The Paper Mario series represents one of the more unique outings on the Nintendo Switch in 2024, with its combination of RPG elements, humor, and creative gameplay setting it far apart from the crowd. From the art style to clever uses of paper-based mechanics, the series has shifted and morphed over time into a myriad of experiences both new players and longtime fans can easily enjoy.
What makes Paper Mario titles unique? Paper Mario games are adored for their charming mix of RPG game mechanics and lighthearted, quirky storytelling. Unlike traditional Mario titles, which focus a lot on platforming, Paper Mario titles emphasize exploration, puzzle-solving, and turn-based combat. Often, the games will break the fourth wall with characters acknowledging the player’s presence and commenting on the game world in humorous fashions. Added to this self-aware humor is a very unique art style where the characters and environments are all made of paper, and that gives the series a lot of its charm.
Paper Mario: The Origami King (2020)
One of the distinguishing elements in all the Paper Mario games is the battle system. The formula is refined with time, but many turn-based battles are made interactive with timed button presses. The series also hosts badge systems, partners with special abilities, and puzzle-solving, adding layering to gameplay.
Paper Mario: The Origami King is the latest entry into the series, bringing a new flair to the traditional formula. For one, it introduces a fresh new combat system that mixes turn-based battles with puzzle elements, making players rotate and align enemies for maximum effect. There is also an amazing storyline where the evil King Olly seeks to fold the world into origami. Lively, full of wit, and memorable dialogues, it is something that fans of the series should not miss.
The Origami theme gives the world an entirely new sense of creativity, from environments and characters wonderfully popping off the screen. Even the exploration aspects of the game are pumped up with confetti that the players will use to restore color to the world, adding a satisfying layer with environmental interactions.
Paper Mario: Color Splash (2016 – Re-released in 2023)
Even though Paper Mario: Color Splash was first released on the Wii U, its 2023 re-release onto the Switch launched its colorful world to a whole new audience. The premise of the game relies heavily on using paint to restore color to a world that’s had it drained from it all while the unique card-based combat system adds an extra layer of strategy to battles. Most importantly, the humor of the game, along with the vibrancy in its visuals and creative uses of color, makes it stand out from the series.
Color Splash is unlike any of the other entries due to its use of paint mechanics. Using a paint hammer, players bring color back into the world surrounding them; they do this by solving puzzles, fighting enemies, or even entirely different things. The usage of an underlying art style of painted material makes the game visually appealing. This adds a certain charm to the general experience.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star (2012 – Re-released in 2024)
Sticker Star was a divisive title when it came out on the Nintendo 3DS, but the re-release in 2024 for Switch lets players see it in an entirely different light. It offers a never-before-seen sticker battle system in which the player collects and uses stickers to attack enemies and solve puzzles. While this may turn off a great number of fans accustomed to traditional RPG elements, Sticker Star is at least a creative reimagining of the formula behind the series.
The sticker mechanic is what defines Sticker Star. In this game, players will have to use the sticker collection very carefully by equipping the right stickers both for battles and exploration. It adds an extra layer of strategy to the game since there will be difficult decisions over which stickers to use and which ones to save for later.
Honorable Mentions
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004 Re-released in 2024)
By many, it’s considered one of the best in the series, and The Thousand-Year Door finally saw a re-release on Switch in 2024, bringing its outstanding classic RPG gameplay and an appealing story to new audiences; its rich world, memorable characters, and deep battle system have made it a fan favorite.
The Thousand-Year Door perfectly executes traditional RPG elements with the paper-thematic world. At its heart, it has a great storyline, unique partners in battles, and some challenging puzzles that allow it to stand the test of time.
Super Paper Mario (2007 – Re-released in 2023)
Super Paper Mario defied tradition from the rest of the series by incorporating 2D platforming and elements of RPGs. The storyline is deep and poignant, filled with love, loss, and sacrifice. The unique gameplay mechanics-switching back and forth between a 2D and 3D perspective make this one of the most interesting titles in the series.
The transition from the normal 2D to the 3D perspective gives depth to the game, in which the players can find some hidden paths, solve some puzzles, or innovatively defeat some enemies.
Conclusion
The Paper Mario series is only getting stronger, it seems, on the Nintendo Switch in 2024, providing a range of experiences to please both RPG fans and others who look for something a little different, light-hearted. No matter if one is an avid fan or a new one, something in these games is for everyone. From the new spin on turn-based battles in The Origami King to the timelessness of magic within The Thousand-Year Door, this is a series that no one owning a Switch can pass up.
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