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.
95
With its light-hearted plot, loveable characters, innovative gameplay and perfectly fitting music, this game should appeal to anyone and everyone.
95
With stunning graphics, excellent sound, and extremely solid gameplay, Paper Mario is a quality game on all fronts.
7
Incredible for its Time, but needs a Remake so bad. Could definitely give a 9 with modern graphics.
9
rewrite of this review now that im 4 chapters deep into its sequel and also because the original came off as pretty cringe HOLY ****. a swansong for the N64. now you may argue that games such as super mario 64 and the zelda games for the N64 may be the consoles best, in my opinion its definitely this game right here this game is real charming and fun. altho the story is quite simple its presented in a great way, i mean, instead of bowser JUST kidnapping peach hes now a demigod? the combat system works fine, its good and it works exactly how its supposed to in this game. i love the partners you have in this game, even the most useless ones (ahem goombario) still have their charm and leave an impact on you. kooper is my favourite. i really dont care about the peach intermissions but they are fun sometimes, other times they can be unentertaining but not exactly boringthe games artstyle really brings out the cuteness in the characters here. and ngl tubba blubba is absolutely adorable and i love him, favourite character in this game (altho not my favourite boss). speaking of bosses; koopa bros, tutankoopa, general guy, lava piranha, crystal king, theyre great too. but then you look back at the game after playing even just a bit of TTYD and... it honestly feels lackluster in comparsion, its still a great game and worthy of playing but the sequel just does everything so much better... story, writing, combat system, bosses, etc. TTYD just makes this game look small and pathetic. so if i give this game say, a 9 then what does TTYD do? break my scale? overall, my favourite N64 game and definitely a game i would reccomend. in fact i would reccomend the paper mario franchise in general, the first three games at least but yea whatever
8
A great introduction to the Paper Mario series with great worlds to explore and great gameplay with the battle mechanics. The sequel, Thousand-Year Door would go on to improve what this game and add more personality with its partners, but this is still a great game worth playing.
Paper Mario
Nintendo 64
Released On:
Feb 5, 2001
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
93
User score
Generally Favorable
8.8
My Score
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All Platforms
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
93
100% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
Easily one of the best games available for the N64, Paper Mario is a fantastic experience that shouldn't be missed.
100
If you're severely allergic to overly cute-and-cuddly games, take some Dramamine before heading off on Mario's adventure.
User score
Generally Favorable
8.8
90% Positive
614 Ratings
614 Ratings
6% Mixed
38 Ratings
38 Ratings
5% Negative
33 Ratings
33 Ratings
Oct 19, 2025
10
Extremely iconic and amazing video game. The music is perfect, the graphics are amazing and never get old. The graphics are never outdated. The biggest flaw is that it is too easy. It's not a challenging game at all believe me. This game has a storybook theme, they were not actually going for a paper theme yet but this game is rather instead themed on fairy tale style stories. This is perhaps the only video game in existence where Bowser is actually intimidating as a character. Usually Bowser is not very threatening, and he comes across rather goofy. But in this game Bowser is actually a serious threat who has an intelligent plan and is a competent villain for the only time in the series. This game is really memorable and does have a good story. It's fun to play and fun to replay again and again, over and over. Probably worth around $150 honestly IMO.
Feb 17, 2025
10
Paper Mario on the Nintendo 64 is my 2nd favourite game of all time, just behind it's sequel, The Thousand-Year Door. Following on from a great game, Super Mario RPG, Nintendo was tasked with making a RPG Mario game that would live up to the greatness of that game. Considering previously Mario (story-wise) was little more than an Italian plumber who spent his days chasing after an evil turtle, Paper Mario couldn't have done a greater job. It keeps the traditional Mushroom Kingdom and Bowser is still the main villain, but the world here seems so much bigger than ever. You come across a village of friendly Goombas, who aid you at the very start of the game. You find a prison cell of Bob-ombs who help you defeat the Koopa Bros. You uncover a secret temple hidden underneath a desert. The game is brimming with creativity from start to finish. Not only that, the battle system is very strategic and adding action commands was a great idea to add some skill into the mix to. If you haven't played this, what are you waiting for?
95
What it does have is a great story, fun puzzles, and epic battles. Any RPG fan would be absolutely nuts to pass on Paper Mario.
95
With its light-hearted plot, loveable characters, innovative gameplay and perfectly fitting music, this game should appeal to anyone and everyone.
91
Not only is Paper Mario a superb RPG, but it's also another quality N64 game that simply shouldn't be missed.
84
What makes the game so visually stunning is the multitude of graphical styles.
80
Despite having a unique look, the visuals certainly aren't the highlight of Paper Mario. It's the fun adventure, mixing intuitive controls and straightforward gameplay that make this a great addition to the N64 library.
Nov 18, 2024
10
Not just my favorite Paper Mario but my favorite Game ever. I just love everything about it and for some reason just enjoy it more then ttyd (probably mostly nostalgia but i have some other reasons) If you enjoyed ttyd go ahead and give it a try. The Graphics might look a little old but i think it has its own charm. Probably wont ever be replaced as my number 1 Game ever
Mar 30, 2026
7
Incredible for its Time, but needs a Remake so bad. Could definitely give a 9 with modern graphics.
Sep 23, 2024
7
Paper Mario is a worthwhile RPG that pays tribute to a previous Mario RPG title, following a simplified formula in the next graphical dimension. It introduces a creative and amusing art blend of 2D sprites with an interactive 3D environment. Although the theme and animations seem cartoony and comical, the gameplay may provide temporary points of challenge for some newcomers to the genre. Gameplay will often test the player's ability to backtrack, recall previous dialogs and environments, and pay attention to detail to advance through the story. The repetitive battle music may be lackluster and missing some epicness, but they still maintained interest with new enemies and abilities.
Aug 14, 2024
7
This fame is a bit **** partners are good and the side quests are packed with collectibles but the bosses are underwhelming.Action commands are tedious and to be completely honest , the story is awful compared with ttyd and spm.
Overall , i had fun playing this game and i would recommend , but practise your action commands
Jun 17, 2018
0
it ****, tropes are used, the moves are generic, and the game NEVER ceases to stop crashing every 5 seconds.
SummaryMario pals around in an all-new action adventure! Mario's back in his first adventure since Super Mario 64, and this time, Bowser's bent on preventing a storybook ending. When Princess Peach is kidnapped, Mario plots to rescue the seven Star Spirits and rid the Mushroom Kingdom of Koopa's cruel cohorts. As he travels from the tropical ju... Read More
Rated Efor Everyone
Platforms:
- Nintendo 64
Initial Release Date:Feb 5, 2001
Developer:
Publisher:
