I played Paper Mario: The Origami King recently and there was an aspect of the story that stuck with me. The entire experience was mostly delightful but there were certain parts that were endearing and deep. One of the characters in the game is Bowser (Mario's enemy in most of the games but not in this one) and he has a son named Bowser Jr., who also shows up as a character in the story.
Without going into too much detail, at one point in the story, Mario and Bowser are getting ready to fight a dangerous enemy and one of the characters asks them (paraphrased): "Aren't you afraid? Are you sure we can do this? Can we really take him on?"
To that question, Bowser responds with (once again, paraphrased): "Do you think I am afraid of this? I am raising a hyperactive child as a single parent. Now THAT'S scary. THIS? This is nothing!"
This exchange elicited an emotional response. When you're playing a Nintendo game (especially anything with Mario in it), you expect goofy and lighthearted humor and just all-around simple fun. I've rarely seen the writing get this engaging and "real." Seeing Bowser talk about being a single parent seemed so out of place but at the same time, it also felt right.
In another part of the story, Bowser Jr. throws himself at a bunch of enemies and gets into a fight with them so you (playing as Mario) can get away and complete your mission. When Bowser Jr. throws himself at those enemies, you hear Bowser yell from the top of a nearby cliff "NO! My son!" When you outrun the enemies and meet up with Bowser, he quickly adds: "Bowser Jr. can handle himself. It's ok. He will be fine. As a parent, you sometimes have to allow your children to take risks!" Once again, I was taken by surprise at the dialogue and the topics involved. I was not expecting Bowser to comment on a "mature" topic such as parenting philosophy. It was such a pleasant surprise.
Overall, I really recommend this game. In addition to endearing parts such as those described above, the dialogue has a lot of humor as well. I found myself laughing loudly pretty often.
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