The Best Nintendo Game Every Year 1983 - 2024
25. 2000 - Paper Mario
On the other hand, one thing that the N64 had an almost total lack of were classic roleplaying games. The restrictions of cartridges over the PlayStation and Saturn’s disc drives were such a difference-maker that Square left Nintendo in the lurch to craft Final Fantasy VII for PS1, leaving the Big N without a developer for the follow-up to SNES cult classic Super Mario RPG.
Instead, the jilted ex-lover Nintendo began crafting the follow-up themselves.
Inspired by the so-called ultra-realism of 3D graphics of the time, Nintendo wanted Paper Mario to be a cuter and more charming affair than something like Super Mario 64. This birthed the unique paper-craft aesthetic, stage-play-set battle arena, and a Mario who had never shown so much personality before.
Paper Mario’s “all ages” vibe might not seem like the deepest role-player but it had plenty going for it, Timed button presses and flicks of the stick, depending on the kinds of attacks Mario and his allies were utilising, caused more damage. There was the badge system, for giving characters passive buffs. Outside of battle, each of Mario’s allies’ unique abilities could be used to navigate the world or find secrets.
It might not be the first Mario RPG game but it’s absolutely the most important, as it created a franchise in its own right and inspired the separate Mario + Luigi series.