The Paper Mario games have had their ups and downs over the years, but it remains one of my favorite series to come out of Nintendo. These storybook RPGs all offer some mix of puzzles, battle, and heart that make them enjoyable and fun 2D adventures. But not all of these titles are equal, so if you’re looking to start playing them, we’ve gone ahead and ranked the best Paper Mario games of all time to help you out.
Be warned: The most likable games from the series were originally for the N64 and Gamecube, so they may not be easy to find and play. Though you can find a great alternative on the Switch with similar elements called Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling that we highly recommend.
1. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Release Date: July 22, 2004
Platform: GameCube
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is hands-down the best Paper Mario game in existence. It took everything we loved about the original game and made it even better. With an intricate story, delightful characters, fun battles, and hilarious dialogue, it’s everything a Paper Mario game should be.
What makes The Thousand-Year Door so wonderful isn’t a single element, but all of the elements together singing in perfect harmony. The level of depth the creators put into each character makes it feel like you’re in a real story, and your own companions only add to the fun. With complex environments and a simple, but hard to master battle system, this game is hard to forget.
Overall, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a great RPG and one of the best Mario games of all time. Unfortunately, this game is still only available on the GameCube, so unless you have one you’d have to look for an emulator to play it on.
2. Paper Mario
Developers: Nintendo, Intelligent Systems
Release Date: August 11, 2000
Platform: N64
The original Paper Mario was a great game in every way. It introduced us into the franchise and all of the wonderful aspects of this 2D world. When it first came out on the N64, it was one of the most unique adventure RPGs I had ever played.
Because it’s the original game, it will always hold a special place in my heart — it’s just not as good as Paper Mario: The Thousand Year-Door. What makes it great is the cast of characters, great writing, and fantastic storyline that never really slows down. With the addition of an easy, yet difficult battle system, every element of the game is fun to play.
Much like some of the other games on this list, they are not available on Nintendo Switch yet. So you may need to look for some sort of N64 emulator if you want to play.
3. Paper Mario: The Origami King
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Release Date: July 17, 2020
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Paper Mario: The Origami King is the latest game of the series and has become an essential Nintendo Switch game for many. It’s also the first Paper Mario title in a long time that has made an attempt to be like the originals.
The biggest change to The Origami King was an overhaul to the simple battle system fans have grown to love. You now fight your paper foes in a 360-degree battle radius where you have to try to line up enemies and attack as many as you can at once. And while this does add an intriguing new element to the fighting system, the actual gameplay and storyline ends up getting dull very quickly.
If you’re looking to play Paper Mario: The Origami King, you can pick it for the Nintendo Switch at full price. Though we recommend you spend your money on indie games on the Switch instead.
4. Super Paper Mario
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Release Date: April 9, 2007
Platform: Wii
Super Paper Mario was a fun addition to the series, but it made some fatal mistakes by trying to replace core elements of gameplay. RPG elements were scaled back to bring more of a platformer feel into the game, and battles were taken out of the turn-based system.
The redeeming factors of this game was the addition of other playable main characters and impeccable writing. You play as Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Bowser as you explore new locations and character dialogue. As a Paper Mario game, there were too many new things added in and it often feels like the heart of the series is only half present throughout.
You can play Super Paper Mario on the Wii if you have one, but it may not be worth finding a copy.
5. Paper Mario: Color Splash
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Release Date: October 7, 2007
Platform: Wii U
Paper Mario: Color Splash is not a good game, and definitely does not feel like a Paper Mario game. The writing is still fantastic, but they removed all of the RPG elements that would have made it worthwhile. Even in battle, the only thing you earn is more paint.
Another thing this game does wrong is strip away the variety of characters that made the original titles so fun to play. With a battle system that gets old quickly and overly linear environments, the only reason to play this game is the writing and the music.
This game is available for the Wii-U, but please do not buy a Wii-U just to play it. It really isn’t worth your time.
6. Paper Mario: Sticker Star
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Release Date: November 11, 2012
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Here it is, the absolute worst Paper Mario game in existence. Paper Mario: Sticker Star strips away every single element that made the original titles worth playing. It definitely can’t be classified as an RPG and probably shouldn’t even be considered to be part of the Paper Mario series.
The creators of this game stripped away the entire identity of the franchise, and we are left with something entirely different. The most unique element about the game, the stickers, make the battle system complex and frustrating. And since all of the RPG elements have been stripped away, you also don’t get anything worthwhile for winning battles at all.
All-in-all, this is a terrible game — please don’t play it. It’s currently available for the 3DS if you must, though.
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