The first Paper Mario title released in 2001 for the Nintendo 64 and introduced fans to a new style of an RPG game. Though Nintendo had previously dabbled with Mario in an RPG setting in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars in 1996 for the SNES, Paper Mario wowed fans with its adorable 2D art in a 3D world style.
The first title was critically acclaimed and so naturally it went on to have several sequels and became an established series. With the release of Paper Mario: The Origami King, the first Paper Mario title to release on Nintendo Switch, it’s time to rank the series based on the Metacritic score of each title.
6 Paper Mario: Sticker Star - Metacritic Score: 75
Paper Mario: Sticker Star released in 2012 for the Nintendo 3DS, making it the first handheld Paper Mario title to date. This new entry to the franchise refreshed the style that fans had grown accustomed to by adding an adorable papercraft feel to the graphics and making the game more of an action-adventure genre. Additionally, it lived up to its name by incorporating collectible stickers into the gameplay, with players being able to use them both in battle as well as the overworld. Stickers ranged in their use, mainly being used to perform abilities, but also being used in puzzle-solving or unlocking new areas.
The game received positive reviews on release, but they weren’t without their criticisms. While players and critics enjoyed the new charm of the papercraft visuals, there was negative feedback about the difficulty and the need to backtrack as players were lost about how and where they needed to progress. Additionally, fans disliked the lack of character variation that was present in some of the previous titles.
5 Paper Mario: Color Splash - Metacritic Score: 76
Paper Mario: Color Splash released in 2016 for the Wii U and was specifically designed to make the most out of the Wii U’s unique touchscreen controller. To this end, Nintendo introduced a new battle system that used cards, so players could use the gamepad’s touchscreen to paint, sort, and use them. Upon its reveal, fans were initially negative about the similarities between Color Splash and its predecessor Sticker Star, as both were more action-adventure than the earlier Paper Mario titles. Additionally, they both utilized the same collectible aesthetics, though this time it was cards instead of stickers.
Despite the negativity before its launch, which also included fan petitions calling for the game to be canceled, Color Splash launched to positive reviews with many praising its delightful soundtrack and the hyper-realistic details in the graphics of the craft items, such as the paper and paint.
4 Paper Mario: The Origami King - Metacritic Score: 81
The latest title to join the Paper Mario lineup is Paper Mario: The Origami King, which has just released for Nintendo Switch. This new title seeks to refresh the franchise once again by adding a new element — origami. Not only does this add a quirky and cute aesthetic to the game, but it also creates new gameplay options. For example, not far into the game, Mario is given the 1000-Fold Arms move. As well as being a powerful battle move, this can also be used in the overworld to tear back parts of the scenery and uncover the way forward.
The battle system has also been overhauled; it still keeps the turn-based element of its predecessors, but also adds a new ring-based feature that allows players to think more tactically about their moves in these new puzzle-like battles.
3 Super Paper Mario - Metacritic Score: 85
Super Paper Mario released in 2007 for the Wii and mixed up the gameplay of the series by largely making the game utilize side-scrolling, adding more of a platformer feel. Mario can “flip” the levels, essentially changing between 2D and 3D perspectives, so that he can circumvent any obstacles in his way. This side-scrolling gameplay was inspired by a minigame from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, where players control Bowser in a side-scrolling stage.
Players can take control of Mario, Peach, Luigi, and Bowser, all of whom have their own unique abilities, with Mario’s of course being able to flip dimensions. The game was praised for its humor and storyline, but there were criticisms about its lackluster soundtrack, as well as that the game was better when in 2D, as flipping to 3D made the environment seem barren.
2 Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door - Metacritic Score: 87
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door was released in 2004 for the GameCube and is often considered to be the fan-favorite of the franchise. As the second Paper Mario title in the series, the game drew on many of the original elements of the first title, such as the visual style and turn-based battles. The Thousand-Year Door has been heralded as having the best storyline out of all of the Paper Mario titles, though some players felt the plot was a slow burner at the beginning.
Another well-loved aspect of the game is its use of NPCs, in particular, Mario’s NPC partners, similar to the same partner feature of the first title, and fans and critics alike found the battle system to be fun and engaging. The game also featured strong RPG elements, such as Mario being able to equip badges to gain better stats, as well as Mario’s strength being determined by his stats and consumable items being available in order to boost this.
1 Paper Mario - Metacritic Score: 93
Paper Mario was the first of its kind and released in 2001 for the Nintendo 64, blending traditional RPG elements with the characters and elements from the Super Mario series to treat fans to a whole new experience. Though players take on the role of Mario, they are accompanied by NPC partners who each have unique skills in order to help Mario progress through the game, helping him to solve puzzles in the overworld as well as accompanying him in battle.
Though players criticized that the puzzles and boss battles were surprisingly easy, the game was well-received, became one of the best selling titles for the Nintendo 64, and remains the top-rated Paper Mario titled on Metacritic. In comparison to some of the later titles in the series, the storyline is arguably weaker in the original, but Paper Mario remains well worth playing.
NEXT: 5 Best Mario Games On The Nintendo 64 (& 5 Worst)
