Paper Mario

Paper Mario is a video game spinoff series of the "Mario" franchise, developed by Intelligent Systems and produced by Nintendo. The series combines elements from the role-playing and action-adventure genres with other puzzle game aspects. The games follow a paper cutout version of Mario, sometimes aided by other allies, on a quest to defeat the main antagonist, primarily Bowser. The series consists of six games and one spin-off, the first being "Paper Mario" released for the Nintendo 64 in 2000, and the most recent being "" for the Nintendo Switch in 2020.
After Intelligent Systems was founded by Toru Narihiro when he began working for Nintendo in the 1980s, Nintendo was planning to release a successor to 1996's "Super Mario RPG", which Nintendo had Intelligent Systems develop. However, changes in development resulted in the game becoming "Paper Mario", a standalone title. Although the early games in the series were well-received, Kensuke Tanabe wanted each game to have a different style, varying the genre and core gameplay element for each new title. This led the series to slowly transform genres from role-playing to action-adventure. Despite this, some role-playing elements are still present later in the series. 
The first two games in the series, "Paper Mario" and "The Thousand-Year Door", received critical acclaim, being praised for their story, characters, and unique gameplay. With the release of "" in 2012, the series began receiving complaints about its change in genre, but still continued to earn praise for its writing, characters, music, and enhanced paper-inspired visuals. "Super Paper Mario" is the bestselling game in the series with having 4.3 million copies sold as of 2019. Being nominated for a number of awards, "The Thousand-Year Door" won "Role Playing Game of the Year" at the 2005 Interactive Achievement Awards, and "Sticker Star" won "Handheld Game of the Year" at the 16th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards in 2012.
Gameplay.
In the series, Mario is tasked with a quest to explore the Mushroom Kingdom. Each game divides the kingdom into a number of explorable areas, known as worlds, that contain puzzles and interactive elements. For example, Mario can hit objects with his hammer, which need to be completed to progress in the story. The locations are designed to look as if they are made out of paper, and contain coins and other various collectibles, such as hidden trophies. There are also non-playable characters (NPCs) which Mario can talk to. All games except "Super Paper Mario" feature a turn-based combat system, where Mario and one or more opponents take turns attacking one another.
The first two titles, "Paper Mario" and "", feature elements similar to that of a typical role-playing video game (RPG). Mario will encounter multiple allies that will join him on his journey and can aid in either completing tasks in the worlds or helping fight in combat. Combat is similar to those of other RPG games; when Mario and his present allies encounter an enemy in the overworld, they will enter a combat phase. The player can either perform a regular attack, where they time a button-press on the controller to deal more damage, or use a special attack, which is more powerful but uses up flower points (FP), an in-game statistic, when used. When defeating an enemy, experience points (XP; known in-game as Star Points, or SP) are rewarded, which makes Mario and his allies more powerful as they continue. Upgrades to special attacks can be found in the overworlds.
"Super Paper Mario", the third game in the series, differs itself from the RPG genre and rather focuses more of a platform game instead. Unlike the previous two games which use a turn-based combat system, Mario does not enter a combat phase and instead fights the enemy in the overworld in real-time. XP is still awarded for defeating enemies. Although Mario does not fight alongside unique partners, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Bowser are playable and a part of Mario's party. In addition, allies known as Pixls, which grant abilities for combat and traversing levels, can be summoned and used.
Starting from "", the "Paper Mario" games are more aimed towards the action-adventure genre. RPG elements, such as experience points, allies, and a complex plot, were reduced. Instead, the games focused on puzzle-solving and replaced its experience point system with new strategic gameplay around combat.
Games.
Main series.
"Paper Mario" (2000).
"Paper Mario" is a role-playing video game (RPG) released for the Nintendo 64 in 2000 in Japan, and 2001 worldwide. The game was later re-released on the iQue Player in 2004, the Wii Virtual Console in 2007, and the Wii U Virtual Console in 2015. In "Paper Mario", Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach and steals the seven "Star Spirits" and the "Star Rod" to make himself invincible. Mario must save the imprisoned Star Spirits, defeat Bowser, and save the Mushroom Kingdom.
Gameplay centres around Mario and his allies solving puzzles, with many of the challenges designed around one of the characters' unique abilities. Mario encounters multiple partners as the game progresses. In combat, Mario and his allies have special abilities, which uses up a portion of finite amount of FP available when executed. In the overworld, other abilities can be discovered that can be used in combat.
"Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door" (2004).
"" is a role-playing video game released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2004. The game is set mainly in Rogueport, where Mario and Peach discover a locked portal that could lead to the riches of a lost kingdom. Soon after, Peach is kidnapped by the X-Nauts, who are also aiming to open the portal. Peach e-mails Mario about her kidnapping and informs him that he needs to search for the seven "Crystal Stars" to find the treasure. During this, Mario becomes cursed; the curse allows him to perform special moves such as folding into a paper airplane or boat.
Combat takes place on a stage in front of a live audience; if Mario performs well in battle, the audience will throw helpful items on stage or inflict damage to the opponent. Contrarily, audience members will leave and sometimes inflict damage on Mario if he performs poorly.
"Super Paper Mario" (2007).
"Super Paper Mario" is an action role-playing platform game released for the Wii in 2007. In the game, a new villain, Count Bleck, summons the "Chaos Heart" so that he can destroy and remake the universe to his liking. Mario sets out to stop Count Bleck by collecting the eight "Pure Hearts", with the help of Peach, Luigi, Bowser, and a new ally named Tippi.
Unlike the previous games, "Super Paper Mario" features gameplay more closely related to platforming rather than role-playing. Mario has the ability to switch between 2D and 3D, which rotates the camera 90 degrees to change the game's perspective. When he swaps dimensions, other hidden elements become available. Mario is aided by other allies called "Pixls", which each have different abilities. For example, the Pixl Thoreau allows Mario to pick up and throw objects. Instead of having a turn-based combat system, battles take place in the overworld in real-time; upon victory, Mario is awarded XP.
"Paper Mario: Sticker Star" (2012).
"" is a cross-genre video game released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2012. In the game, the Mushroom Kingdom is celebrating the Sticker Fest, an annual event where the residents can wish upon the Sticker Comet and have their wishes granted by the Royal Stickers living inside the comet. However, Bowser appears and destroys the comet, scattering the six Royal Stickers across the kingdom. Mario, allied by a sticker named Kirsti, search for the lost stickers to fix the Sticker Comet.
"Sticker Star"s gameplay relies heavily on stickers, which can be found stuck in the overworld, purchased from in-game shops using coins, or received from other NPCs. In combat, Mario's abilities depend on the stickers obtained; for example, a "Jump Sticker" allows Mario to jump and stomp on his enemies. Other stickers, called "Thing Stickers", resemble real world objects that can either be used as a powerful attack against enemies or can be used to solve puzzles in the overworld. Alongside the use of stickers, Mario can "Paperize" the environment, causing his surroundings to lay down flat to reveal stickers and other secrets that are flat on the ground.
"Paper Mario: Color Splash" (2016).
"" is a cross-genre video game released for the Wii U in 2016. In "Color Splash", Mario and Peach discover a color-drained Toad, prompting them to sail to Prism Island to investigate the oddity. After noticing the island is also color drained, they speak to Huey, guardian of the Prisma Island fountain, who explains that the six Big Paint Stars that give the island color have been scattered. It is later revealed as Bowser's doing.
"Color Splash" continues with certain elements of gameplay introduced in "Sticker Star". Mario is equipped with a paint hammer; various containers of red, yellow, and blue paint can be found that equips Mario's hammer with paint. When he hits something in the overworld, an uncolored object is colored and rewards items such as coins. The player can use the Wii U Gamepad to trace a hole in the paper environment to reveal secrets, known as the "Cutout" ability. Much like "Sticker Star", the player pre-determines their action in combat combat, using cards to determine the action and target. Cards can be collected in the overworld or purchased in shops. "Thing Cards" are present, which have a similar function to Thing Stickers in "Sticker Star".
"Paper Mario: The Origami King" (2020).
"" is a cross-genre video game released for the Nintendo Switch in 2020. Mario and Luigi head to Toad Town in the Mushroom Kingdom, which they discover to be abandoned. At Peach's Castle, they discover Peach to be folded into origami and brainwashed by King Olly. Many other residents, including Bowser, have met a similar fate. King Olly covers the castle in six decorative streamers and Mario, aided by Olly's sister Olivia, head out to destroy the streamers and defeat Olly.
Unlike "Sticker Star" and "Color Splash", the game reintroduces some RPG elements. For example, the game brings back allies, albeit in a simplified role compared to the first two "Paper Mario" games. Mario has an ability called the "1000-Fold Arms", which gives him oversized arms that can be used to tear parts of the environment to reveal secrets. Additionally, he possesses a bag of confetti, which is used to fill in empty holes of the overworld. Combat emphasizes puzzle-solving, using a circular combat field; the circle is divided into rings, and the player is given time to rotate the rings horizontally and vertically in an attempt to line up the enemies to deal more damage.
Spin-off games.
"Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam" (2015).
"", known as "Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros." in Europe and Australia, is a role-playing video game developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS in 2015. The game is a crossover between the "Paper Mario" series and Nintendo's other spin-off series, "Mario & Luigi". In "Paper Jam", Luigi accidentally knocks over a book that contains the Paper Mario universe. This causes the two universes to cross over, with the "Paper Mario" residents spreading all over the Mushroom Kingdom. The two Bowsers from both universes team up to kidnap both variants of Peach.
Although a crossover, "Paper Jam" puts more emphasis toward gameplay than that of the "Mario & Luigi" series. The player simultaneously controls Mario and Luigi, who use their usual abilities, and Paper Mario, whose actions are paper-inspired; these include folding into a shuriken in combat, and performing a high-damage attack through stacking multiple copies of himself.
Development and history.
Intelligent Systems founding, "Paper Mario", and "The Thousand-Year Door" (1984–2004).
Intelligent Systems was founded after Toru Narihiro was hired as an employee by Nintendo to port games on the Famicom Disk System to cartridges in the 1980s. Narihiro went on to develop successful games such as titles in the "Wars" and "Fire Emblem" series, which allowed him to expand his company with additional artists and developers.
"Super Mario RPG", which was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), was the first "Mario" role-playing game and was developed by Square. Square used experimental gameplay mechanics, such as timed button presses to deal more damage in combat, to try to ease fans into finding interest in the genre. Although Nintendo wanted Square to create another RPG game, Square later signed a deal with Sony Interactive Entertainment to create "Final Fantasy VII" on the original PlayStation; Nintendo instead had Intelligent Systems create an RPG for their newest console, the Nintendo 64. Development on the game began shortly after the release of the console in Japan in 1996. The game, produced by Shigeru Miyamoto, was planned to be a sequel to "Super Mario RPG" titled "Super Mario RPG 2", and used a similar graphics style to its predecessor. The game was set to release on the 64DD, a disk drive add-on for the Nintendo 64. Naohiko Aoyama, the game's art designer, later switched the graphics to a paper-like style because he believed players might prefer a game with "cute" 2D character designs instead of another game with low-polygon 3D graphics. Development took four years and was released in August 2000 towards the end of the console's lifecycle with the Nintendo GameCube nearing announcement. The game was titled "Mario Story" in Japan but was changed to "Paper Mario" for the North America release.
At the 2003 Game Developers Conference, Nintendo announced a direct sequel to the previous game, titled "The Thousand-Year Door". The game had a playable demo at E3 2004, and released on varying dates in 2004 worldwide, titled "The Thousand-Year Door" internationally and "Paper Mario RPG" in Japan. By the time the game released, another series of "Mario" RPGs, "Mario & Luigi", was created for Nintendo's handheld consoles; developed by Alphadream, the first game in the series, "", released for the Game Boy Advance in 2003. Kensuke Tanabe, the supervisor of "The Thousand-Year Door", and assistant producer Risa Tabata drew inspiration from Miyamoto to introduce different gameplay concepts to make the series more entertaining. In a 2020 interview, Tanabe acknowledged the difficulty of maintaining motivation when every game in the series is the same, leading them to explore bigger changes in each game's gameplay and design team.
Change in genre, concepts, and philosophy (2006–present).
For "Super Paper Mario", game director Ryota Kawade wanted to surprise fans of the series with new concepts that did not appear in the previous games. When the idea of being able to alternatively switch from 2D to 3D was conceptualized, he presented the idea to the new producer, Kensuke Tanabe. When Tanabe approved, they both agreed that the idea would work well as an action-adventure video game rather than an RPG, and real-time combat was also introduced to fit the idea; despite the changes, Tanabe asked the writers to keep the plot similar to that of a role-playing game. "Super Paper Mario" was announced at E3 2006; however, the game was moved to the Wii in mid-2006, and released in April 2007. Since the game was intended to be played on a GameCube controller, it did not take advantage of Wii's new motion controls.
"Sticker Star" was announced via a trailer at E3 2010. After additional trailers at E3 2011 and Nintendo World 2011, the game and its official title were fully announced at E3 2012. The game was released in late 2012. As Miyamoto was no longer the series producer, he requested that the developers did not create any new characters and instead use established pre-existing ones in the "Mario" franchise; Nintendo's Intellectual Property (IP) team solidified this statement into future games in the series. Miyamoto asked that the combat differed from "The Thousand-Year Door", and to remove most of the story elements due to early feedback from fans. The series underwent changes in an attempt to reach new and varying audiences.
AlphaDream was mainly inspired by "Sticker Star" for the development of "Paper Jam"; the developers wanted to use a third button to control a third character in their newest title, and saw Paper Mario to fit the role. Every game in the series from "Color Splash" onward has a white paper outline around Mario; the developers of "Paper Jam" needed to differentiate the characters from the separate series. "Paper Jam" was the last game in the "Mario & Luigi" series created by AlphaDream, followed by two remakes of older installments, before the company filed for bankruptcy in 2019.
Due to the Wii U having more graphical power than previous consoles created by Nintendo, development for "Color Splash" emphasized the console's graphics and controls. The artists made the worldbuilding and graphics to look like paper and craft materials, and the Wii U GamePad heavily influenced player combat as the developers found the motion controls fun to use. The game was announced via a Nintendo Direct in early 2016. Following which, the game received negative reception, as fans were frustrated the series was continuing an action-adventure genre format like "Sticker Star". Tanabe mentioned that the "Mario & Luigi" series would take the place of "Paper Mario" in the sense of RPG games. Risa Tabata noted that in order to differentiate the two, the "Paper Mario" series would focus more on the non-RPG elements, such as "puzzle-solving" and "humor". The game released worldwide in early October 2016 and became the lowest-selling game in the series, possibly due to the low sales of the Wii U and the announcement of the Nintendo Switch prior to its release.
"Paper Mario: The Origami King" was planned to be announced for the 35th anniversary of "Super Mario Bros." in early September 2020, but was instead announced in mid-May the same year. After early leaks of illegal access to the game on PC, the game released worldwide in mid-July 2020. "The Origami King" was the first game in the series that Miyamoto was not actively involved with. Despite the return of allies and some iconic characters from the series, critics were still disappointed in their lack of role in the plot and other gameplay aspects. The game features large overworlds instead of linear-based levels in the previous games. 
In a 2020 interview with "Video Games Chronicle", Tanabe reaffirmed that while he does make note of general criticisms, he makes sure not to ignore "casual players" and new fans of the series. With this in mind, "The Origami King" greatly focused on puzzle-solving. Tanabe stated how he could not satisfy every fan amidst the core veteran fans and casual players; he instead attempted to gravitate towards new concepts, hence why "The Origami King" used origami as a new paper-like theme. Tanabe explained how the game's writing was kept broad in its context and format in order for it to be understood by other ages and cultures. He has since kept away from a complicated plot due to how it "led the game away from the "Mario" universe", and instead created a story where different locales would be tied to specific memorable events.
Reception and legacy.
"Paper Mario" received critical acclaim when released; the game was praised for its combination of RPG, platforming, and existing elements from the "Mario" franchise. Its writing and characters received additional praise. Publications, such as Nintendo Power and "GameSpot", listed it among the best games on the Nintendo 64. It was listed as the 63rd best game on a Nintendo console in "Nintendo Power"s "Top 200 Games" in 2006.
"The Thousand-Year Door" is often ranked as one of the best games in the series. Reviewers praised the game's plot and characters, with the story being considered whimsical in tone. The new, paper-based game mechanics and the concept of an audience during combat were also lauded. "The Thousand Year Door" won "Role Playing Game of the Year" at the 2005 Interactive Achievement Awards.
Despite changing the RPG style, "Super Paper Mario" was still met with generally positive reviews. The concept of changing dimensions received praise, with some complaints for underdeveloped gameplay. Some reviewers criticized the plot as overly complicated, but most praised the game's writing and humor. The game was commonly listed as one of the best games on the Wii.
"Sticker Star" received a more mixed reception than its predecessors. Although critics enjoyed the graphics, worldbuilding, and characters, the game's reception was mainly mixed, with stickers specifically criticized for being the central gameplay mechanic. While some critics praised the additional layer of strategy, like Philip Kollar of "Polygon" considering it engaging, multiple functions of the stickers were derided. Thing Stickers were considered one of the game's biggest weaknesses, and stickers in general were critiqued for having only one solution to each puzzle and frequently requiring players to backtrack. "Sticker Star" was overall disdained by fans for the loss of a strategic combat system.
Upon its reveal, fans criticized "Color Splash" for continuing the trend of action-adventure installments, and a Change.org petition was created calling for its cancellation. The game was initially derided further when it was announced, but received generally positive reviews upon release. Most reviewers praised the redefined graphics, characters, and the game's soundtrack. However, combat was considered too simplistic and reviewers took note of its lack of overall necessity to the game. "Giant Bomb" reviewer Dan Ryckert noted the primary function of coins was to buy cards for combat, which in return awarded coins; he considered the overall system pointless.
"The Origami King" is considered the best game in the series since "Super Paper Mario", as it re-added favored RPG elements and removed other elements that had received criticism. However, it was still critiqued for continuing the action-adventure format. It was praised for its interactive elements, writing, characters, and worldbuilding. Of these elements were hidden Toads, which reviewers commonly called fun and enjoyable, praising their humorous dialog and interesting hiding spots. Reviewers gave the game's combat system a mixed reception, being liked for its unique layer of strategy and also dreaded for being difficult and unrewarding.
The three games since "Sticker Star" were greatly criticized for the removal of elements that made the games RPGs. These included the removal of an XP system, which critics believed made combat unnecessary, and for the loss of new and original characters and other unique aspects from prior games.
Sales.
"Paper Mario" was the best-selling game in its first week in Japan and other regions, and has sold 1.3 million copies, making it one of the best-selling games on the Nintendo 64. Similar to "Paper Mario", "The Thousand-Year Door" was the top selling game in Japan in its first week, and sold over 1.3 million copies since 2007. It is the thirteenth best-selling game on the Nintendo GameCube. "Super Paper Mario" was the top selling game of the week upon release in Japan, and ranked as the third best-selling game on the Wii in April 2007, similar to its predecessors. By 2008, the game had sold around 2.3 million units worldwide. As of 2019, the game had sold about 4.3 million copies and is the best-selling "Paper Mario" game to date. "Sticker Star" sold around 400,000 copies in Japan by 2012, and almost 2 million worldwide by March 2013. As of 2020, the game had reached almost 2.5 million sales and is also one of the best-selling games on the Nintendo 3DS. Although the number of worldwide sales of "Color Splash" is unknown, Japan sales totaled 63,000 as of July 2020. "The Origami King" had the best launch in the series, having doubled the launch sales of "Super Paper Mario" in the U.S., and the series' best launch in its first month. By December 2020, the game had sold 3.05 million copies and is the second-selling in the series, becoming one of the best-selling games on the Nintendo Switch.
In other media.
Various "Paper Mario" elements have been featured in the "Super Smash Bros." series of fighting games. The most prominent is the "Paper Mario" stage, a map based on multiple games in the series that folds into multiple areas with themes of specific games, such as "Sticker Star" and "The Thousand-Year Door". The map first appeared in "Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U" in 2014, and later appeared in "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" in 2018. Additionaly, "Ultimate" has featured "spirits"—in-game collectibles representing various video game characters based on characters from the series. The most recently added were three characters from "The Origami King" in August 2020.