Tips for Playing Paper Mario: Color Splash

This feature provides basic tips for Paper Mario: Color Splash. Similar to the other games in the Paper Mario franchise, Color Splash has its own unique gameplay. This can be intimidating for many players, especially ones who jump back into the series after being a couple installments behind. However, once they learn how to play Color Splash, it becomes as easy as a stroke from a paint brush.

How to Use Battle Cards

Color Splash retains the turn based style combat that the series generally uses (with the exception of Super Paper Mario), and also uses a resource similar to the stickers in Sticker Star. In Color Splash, there are Battle Cards. Each card can do something unique in combat. Use a Jump Card to jump on the heads of your foes, or a Koopa Troopa Card, where you summon a Koopa Troopa to aid you in battle. Most of the cards can inflict more damage to your opponents when you press the A Button at the correct time. For example, a perfectly executed jump can give you up to four extra hits!

You can mitigate some damage that your enemies will inflict on you during combat. Press the A Button right before being hit, and you can reduce the damage, considerably.

Some Battle Cards are colorless, which gives you the ability to fill them in using your paint. A fully painted card will do maximum damage. Eventually, you will receive more card slots to use during combat. This allows you to do multiple attacks during your turn. If you run low on Battle Cards, be sure to hit the question mark boxes in the levels. They will usually have a card or two inside. Also, you can head back to the Blue District in Port Prism to purchase some extra Battle Cards. 

How to Use Paint 

The most notable mechanic of Color Splash is paint. Early on, you receive the ability to apply paint to the world around you and to your Battle Cards. Your paint container holds the three primary colors: red, blue and yellow. In order to refill your container, you must locate paint throughout the game. Usually, this involves smacking a bush with your hammer until green comes out. 

There are colorless spots throughout the levels in Color Splash, and painting them will grant you coins, paint and possibly Battle Cards.  As we mentioned earlier, adding paint to your Battle Cards will increase the damage a card does. Keep in mind that your paint container is used both inside and outside of combat, so don’t jump into a boss fight with barely a drop of paint in your reserves. 

How to Use the Cutout Technique

When you begin the Cherry Lake level, you will earn the Cutout Technique. This allows you to cut out a line in the level that Mario can walk upon in order to reach a new area. This technique can only be used when there is an apparent line in the background. You will need to have a keen eye for this, since the line does not always come from the same source. Sometimes the line is created by an object in the foreground interacting with an object in the background of the level. Be on the lookout for this.

Now that you have these basic tips for Paper Mario: Color Splash, we’ll tell you how to get more paint for Mario’s Paint Hammer.