Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling

A bit of a triumph, Bug Fables is a superbly polished independent tribute to the first two Paper Mario games – but that's not to say it doesn't have its own, strong identity. The sheer familiarity is a little bit wearying at times – seriously, it's like it's been traced over in places – but Paper Mario with the serial numbers filed off is still a very good time. 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.)

Bug Fables proudly wears its Paper Mario inspirations on its sleeves and it in many ways stands as my favorite interpretation of the style yet.

You better bee-lieve how good this is.

Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling is an extremely endearing homage to a much-beloved series, though it suffers from some clunky platforming and a lack of inventive locations.

I have played RPGs for a while. I have even written reviews on them and enjoyed them. However, Bug Fables is an experience I will never forget. Why is that? Was my experience with Bug Fables a positive one or negative? Let’s find out.

One of the best RPGs, and one of the best games I've played in quite some time. These guys know what it takes to present great writing and an engaging combat system. It's pretty rough around the edges, no doubt due to the indie development and budget, but this game's got what it takes to stand tall with the big boys. You're doing yourself a massive disservice by skipping out on this one.

Many might be afraid that Bug Fables, with its prolific use of the traditional Paper Mario mechanics, might be nothing more than a cheap imitation of an all-time classic. However, that could not be farther from the truth: Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling is a superb experience with attention to detail in all its components. Its adventure honours everything that made Paper Mario great and even surpasses it in some areas, all while presenting us with a new world and characters we genuinely care about.

Bug Fables may be hailed as the spiritual successor to Paper Mario, but Bug Fables has rightfully usurped the throne and stands proudly as its own reigning title! Just as many have come to relish their love of Paper Mario entries, with the wide array of availability on all consoles, music score, battle system, content, and so much more, Bug Fables will be a title this generation will surely remember as ours did with The Thousand-Year Door. It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that Bug Fables has ‘sprouted’ a deep-seated love within me as a gamer, a title I yearn everyone to try!

While Paper Mario may boast a larger selection of allies, Bug Fables still holds its own as an unofficial sequel of sorts. 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.

Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling offers an enjoyable and charming adventure that fans of Paper Mario are sure to adore. The battling is surprisingly strategic and fun, the puzzle-solving is clever, whilst the world itself is super creative and vibrant in design – it all comes together to make for a very jolly bug-filled escapade that Nintendo Switch fans shouldn’t ignore.