Cutout

This article is about the ability from Paper Mario: Color Splash. For the objects from Super Mario 3D Land and the Mario Kart series, see Wooden cutout.

Cutout, as seen on the Gamepad

Cutout scissors

“We can use this power to transcend dimensions and cut out part of the background! Get cutting, Mario!”

—Huey, Paper Mario: Color Splash

Cutout is a technique used by Huey in Paper Mario: Color Splash. In similar fashion to the Paperize ability from Paper Mario: Sticker Star, Cutout allows Mario to manipulate his surroundings to progress and reveal secrets. Huey introduces Cutout to help Mario jump over a gate in Cherry Lake.

When the player presses in particular areas, dotted lines appear along or around a part of the world. Mario and Huey will fly upward, while the current view becomes a two-dimensional still image. This image is transferred to the GamePad, where Mario watches over it from atop Huey. From here, the player must trace along the dotted lines using the Touch Screen, which directs a pair of scissors to cut along the entire shape. Once the shape is cut out, one of these scenarios can occur:

• Mario will enter the shape and have to navigate towards a flag on the other side, in similar vein to a traditional platformer. When reaching the flag, Mario and Huey will be transported back to their world, relocated to a new position in three-dimensional space.
• Battle Cards will emerge from the shape. These Cutout zones are indicated by a distinct, recurring shape resembling a group of cards. Every card that is obtained by a Cutout is pre-painted.
• The player is prompted to place a specific Thing Card in the Cutout zone. Replicas will not work.
• The object within the Cutout area will disappear.
• Luigi will appear and give Mario 300 coins.

In the Green Energy Plant, cutting out the monitor screen will make Mario and Huey go through it, ending up in a world resembling Super Mario Bros. 3. Pressing here will use the Flip technique instead, similar to Super Paper Mario.

Mario can pay 50 coins to the "Deep Cuts" Toad in Port Prisma for a hint about the location of a Cutout area. If the player tries to activate Cutout while a Cutout zone is obscured or too far away, the dotted lines will glow and Huey will come out briefly.

Performing all Cutouts unrolls the Sizzlin' Scissors Super Flag, which can be seen in Port Prisma and the credits sequence.

Ruddy Road, Daffodil Peak, Cobalt Base, Vortex Island, Kiwano Temple, Mondo Woods, Mossrock Theater, Black Bowser's Castle and all Roshambo Temples are the only locations without any Cutout spots.

List of cutouts

There are 47 total cutouts found throughout Prism Island.

Level	Location	Reward	Hint	Image
Port Prisma	On the signs in the blue district.	Required for completion	None
	In the yellow district, on the small Toad. The Magnifying Glass Thing must be inserted.	Required for completion	None
Cherry Lake	In the first area, on the gate.	Required for completion	None
	In the second area, on the post south of where Mario gets a card slot upgrade.	Three Jump cards	In Cherry Lake, beyond the second waterwheel...
	In the third area, at the Scenic Viewpoint mountain.	Required for completion	None
	In Inner Cherry Lake, while the waterwheel is aligned with the bridges.	Required for completion	None
Redpepper Volcano	In the first area, above Draggadon's head. The Basin Thing must be inserted.	Required for completion	None
	In the ledge area, on the final section with the rising lava.	Iron Jump, Iron Jump x2, Iron Jump x3	Redpepper Volcano, in the background when you walk along the wall...
	In the red Mini Paint Star area. The Bottle Opener Thing must be inserted.	Required for completion	None
Redpepper Crater	In the third area, on the lava.	Required for completion	None
	In the hot springs. Cutting this out reveals Luigi.	300x 300 Coins	The hot-spring shadow. No one enters, no one leaves. And yet there he is...
The Crimson Tower	In the fourth area, where there is a break in the posts.	Two Hammer cards	In Crimson Tower... The central pillar of the spiral staircase...
	In the fifth area, in the area with the broken platforms.	Required for completion	None
Sunglow Ridge	In the third area, at a dead end.	Hammer, Eekhammer, KO Hammer	Sunglow Ridge, at the foot of a single tree in a dead end...
	In the fifth area, at the very end.	Required for completion	None
Château Chanterelle	Behind the house, once the barn doors have been arranged so that they form an upwards slope.	Required for completion	None
	On a fence in front of Princess's doghouse. The Bone Thing must be inserted here.	Required for completion	None
Mustard Café	In the second area, on the rock.	Required for completion	None
	In the fifth area, on the pipes.	Required for completion	None
The Golden Coliseum	In dressing room 2, on the wall.	Big Hammer, Big Jump	Golden Coliseum, on the back wall of a waiting room...
	In the coliseum, behind the stands. Cutting this out reveals Luigi.	300x 300 Coins	A face peeking out. An ancient Coliseum. No seats here, my friend.
Indigo Underground	In the first area, on a rock above the pipe. The Plunger Thing must be inserted.	Required for completion	None
	In the fourth area, behind a waterfall. Cutting this out reveals a green Rescue Squad cadet.	Required for completion	None
	In the third area, above the entrance to the yellow Mini Paint Star.	Hopslipper, Eekhammer	In Indigo Underground, above the entrance to the Mini Paint Star...
Bloo Bay Beach	In the third area, behind the shower stall. Cutting this out reveals Luigi.	300x 300 Coins	A steamy shower. Behind a sandy café. Don't flush the toilet!
	At the end of Blissful Beach.	Required for completion	None
	In a rock in the first area. The Fan Thing must be inserted.	Required for completion	None
Dark Bloo Inn	On floor 2, at the far left. Cutting this out reveals room 201.	Required for completion	None
	In the dining room, on the painting. The Teapot card must be inserted.	Required for completion	None
Fort Cobalt	After Mario falls down from hitting the last fences, on a container in the back of the room.	Tail, Spike Helmet, Frog Suit	Fort Cobalt, underground, on a materials container...
	In the third area, while standing on the yellow step as two rotating platforms are aligned.	Required for completion	None
Plum Park	In the area with Birdo's concert, on the bushes while standing at the back of the area. Cutting this out reveals Luigi.	300x 300 Coins	Plants casting shadows. Shadows shining through the dark. Spotlight of the plum.
Violet Passage	In the first area, on the rock. The Fan Thing must be inserted.	Required for completion	None
	In the fifth trial, on the rock after the cannonball has been fired and the flag has been unrolled. The Compass Thing must be inserted.	Required for completion	None
Lighthouse Island	At the top of the lighthouse. The Lightbulb Thing must be inserted.	Required for completion	None
Fortune Island	On a rock, while standing off the ship's bow.	Eekhammer, Eekhammer x2, Eekhammer x3	Violet Isles, the harbor of Fortune Island... the rock wall visible beyond the ship...
	In the volcano area, after the Charcoal Grill has been squeezed in the room's parallel version.	Big Line Jump	Violet Isles, Fortune Island... On the rock wall after the spewing smoke disappears...
Marmalade Valley	In the area with the Bone Thing and trapped Toad, accessible from standing on a log lift. Cutting this out reveals Luigi.	300x 300 Coins	A green L waits in the valley you spread on toast. Stand on the log lift.
Toad Trainworks	In the area with the handcar, while standing on top of the stairs. This spot can only be cutout after the Sunset Express has departed and while the crates have not been destroyed.	Jump, Iron Jump, Hopslipper	Toad Trainworks, the wall of the factory without a passenger car...
Tangerino Grill	In the kitchen, on the freezer. The Hair Dryer Thing must be inserted.	Required for completion	None
Sunset Express	In the second area, while standing to the right of the Thwomp. The Megaphone Thing must be inserted.	Required for completion	None
	Against the train car with the Shunned Guy inside, while on the side.	Required for completion	None
Sacred Forest	On the small pipe. The Magnifying Glass Thing must be inserted.	Required for completion	None
Green Energy Plant	In the first area, on the screen. Cutting this out reveals Luigi.	300x 300 Coins	Broken screen still works. No power needed at all. A letter lights up.
	In the first area, after entering the Warp Pipe. The Battery Thing must be inserted.	Required for completion	None
	Inside the Toad House, on the screen after it has been powered on.	Required for completion	None
The Emerald Circus	In the back room, on the wall.	Mega Mushroom, Big Spin Jump	Emerald Circus, in the corner behind the stage, next to the stairs...

Statistics

This chart shows the number of Cutout spots for each location, with the total amount at the bottom. Locations are listed in the in-game order.

Location	Required to completion	Card rewards	Luigi sightings with coin reward	Total number of Cutout spots
Port Prisma	2	0	0	2
Cherry Lake	3	1	0	4
Redpepper Volcano	2	1	0	3
Redpepper Crater	1	0	1	2
The Crimson Tower	1	1	0	2
Sunglow Ridge	1	1	0	2
Château Chanterelle	2	0	0	2
Mustard Café	2	0	0	2
The Golden Coliseum	0	1	1	2
Indigo Underground	2	1	0	3
Bloo Bay Beach	2	0	1	3
Dark Bloo Inn	2	0	0	2
Fort Cobalt	1	1	0	2
Plum Park	0	0	1	1
Violet Passage	2	0	0	2
Lighthouse Island	1	0	0	1
Fortune Island	0	2	0	2
Marmalade Valley	0	0	1	1
Toad Trainworks	0	1	0	1
Tangerino Grill	1	0	0	1
Sunset Express	2	0	0	2
Sacred Forest	1	0	0	1
Green Energy Plant	2	0	1	3
The Emerald Circus	0	1	0	1
Total	30	11	6	47

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	キリトリ[?] Kiritori	Cut Off
French (NOE)	Découpage[?]	Cutout
Italian	Ritaglio[?]	Cutting
Portuguese	Recorte[?]	Cutout

See also

• Colorless spot
• List of blocks in Paper Mario: Color Splash
• List of hidden blocks in Paper Mario: Color Splash