Paper Mario: 25th anniversary

A quarter century ago, Paper Mario was released on the N64. A quasi-sequel to Super Mario RPG, it refines the kid-friendly Nintendo take on the RPG genre, leaving behind some elements Square borrowed from Final Fantasy in favor of a uniquely "Mario-ish" implementation. Like Mario RPG, Paper Mario is very fun.

As the name suggests, Paper Mario uses a cartoon style: all the characters are paper cut-outs. It's reminiscent of Yoshi's Story: the whole game is a story with paper puppets. The characters being made of paper mostly doesn't matter. There's an occasional graphical flourish, like when Mario wafts under the covers of the bed in a Toad House or curls into a tube when going down a pipe.

Paper Mario uses a 2.5D world. There is usually a foreground and background, with different elevations, similar to beat-'em-up games like Double Dragon. In a few cases, there are curved paths, and the camera rotates automatically as Mario walks around.

One of the biggest changes compared to Mario RPG is the reduction of party size from three to two, or more like 1.5. Mario's second party member serves only as support. They have no HP of their own; if they do take damage, they lose a turn or two. Mario accumulates companions as the plot develops. You can change whom to use at any time, including in battle. This is useful because their differing abilities make them better or worse against different kinds of foes. For example, Goombario, Kooper, and Bombette cannot attack flying enemies, and Boo can make Mario invisible to protect him from all attacks.

Every companion has a special ability that can be used on the map by pressing ↓C. Goombario, a goomba, "tattles" about the area, giving hints about where Mario is or what he should do there. I used this in the forest when I felt stuck, and Goombario told Mario he could jump and grab the vines, which then revealed a path. Kooper, a blue koopa troopa, gets in his shell and Mario kicks him, which can hit enemies or blocks or pick up items. Parakarry, a paratroopa, uses his wings to lift Mario across short distances. Bombette, a bob-omb, blows up, which can destroy walls with cracks (like in a Zelda game). Boo, a boo, turns Mario invisible and immaterial until he moves. Watt (a spark) reveals hidden blocks. Sushie, a cheep cheep, lets Mario swim. Finally, Lakilester is a lakitu who flies Mario over spikes. The game has a Metroidvania quality: each new ally's ability lets Mario access a previously unavailable area.

Each companion can be upgraded twice via special blocks Mario finds. Whenever an NPC levels up, they gain a new ability. Bombette, for example, gains Power Bomb, which deals 6 damage to all ground enemies. When she levels again, she gets Mega Bomb, which deals 7 damage to all enemies. Both abilities require you to fill a meter by tapping A rapidly (see below).

Paper Mario doesn't use random encounters: all enemies are visible and can often be avoided, for example by using the spin dash (press Z). If Mario jumps atop an enemy (be careful of ones that are spiky, though!) or hits it with his hammer, the battle begins with him damaging the frontmost enemy in the battle-line. If, however, the enemy runs into Mario, it gets the free hit on Mario. Mario and his ally always go first. You can press Z to have the ally precede Mario.

As in Mario RPG, one of the main ways Paper Mario incorporates a Mario-ish quality into its turn-based, menu-driven combat is the Action Command. For each attack, there is a timed button press. For jumping, press A when Mario lands on the enemy. For the hammer, hold ← on the stick while lights illuminate, releasing it on the last light. Other abilities test your reflexes in other ways. For example, you may have to press A as fast as you can or mimic a series of button presses like Simon Says. A successful Action Command deals extra damage. The game doesn't use random numbers. Every attack has a predetermined strength and every enemy a defense value (sometimes 0). The numbers are low and thus easy to figure out. Six damage in Paper Mario is a lot.

The game eliminates equipment almost entirely. This is a logical development, because it was already so basic in Mario RPG that it was boring (in every new area, you simply purchased all the new equipment and sold the old ones; there weren't any choices). The only equipment upgrades in Paper Mario are two hammers and two pairs of boots. There is no equip screen; when you get the item, Mario's attack power for that kind of attack permanently increases.

Mario gains new skills by wearing badges. In addition to HP and FP (flower points, equivalent to MP), Mario has number of badge points (BP). Each badge requires between one and seven BP to equip (it's a bit like materia in FF7). You can change which badges Mario wears from the main menu (press START). There are eighty badges to be found and/or purchased from Toad Town. They do various things: for example, dodging some attacks while Mario's HP is low, lengthening the distance of his spin dash, or raising his defense by 1. Twenty badges bestow an ability other than Mario's jump or hammer smash, such as Quake Hammer, Sleep Stomp, Dizzy Stomp, and Jump Charge. Defeating enemies earns Star Points (= XP). Once you have 100, Mario can level up either his HP by 5, his MP by 5, or his BP by 3. Once I had 25 HP and 20 FP, I mostly began choosing BP so I could equip the badges that increase Mario's attack and defense.

The game is divided into an introduction and eight chapters. Each chapter Mario must save a star spirit from some villain, like Tubba Blubba or Lava Piranha, allowing him or her to return to Star Haven. Once Mario has rescued a star spirit, he can then call upon it during combat for a powerful ability. He gains one bar of star meter for each rescued spirit, and the abilities become stronger, requiring more of the meter to use. The first spirit heals 5 HP and 5 FP. The second puts all enemies to sleep. The third deals 7 damage to all enemies. The fifth heals 20 HP. Every turn, the star meter refills a bit, and Mario can, instead of attacking, "focus" to refill the meter more. When he does this, he appears to be praying, which would be consistent with the game's "wishing upon a star" plotline. While the star spirits are captured by Bowser, they can't grant wishes.

The various lands and their dungeons are well crafted and stereotypical. The first is a typical Super Mario fortress with four koopa troopas who are a parody of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The second area is a desert. The third is spooky and haunted with boos, ending in a ghost house. The boss is not big boo, but rather a giant clubba (a new enemy) who eats boos. The fourth is a toy box (you get shrunk down like in The Nutcracker—or is it that the toys got big?). The fifth is a jungle island. The sixth is fields of flowers. The seventh is snowy. And the eighth is, of course, Bowser's castle.

Like all RPGs, the game can be a bit grindy. You should keep a close eye on Mario's HP and FP at all times. His inventory is very limited, so keep it stocked with restorative items, like mushrooms, before entering each world's main dungeon. Or just leave when you need to and visit a healing block or Toad House (which are never far away). However, the enemies will respawn.

Mario can take items to Tayce T. in Toad Town to have her cook them into something more potent (at no charge!). For example, the mushroom, which restores 5 HP, after she cooks it, becomes the fried mushroom, which heals 6 HP plus 2 FP. After you bring her a cookbook, she can combine two ingredients into a meal, enabling more possibilities. A lot of combinations, however, result in a "mistake" that heals 1 HP and 1 FP. This is the oldest game I'm aware of that uses cooking, which is so popular in modern video games!

The game has quite a few simple puzzles, not unlike a Zelda game. As you explore each area, you aren't just grinding monsters. A lot of the game feels like genuine exploration, and each world is unique. Interestingly, after each chapter, there is a short interlude in which you control Peach! Although she is, of course, imprisoned in Bowser's castle, she is able to sneak around with the help of a little star spirit named Twink. Bowser's minions behave very foolishly, so she's always able to sneak information out to Mario via Twink, letting him know where to go to find the next star spirit.

Paper Mario successfully turned Super Mario into an enjoyable, simple RPG. It looks great, it sounds great, it plays great. I can't think of anything I didn't like about the game—except for how tiny Luigi's role is. I got so hooked on it I began playing it every day until I finished. That almost never happens to me!

I didn't own an N64 as a kid, but I've fallen in love with the system and its wonky controller these past few years. I'm looking forward to reviewing Goldeneye 007 soon!

Grade: A

Linked Review

"Paper Mario still holds up fantastically as a fun RPG that balances strategy and approachability. It's a series highlight and a perfect pick for those wanting an involving experience with a lighter tone."
— Tim Latshaw, Nintendo Life, 9/10

"The paper-diorama visual style, humor, and satisfying music and sound effects make this a polished classic, and the gameplay is so rewarding that players are motivated to find all of the side quests and hidden items."
— Karen Niemla, Ultimate Nintendo: Guide to the N64 Library, 5/5