Flip
- This article is about the move used inSuper Paper Mario. For theBonus Challenge in the Yoshi's Island games with the name usually shortened as "Flip", seeFlip Cards.
- “I, Bestovius, have grantedyou the ability to flip between dimensions. Press
to slip between the very fabric of space and flip between 2-D and 3-D!” - —Bestovius,Super Paper Mario
Flip is a technique used byMario in thePaper Mario series. At the push of a button, Mario goes from 2D to 3D, with the camera rotating to show depth. TheFlip Meter imposes a limit upon the time Mario can stay in 3D.
History
Super Paper Mario
Bestovius grants Mario the ability to flip dimensions, for the initial price of all the money in Mario's possession, although the player can negotiate for a lower price or for free by refusing Bestovius's offer.
The technique is used by pressing while on the ground. If Mario is no longer standing on ground after Flipping, he has the chance to jump once in midair and land on any nearby terrain. One segment of the Flip Meter drains for every two seconds spent in 3D, and the meter gradually refills while in 2D. If the meter runs out, it deals Mario one damage and instantly refills without forcing him back into 2D. Taking damage or using a healing item also instantly refills the Flip Meter, and once Mario collects his ownCatch Card, the meter will never drain.
Internally, levels inSuper Paper Mario are segmented depthwise into panes. In 2D, everything in the same pane as the player character has its hitbox extruded, and the character may be snapped to a certain depth within the pane. The camera also uses a front view inparallel projection, and panes far in the distance are invisible. In 3D, the camera gainsperspective and rotates 90° clockwise horizontally, and hitbox extrusion and snapping are disabled. Objects are loaded based on distance from the player character, instead of whether they share a pane, and some objects too near or far from the camera will lose their textures and become translucent.[1]
While Flipping into 3D solves many problems, it can also complicate tasks. For example, a straight line of? Blocks in 2D can turn out to be placed at various depths in 3D. There are also flat objects, such as certainBlocks, that can only be interacted with in 2D or 3D, being perpendicular to the camera and intangible when the player character is flipped into the other dimension.
Flipping appears to affect a small area around Mario, as he is able to pullRed back into 2D, and bringgrabbed enemies between dimensions. Mario is also not the only entity able to flip dimensions. Enemies with a dotted rectangular border around them can also Flip, and will follow Mario into 3D to continue attacking him. Other enemies, such as theCursya, are three-dimensional to begin with. Somebosses, such asMimi andDimentio, can also flip.
Paper Mario: Color Splash
- “Let's try changing out perspective a little bit. This is going to use up a bit of paint, but it's totally worth it. So, go ahead and press
and see what happens...” - —Huey,Paper Mario: Color Splash
The Flip ability returns inPaper Mario: Color Splash, in an area based onSuper Mario Bros. 3 found in a monitor at theGreen Energy Plant. It is now used by pressing. It still has a 10-unit time limit, this time corresponding to 10 seconds instead of 20 seconds. The camera in 3D is also changed from a side view to an isometric view, with respect to the 2D point of view.
Flipping consumes a certain amount of each of the three colors ofpaint. When 3 seconds remain on the Flip Meter, the borders of the screen start flashing white; when the meter is empty, Mario is forced to return to 2D, but does not take damage. The Flip Meter instantly refills as soon as this occurs, so it is possible to reactivate Flip immediately thereafter, if Mario is carrying enough paint to do so.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 次元ワザ[?] Jigen Waza | Dimensional Ability | |
| French | Système D[?] | System D; also possibly short forsystème dimensionnel ("dimentional system") | |
| Italian | Svolta[?] | Turning |
References
- ^aldelaro5 (June 2, 2016).My glitch hunting: how the flipping mechanic in Super Paper Mario works.WordPress. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
