Paper Mario

 Nintendo 64
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 509 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 470 out of 509
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 509
  3. Negative: 21 out of 509
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  1. Onioncreature
    Mar 12, 2021
    10
    While I still enjoy the aesthetic of Super Mario RPG a bit more, Paper Mario is overall the better game; as it offers key improvement to many facets of the game's design. The battle system is more digestible and user friendly, while still remaining difficult enough to be engaging. The characters, world, and music are all top quality, and apart from a few minor pacing issues everythingWhile I still enjoy the aesthetic of Super Mario RPG a bit more, Paper Mario is overall the better game; as it offers key improvement to many facets of the game's design. The battle system is more digestible and user friendly, while still remaining difficult enough to be engaging. The characters, world, and music are all top quality, and apart from a few minor pacing issues everything falls into place perfectly. A truly phenomenal game, it really is a shame Nintendo isn't making Mario RPGs of this caliber anymore.… Expand
  2. ChesterField
    May 1, 2020
    9
    Although one of the most important aspects of a rpg is a great story, it does not have one. On the other hand, its fun and addictive battle system makes you forget about it. Essential.
  3. Jonrodrr
    Apr 20, 2022
    10
    I started to play this game at 35y old, for the first time, whit the extra pack for Nintendo switch. The game is just awesome. I just collect the first star, at the moment everything is fine. Thanks Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 games!!! As a kid i was a playstation boy, now whit my own money i can play everything.
  4. Zioreturns
    Dec 12, 2020
    10
    Love this game a wonderful rpg for fans of the Mario series. Well worth playing for rpg fans
  5. pdavis22
    Feb 2, 2021
    10
    Have beaten this game over and over does not get old.

    Has everything you could want in a RPG. Fun, strategic boss battles, very little grind and back tracking.

    Ughhh the memories were amazing.
  6. TSNintendogamer
    May 11, 2022
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is great and it's one of the best rpg's on the N64. The story isn't exactly mindblowing but it's still very creative. The problem with the story is that most of the chapters feel samey although in those chapters, they are also creative in the way they tell the story. The battle with bowser is epic too but the funny thing is that while there is more at stake, bowser and Mario have the same type of rivalry. As for gameplay, it's fun and satisfying pressing the buttons just right The badges in the game also help out with the battles but the game is reliant on badges in order to get far and that includes changing them constantly. Other than those flaws, I loved the game even if I played most of it as an adult.… Expand
  7. BaldursThones
    Apr 14, 2022
    8
    I love the the paper mario series and this started it all. There is so much to love about this game
  8. Vitalus
    Apr 15, 2023
    8
    It's a blast from my past and it held up surprisingly well. It's definitely basic for a turn-based rpg but that was exactly what I wanted for a low-stakes ride.
  9. BlueToadGaming6
    Apr 28, 2022
    10
    This is my favorite game of all time. Everything in this game is near-perfect, or at the very least, pretty good. The story is basic, but good, even if it's not as deep as that of TTYD and Super Paper Mario. While its not too graphically impressive today, it still looks pretty nice, especially Chapter 7. The enemies are also very well-done. There are some annoying ones, like the HyperThis is my favorite game of all time. Everything in this game is near-perfect, or at the very least, pretty good. The story is basic, but good, even if it's not as deep as that of TTYD and Super Paper Mario. While its not too graphically impressive today, it still looks pretty nice, especially Chapter 7. The enemies are also very well-done. There are some annoying ones, like the Hyper Clefts, Groove Guys, Clefts, Amazyee Dayzees, and Crayzee Dayzees are dreadful to fight, but that's such a small number in comparison to how many enemies there are in this game. Clubbas, White Clubbas, Gulpits, Frost Piranhas, Putrid Piranhas, Duplighosts, Ruff Puffs, Huff Puffs, and most of the Shy Guys are some of the best enemies in the game. And then there's the bosses. Goomba King and General Guy, while nothing special, are good. The Koopa Bros. are great, and then literally all of the other bosses in the game are some of the best in the entire series. Tutankoopa and Tubba's Heart are in my top ten, Lava Piranha is in my top 5, and Bowser, Huff N. Puff, and Crystal King make up my top three. Then there's the chapters. The original Paper Mario has the best chapters in the entire series. There isn't a single bad one here. Chapter 8 I'm a little mixed on, the Prologue is a good introduction, Chapter 1 is an even better introduction, Chapter 4 is good, though it does have some backtracking that holds it back, Chapter 6 is a similar story to Chapter 4, but slightly better since it has a way better boss, better music, and I just like it better, Chapter 5 is simply a really solid chapter with a few annoyances, a few fantastic parts, but mostly just really good, Chapter 2 is in my top five favorite chapters in the series, I really like getting to thoroughly explore Mt. Rugged for Parakarry's letters, Dry Dry Desert is vast with tons of different rooms to find, Dry Dry Outpost is my second favorite town area in this game, and Dry Dry Ruins is my third favorite Dungeon in this game, Chapter 3 is also in my top five favorite chapters in the series, Forever Forest is a really cool and creepy are and is Lost Woods done right, Boo's Mansion is a really fun mini-dungeon, and is in fact the only mini-dungeon in the game, with just puzzles and no enemies, Gusty Gulch is a simple but fun area, Tubba Blubba's Castle is my second-favorite dungeon in the game with lots of fun stealth sections, Chapter 7 is in my top three favorite chapters in the series, I love the Penguin "murder mystery" in Shiver City, like Gusty Gulch, Shiver Snowfield is a basic but fun area, Starborn Valley gives some more depth to the stars, Shiver Mountain is another awesome area and the Crystal Palace is the best dungeon in the game.… Expand
  10. GDsReviews
    May 27, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. If Super Mario 64 started the N64’s run with a bang, then Paper Mario certainly ended it with a bang. It is not the last game officially made and released for the N64, but it certainly feels like the swan song for it is as great or even greater than Super Mario 64 in many cases.

    While Super Mario 64 was a 3D platformer, Paper Mario is a turn-based battle Role Playing Game (RPG) that has 2D paper characters in a 3D world, and it is an extremely diverse and large one too. Along the way, you will pick up partners that you can switch depending on the task at hand, and have colorful backgrounds. A self-taught Goomba in Goombario, an adventurous Koopa in Kooper that is the son of the adventurer Kolorado, A feisty peace loving Bob-Omb in Bombette, a mail carrier Paratroopa in Parakarry, the headstrong privileged Boo leader in Lady Bow, a baby electric spark in Watt, A fish out of water Cheep Cheep in Sushi, and a rogue turn friend Lakitu in Lakester. Peach also gains a sidekick in a little star named Twink.

    The story and soundtrack is extremely solid, but what make this game standout among Mario games is how Bowser and Peach are portrayed in it. In almost every Mario game, Peach is a fragile, high-pitched, and dumb damsel in distress, and Bowser a manically cocky villain. Not the case at all with both in Paper Mario 64. In Paper Mario 64, Bowser is an extremely intelligent villain where you get creeps from him being on screen just because he is so refreshingly intelligent here. He completely suckerpunches Mario by lifting Peach’s Castle into space, and then you are forced into a fight that you will never win and casts Mario into the empty vacuum of space to fall back down to earth. Peach is certainly not dumb in this game either, and you will have to control her in between chapters where you have to stealthily sneak out of her trapped bedroom. Peach is at her absolute finest after Chapter 6, where you have to disguise yourself as a guard and sneak deep into the castle. How you get caught in the end is not a case of Peach being dumb at all. Instead Bowser’s cunning villainess sidekick in Kammy Koopa is at first fooled, and then smells a rat and blows your cover.

    The chapter system is based on the 7 star spirits that are imprisoned by Bowser and Kammy Koopa, and stealing the all-powerful Star Rod. The prologue starts with Mario falling into a wooded area in the humble Goomba Village, and the imprisoned Star Spirits in one final burst of strength revive him. After that, Mario is discovered by a young Goomba girl in Goombaria, who takes them to Goomba Village. Your first partner is her brother in Goombario, and after saving their grandfather in Goompa, goes on the path toward Toad Town that serves as the main hub for the game. The first 7 chapters start at the entry of the world region each star spirit is imprisoned in, conclude with freeing the star spirit, and end with you doing stuff with Peach to help Mario down below. However after the 7th chapter concludes, there is just a final cutscene of Peach and Twink getting confronted by Bowser and Kammy Koopa knowing that Mario is coming back with force. The 8th and final chapter starts at the entry to Bowser’s Castle, and ends with the ultimate showdown against Bowser and reclaiming the Star-Rod. Overall, a masterpiece game that ends the N64 era as greatly as Super Mario 64 started it.    … Expand
  11. Derpcat
    Aug 22, 2022
    10
    Paper Mario is often overlooked to its sequel. It’s my favorite game, and I’m here to rectify that. Because Paper Mario is one of the greatest video games ever, and the best game of the N64.

    It’s plot, while being simplistic, really is great. Bowser had kidnapped Peach, but also imprisoned the Seven Star Spirits who grant wishes. Mario needs to travel around the world and save them so he    Paper Mario is often overlooked to its sequel. It’s my favorite game, and I’m here to rectify that. Because Paper Mario is one of the greatest video games ever, and the best game of the N64.

    It’s plot, while being simplistic, really is great. Bowser had kidnapped Peach, but also imprisoned the Seven Star Spirits who grant wishes. Mario needs to travel around the world and save them so he could save Peach. In this day it is kind of bad, but you forget that you’re trying to save Peach when you’re trying to save the Star Spirits.

    This game was made for beginners in mind, so a lot of the standard RPG elements aren’t here. You have two moves, jump and hammer, and you have to time a certain input to do more damage. The damage is also greatly simplified. In EarthBound, you deal hundreds of damage. Here, you deal up to 6. The enemies have less HP then you’d think, and you deal less damage then you think. You also have partners, but you can only have one out at a time. They each have special abilities and you really are going to need all of them. My favorite is Kooper, because he has an interesting design and personality, but I still loved all of them.

    The graphics are bad only if you’re highly allergic to cuteness. Instead of going with a weird, polygonal look, they went with a paper-y style. This game looks different from the other games in the series, but that’s not a bad thing. The music is also very good, especially for an N64 game.

    There is about 15 hours of story, but usually you don’t find everything until you’ve played it 3 times. It has two very long side quests. It’ll take you about 30 hours to 100%, but I still played it 3 times. It’s just a personal thing.

    Despite its age, this remains one of the best games. Compared to other N64 games, this one is the cutest and probably the best-looking. Best N64 game- or best game ever.    … Expand
  12. FunkyPopMan
    Jan 14, 2023
    10
    This game is basic and simple in the best ways possible. It's wackiness is just incredible. The art style is great and It just does a good job with the mood. If only there were more RPGs like this game.
  13. marcusaureliuz
    Jan 28, 2023
    10
    ESP: Un RPG bastante básico y sencillo que resulta muy agradable para casi cualquier tipo de jugador, desde veteranos del género como novatos. La ambientación es hermosa, la música increíble, controles amigables y una progresión bastante entretenida. De lo mejor del 64 y Nintendo en general.
  14. Shinglinhg
    May 17, 2023
    10
    The best Mario game that Nintendo has ever created, I'm not a big fan of RPGs and turn-based games, but this game is unbelievably good, in my opinion. It's the best N64 game and the best RPG ever made. The characters are charismatic, the game's graphics are beautiful, the world is huge and full of things to explore. The turn-based battles can be a bit repetitive, but you can just playThe best Mario game that Nintendo has ever created, I'm not a big fan of RPGs and turn-based games, but this game is unbelievably good, in my opinion. It's the best N64 game and the best RPG ever made. The characters are charismatic, the game's graphics are beautiful, the world is huge and full of things to explore. The turn-based battles can be a bit repetitive, but you can just play while ignoring the enemies, and I dare say that the soundtrack of this game is the best soundtrack Nintendo has ever made.… Expand
  15. GameMan2005
    Aug 22, 2023
    9
    Set a great standard for the next Paper Mario game and has a beautiful artstyle, memorable characters, and fun and unique gameplay.
  16. TreasureOrTrash
    Sep 8, 2023
    10
    Treasure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best N64 Game of 2001
2
#2 Most Discussed N64 Game of 2001
2
#2 Most Shared N64 Game of 2001

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Nintendojo
    96
    While said story may not live up to the expectations of most RPG fans, or fans of Super Mario RPG, it is far better and more interesting than the typical 'stories' you have to endure in a Mario game.
    Read full review
  2. Da Gameboyz
    95
    With its light-hearted plot, loveable characters, innovative gameplay and perfectly fitting music, this game should appeal to anyone and everyone.
  3. GameSpot
    95
    With stunning graphics, excellent sound, and extremely solid gameplay, Paper Mario is a quality game on all fronts.
    Read full review
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