Paper Mario

Paper Mario is one of the most unique games I've seen in a long time. It's sort of like the sequel to Super Mario RPG, although Paper Mario has as much to do with that game as chalk has to do with cheese. Although... that's a silly analogy.

The plot is standard "Bowser captures Princess Peach, Mario comes to save her" fare, but with a little twist. Bowser seizes Peach's castle, and takes it up into the sky atop his floating fortress. Bowser has also stolen the sacred Star Rod to give himself immense power, and with it, he effortlessly defeats Mario, and shoots him out the window. However, since this Mario is made of "paper," he just floats down. Our plumber hero gains several new allies, finds powerups, and meets new characters as he attempts to save the Star Spirits, the guardians of the Star Road. And, of course, the characters are all flat like paper, but they move around in a 3D landscape.

Shigeru Miyamoto's famous character never gets boring, and this adventure is yet another classic for Mario and his friends. It's not a Final Fantasy killer, but the game has plenty of wit and challenge to keep both kids and adults on their toes.

I give this game a 9 out of 10 - highly recommended!

Timeless Classic That Defined a Generation

The original Paper Mario on the Nintendo 64 wasn't just a great RPG-it was a genre-defining masterpiece that proved Mario could dominate far more than just platformers. With its innovative visuals, heartfelt storytelling, and perfectly tuned combat, this game kicked off one of the most beloved spin-off series in Nintendo history-and did it with unforgettable charm.

Aesthetic Breakthrough

In an era obsessed with pushing 3D boundaries, Paper Mario embraced a flat, storybook style that stood out. The paper-cutout visuals weren't just novel-they were used creatively in both gameplay and storytelling, setting the tone for everything that came after. From the pop-up towns to the folding environments, everything felt lovingly hand-crafted.

This wasn't just style-it was substance. The game's visual identity helped tell the story, enhanced the humor, and made the world feel vibrant and alive.

Combat That's Still Fun Today

Turn-based combat in Paper Mario is simple but deeply satisfying. The timed action commands, the badge system, and the ability to swap in your quirky party members created a battle system that was easy to learn, but rich in strategy. It's accessible for younger players and rewarding for veterans.

Unlike many RPGs of its time, Paper Mario never felt like a grind. Every encounter was brisk, fun, and purposeful.

A True Adventure with Heart

This wasn't just "Bowser kidnaps Peach again." In Paper Mario, Bowser steals the Star Rod and becomes nearly invincible, forcing Mario to go on a global quest to restore balance to the world. Each chapter brought you to a distinct location-Shy Guy's Toy Box, Boo's Mansion, Lava Lava Island-each filled with its own flavor, characters, and story arc.

And let's not forget the party members: Goombario, Kooper, Bombette, Parakarry, and more-each one brought unique abilities, charming personalities, and some hilarious lines.

Emotional, Hilarious, and Full of Life

What makes Paper Mario legendary isn't just the design-it's the emotional depth and humor. The game is filled with clever writing, lovable characters, and moments that still hit hard all these years later. It walks the line between comedy and sincerity in a way that few games manage.

Even Peach's segments-where she sneaks around Bowser's castle-were entertaining and gave her rare agency for that era.

Final Verdict - 10 out of 10

Paper Mario is a legend for a reason. It's not only one of the best games on the Nintendo 64-it's one of the greatest RPGs of its time. With its timeless art style, impeccable pacing, and unforgettable personality, it laid the foundation for an entire subgenre of Mario storytelling.

Whether you're revisiting it or discovering it for the first time, Paper Mario still delivers joy, adventure, and magic like few games ever have.

A paper-thin hero with heavyweight legacy.

Paper Mario is one of the best games that came out for N64. I would say this is in the top 5. Next to the Zelda franchise.

This was the last N64 videogame I ever bought (unused) before I upgraded to an XBox in late 2001, and I must say that I'm honored to say so. This is an amazing game, full of great puzzles and fine RPG battles. Mario's world has never been shown like this before, and Nintendo has made a big gamble by creating such a game--and it works!

What's great is how it seems sort of childish, but is actually rather hard at times. Even though it's sort of sappy and corny and the music is sickeningly sweet, it's a surprisingly deep and beautiful game that will appeal to adults far more than to children.

Don't be turned off by the marketing and design of the game!

The graphics are excellent. The game is designed in 2D, and with the 64 bits on a Nintendo, this only means that the designers have more room to add great detail to the two dimensions. The result is brilliant.

If you haven't upgraded yet, or if you still just own a dusty old N64 (I got mine Christmas '96, when they were the Furbies of that year and very hard to find in stores), this is certainly a must-find. I don't know if they still manufacture N64 games, but you'd be doing good to look for a used copy if they don't. Mine's in top-notch condition, being the last I ever got and unused since 2001 (when I beat it in 24 hours flat-out), but I'm not selling!!

I recently unplugged my Xbox and decided to try a few N64 games. I was amazed at how fun it was to start "Paper Mario" over. I'm proud to say that this game exists in my rather lengthy archive. DO NOT let its image get to you.

There's a reason it has 100% good reviews on Rotten Tomatoes with an average of 9.1 stars out of 10.

Highly recommended! Completely engrossing and truly addictive.

5/5 stars.

• John Ulmer

Second only to Super Mario 64, this was my favorite Mario game for the N64 and one of the last great games for the system. It also kickstarted the beloved Paper Mario franchise.

The story is pretty routine for Mario, but things are more serious this time. After stealing the Star Rod from Star Haven and imprisoning the 7 Star Spirits, Bowser lifts Peach's Castle high into the sky, captures Peach, and soundly defeats Mario. Narrowly surviving the encounter, Mario sets out on yet anothet big adventure to rescue the 7 Star Spirits, confront Bowser, rescue Peach, and save the Mushroom Kingdom before the Koopa King takes over.

As the title says, the game introduced a unique animation style. Mario and the other characters are represented as 2D sprites with flat paper-like depths, yet they inhabit a world with a 3D environments, buildings, and other objects. This brilliant mix gave the game a distinct story book like setting and retained Marios 2D platforming play style. You not only play as Mario, but Peach as well in between chapters as she assists the hero despite her captivity.

Like Super Mario RPG for the SNES, the game contained many RPG elements, like leveling up with Star Points, learning new moves, using or purchasing items with coins, equipping badges that grant Mario special abilities, and turn based battles, which can start with Mario or his enemy striking first.

You'll fight a wide variety of familiar enemies, like Goombas, Koopas, Shy Guys, Pirahna Plants, and others. The battles against enemies and bosses are mostly easy, but the later bosses, like Huff n' Puff, Crystal King, and Bowser himself, require strategy and patience to defeat.

Assisting Mario throughout his travels are 8 different party members with their own abilities you can use inside and outside of battle, like Koopers shell attack to hit switches, or Bombetta blowing holes in walls. As typical for RPGs, there's plenty of side activities, like collecting star pieces to trade for badges, levelling up your party members, doing favors for Koopa Koot, fighting in a dojo, and delivering letters. There's plenty to do for completionist gamers.

The music is outstanding, thanks to prolific game composer, Yuka Tsujiyoko. The game had a diverse range of music, like the bright and cheery theme for the hub world, Toad Town and the tranquil Koopa Village. Later, the soundtrack gets darker and more dangerous with Tubba Blubba's castle, Mt. Lava Lava, and Bowsers castle. The boss themes were the most remarkable, like the TMNT-esque music of the Koopa Bros, Lava Pirahna's theme that shifted in intensity, and the dark yet awesome final showdown with Bowser including guitar riffs and organ notes.

Even today, the game is playable and fun, especially for fans of Paper Mario games curious about how this franchise started. So, try it on the Nintendo Switch if you're interested.