Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling

This is a game that matches the style, feel, and humour right down to the even the smallest things that made the Paper Mario games so iconic to begin with. Since there hasn’t been another game in the style of the first two, Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling feels like a proper spiritual successor to The Thousand Year Door. Plus, now that it’s at home on Switch, this is the best time and console for you to give this game a go.

So maybe Nintendo will never make a truly great Paper Mario ever again. Lucky for us, Moonsprout Games may have cracked the chemistry of what many fans actually want from the series in Bug Fables. If you’re still mad about Sticker Star, or you’re still reeling about Color Splash, do yourself a favor and nab this masterpiece as soon as possible, and see what all the buzz is about.

There's plenty to see and do, a rather compulsive card game to play and hidden secrets all over the place. Add all this silky-smooth performance, a splendid soundtrack and turn-based combat that's never less than engaging and you've got a surefire winner here. Maybe now people will quit "bugging" Nintendo for a throwback Paper Mario. Pun intended. (Sorry.)

At the end of the day, Bug Fables is wearing its inspirations proudly on it’s sleeve, and still adding on its own experiences that are both meaningful and fun for players. I had a blast with this game, and I highly recommend it to all kinds of players, whether they be looking to dive into a fun story with lovable characters, trying a more tangible, interactive combat-focused game, or just attempting a challenge.

All of the meticulous detail and care that's gone into the world, characters, and mechanics is on display here. Instead of being just a cardboard cutout copy of its roots, Bug Fables embellishes that established template with its own style and flair while improving things where need be, and as a result, it's one of the best and most honest tributes I've ever played.

Thankfully, although the game is nowhere near as charming as the titles starring the Italian plumber, it does succeed at providing players with a cute, funny, and accessible RPG that most certainly resembles its sources of inspiration. Maybe Nintendo will take this game as a wake-up call to remember how good and revered Paper Mario used to be before the duds released for Wii, 3DS and Wii U? Let’s wait and see.