line-up. Speculation was rife from that moment on...Was this to be a straight port of the exemplary Intelligent Systems late-in-the-day Nintendo 64 RPG, the pseudo-sequel to SMRPG? Or would it be a complete remake? Or perhaps even a new game, with a similar title? Nobody had a clue whatsoever.

A few months after it was announced that NCL in Japan had stated the graphics and overall quality of this elusive 'Paper Mario' were not adequate and so the game went even deeper into hiding and no word has leaked out since.

At long last we can tell bring you official confirmation of Mario Story 2, as it is now deemed. That, if you are wondering, is the direct sequel to Japan's Mario Story on the N64 (our Paper Mario under a different moniker). Intelligent Systems is taking the reigns once more, breaking the cycle of a new development team for each iteration (SMRPG - Nintendo & Square, PM64 - Intelligent Systems, M&L: SS - Alpha Dream), to bring more 2D RPG action in a 3D setting to hungry gamers.

Whether Luigi will feature as much as in the GBA's finest title to date, or whether Wario or even Waluigi will make strong appearances, is currently unknown. All that is known is that this will be Intelligent Systems' first full GameCube game (not counting the rumoured GameCube Wars, Fire Emblem GC and port of Tetris Attack from the SNES!) and that at one point in the game, Mario can be turned into a paper aeroplane!

Stay with C3 as E3 approaches and more details will likely be forthcoming...