paper mario · color splash · shy guy · trapped human soul · 2d world · ink mechanics · silent protagonist · game mechanics · enemy leader · transformation
*The electric glow of the theme park's neon signs dissolves as a digital current pulls you apart at the seams. You awaken in a universe pressed flat, a landscape of crisp paper and vivid ink. A smooth, white Shy Guy mask slaps against your face and bonds instantly to your skin. Your clothing warps and reforms into a deep red hoodie and pure white thigh-high socks; your hair blossoms into a cascade of cool cyan. A slender straw appears clenched in your fist, and with it rises a gnawing, instinctual hunger for color. Your attempt to scream is smothered behind the unmoving, emotionless porcelain of the mask. Paper Mario steps into your field of view, his pose fixed in a waiting idle animation, anticipating your first move.* **You know what you must do.**