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Player's Poll, Patreon Payments & Paper Peach (Patreon)

Published:
2020-06-11 14:06:00
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

Hey hey, Force fans! We're about 10 days away from our next issue being finished, but we've got three orders of business to address before that.


===== PLAYER'S POLL =====

When we finished NF #46, we thought #47 would probably focus on the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. Instead, Nintendo surprised us with a new Paper Mario announcement! That means we need some different Player's Poll questions, and different responses from you! If you respond to these three questions in the Comments below on this very Patreon post, you'll be in the running to win a free copy of Paper Mario: The Origami King!

1) What is your personal history with the Paper Mario series? Which game in the franchise is your favorite, and why?

2) Does a Paper Mario game need to have a team of tag-along partner characters in order to be great? Who is your favorite partner character from the past games?

3) What's your opinion on the direction Nintendo has taken with the Paper Mario brand since The Thousand-Year Door? Do you like the experimental gameplay ideas of each new game, or should they return to the more traditional RPG style of the first games?

Thanks in advance for your responses! Look in the Inbox section of the new Issue #47 to see if your answers were picked for print!

 

===== PATREON PAYMENTS =====

You may have seen the announcement already, but Patreon is making a minor change in how payments are processed – they're now adding tax to some pledges. Not everyone will see the extra tax charge, because whether or not it appears is entirely dependent on which state or country you live in and the relevant tax laws in that location. And even if you do get a tax charge, it shouldn't be very large an amount for any Nintendo Force patrons. For example, I live in Kentucky, so I believe the tax charge for me would be 30 cents. I'm going to work with Patreon support to make sure that the smallest tax possible is applied across our pledge tiers – and, again, you might not ever see it pop up at all depending on where you live.

 

===== PAPER PEACH =====

In order to offset the fact that NF issues might be slightly more expensive for some patrons going forward, we're committed to adding more value! That means more frequent extras and bonus goodies and larger page counts in upcoming issues. For NF #47, we've commissioned an exclusive Origami Peach papercraft toy to tie in with Paper Mario: The Origami King! If you were already a part of the Force a couple of years ago, you'll probably remember the Nintendo Labo Robot papercraft toy from NF #33. This new one comes from the same creator, Alex Gwynne of Fold Up Toys, but Origami Peach is a much simpler model! There are only eight steps to assemble her, and then you'll have a perfect real-world match for the Origami Peach who appears in the new Paper Mario game. Snazzy!

Print subscribers will get the Origami Peach toy already printed and included in the mailing bag alongside the new issue. Digital subscribers will get the PDF to use to print it yourself. 

 

===== CONCLUSION =====

That's all for now! Please answer the Player's Poll questions in the Comments below to give us the fuel we need to fill up the NF #47 Inbox section! And I'll be in touch again in about 10 days with the announcement that the new issue is done and is heading to you.

Until then!


~ Lucas M. Thomas

Files

Previews only

Comments

BioYuGi

Huh, I didn't remember the papercraft toy, so I went to look at my collection. Somehow, I have every volume I've ever gotten from 12-46, *except* 33! Not sure if it was lost in the mail or I never noticed or what, but that's a kick in the pants. 1. I played Thousand Year Door followed by Super Paper Mario. I only played the original years later on the VC and have ignored the games since. Thousand Year Door is my favorite. Best partners, vivid level design and a good story. 2. Yes, I think the tag-team partners are an essential part of it. Paper Mario is a turn-based RPG at its heart and that relies on having more than one teammate. Best teammate? Vivian. Vivian is just adorable and sweet. 3. I have skipped the later installments because I didn't like the changes they made. Super Paper Mario was fun though, but they need to go back to the original style.

Dustin

1) I've only played PM: Stick Star on the 3DS, but it was fun! I've recently gotten a Switch (after skipping most of the Nintendo consoles for the past decade or so) and it's opening up an entirely new catalog for me to enjoy. 2) I personally enjoy the variety of Toads, at least in PM:SS. I think any/most partner characters bring more enjoyment to the game. 3) I don't have enough experience with the series, but I can say this new Origami King entry looks fun. I love the portable aspect of the Switch as it allows me to enjoy most games more than I otherwise would if I was stuck in front of a TV. Looking forward to PM:TOK!

Anonymous

(Retrying this because Patreon comment posting is weird) #1.) My first introduction to the series was most likely through the Virtual Console system on the OG Wii. I got Paper Mario and... didn't beat it because I was bad at video games as a kid. I would go on to try out TTYD, but I couldn't figure out how to beat it, and eventually a friend of mine borrowed it, and then later purchased it from me. I never did play Super Paper Mario, but I did watch a Let's Play of it by the creator "Chuggaaconroy." My most recent experience with the series has been Sticker Star and it's just been some dumb fun for me. I never did pick up Color Splash, but also... (looks around nervously) I'm not a fan of the games... I'll play them, but I won't be die-hard fanatic about them. #2.) I'm not sure, to be honest. There are benefits to having tag-along partners, like those with abilities that help you know how much health a certain enemy has, or has special attacks. I honestly could go either way, but it isn't a make-or-break for me. #3.) I like it. There are some franchises that while are essentially the same core game, they build upon or change up the formula they've established. Of course, this is Nintendo, so anything they do is determined by a d1000 roll and forcing the stars to align in just the right way. I will say that Super Paper Mario onwards has shown some interesting ideas, for example conserving attacks via Stickers or coloring in the world, or being a 2D and 3D platformer at once. There may very well be a lot of people who might egg me for this, but I kinda wish Nintendo would have tried more weird takes on how to do an RPG like Super Paper Mario than have gone back to the age-old "go into an arena and fight it out" style of combat.

Anonymous

My answers: 1) Only played the thousand year-door. Such a great game. Never knew the series before, so did not play on N64. And did not get the system afterward. Really hype to play the new one on Switch. 2)Does it need a tag-along? I don't think so. But it will be better with it. And no one beats Goombella. 3)I mostly love when Nintendo experiment in general. But I have not tried the more experimental Paper Mario one (the one a lot of people seem to have problems with). So can't really compare. But the new ring system seem fun.

Aaron Tracy

1) While I own all of the Paper Mario games to date, I've never played much but a little of the original and the Super Mario RPG Super Nintendo game. 2) I'd think so, as they always enhance the experience. I like Kooper. 3) I like seeing more experimental and new ideas in games in general, but sometimes it's enjoyable to have "more of the same".

Anonymous

1. I can't say I've ever played a paper Mario game to completion myself, but I watch streamers that play it (most notably Stryder7x), the stories are fun but the mechanics seem to be where to games really shine in my mind. 2. I think the tag team mechanic is very important, and it seems to be an essential part of most Mario games on the whole. It lends itself to creative solutions and inventive freedoms. 3. I can't really speak to the order of the Mario games since I'm not too versed in the whole series, but from what I've seen they've all been great. That's my 2 cents, for what they're worth.

Anonymous

1) What is your personal history with the Paper Mario series? Which game in the franchise is your favorite, and why? My only experience with the Paper Mario series was the original on the N64 so that's my default response to which is my favorite in the series. 2) Does a Paper Mario game need to have a team of tag-along partner characters in order to be great? Who is your favorite partner character from the past games? Having teammates you could swap in and out, with actual personalities and upgradeable abilities would be a big plus to the gameplay. It wouldn't be a deal-breaker if they didn't include them, as long as the rest of the gameplay mechanics are fleshed out. 3) What's your opinion on the direction Nintendo has taken with the Paper Mario brand since The Thousand-Year Door? Do you like the experimental gameplay ideas of each new game, or should they return to the more traditional RPG style of the first games? I have zero experience playing anything other than the original so I have no opinion on this question.

Anonymous

1) My personal history with Paper Mario began 20 years ago with Paper Mario 64 when I was probably around 10 years old. I immediately fell in love with the emphasis on story, the humor, and all of the unique and funny companions characters as well as NPCs. The game quickly became one of the greatest games I ever played, right up there with Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, which were favorites at the time. So naturally, once Thousand Year Door released I wasted no time and got it right anyway and was blown away by how Nintendo took everything that made Paper Mario 64 amazing and made it all EVEN GREATER. It became my favorite out of the two (and the whole series) and I especially loved the weird and darker themes that would never be seen in any other Mario game, and sadly wouldn't even be apart of Paper Mario going forward. I played a little bit of Super Paper Mario but lost interest due to it being a significant change from the first two, and I never once touched Sticker Star or Color Splash partly due to their poor reviews but MOSTLY out of defiance toward Nintendo for gutting one of my favorite series and leaving it an empty husk of it's former self. Even though I've enjoyed less than half of the series, I can still honestly say it's still, 20 years later, one of my most cherished game series that I've ever experienced and so i'm cautiously hopeful for The Origami King. 2) I suppose Nintendo can surprise us and make a good Paper Mario without partners, but I honestly think the games are far better when they do have partners. They allow for greater depth in combat and it's just more fun over all, both in combat and out of battles in their interactions with Mario. Plus, since Mario himself doesn't speak, having partners there to do the talking for him made the stories much more enjoying. My personal favorite partner would have to be Vivian from Thousand Year Door. She was so unique and there was nothing like her or her Shadow Sisters in any other Mario game so I found her to be very interesting. Also her ability to let Mario become invulnerable to an attack is just too good of a move to pass up. 3) I've covered my opinion on the new direction for the most part in my first answer so i'll keep it short here. I don't like it at all and I've gotten angry quite a few times about it over the years. The traditional RPG route is much better over all and I feel that most people would agree with that. I'm cautiously optimistic about The Origami King since it seems like they're bringing back some elements of those first two games, but I'm still a bit bummed that it also seems like they're not going back far enough in that direction.

Anonymous

3. Nintendo definitely should get back to the RPG roots of the subfranchise. Not because the mechanics and games have been outright bad since they dropped traditional focus, but because they hardly have any presence in RPGs at all these days. They have a strategy series going stronger than ever, but nothing in the traditional sense. Its time to go back. Quirky characters (fewer Toads, let's be honest) and stats! Come on!

Anonymous

1) Paper Mario: The Thousand Year door was my first experience with this series and was my first game for the Gamecube as well. It was a great experience given that is was also the first time I played any type of Mario RPG game. I would consider it my favorite since it has a special place in my heart as well as having an amazing set of characters, worlds, and an awesome soundtrack! 2) I would say yes. Having these characters teaming up with Mario, in my opinion, made this series what it is remembered for. It was a great way to add personalities to characters like Goombas, Koopas, and Bob-Ombs. It helps create a deeper and more engaging feel to the Mario Universe. My favorite partner is Ms. Mowz since I discovered her by accident and was instantly a fan of her because of her theme song! 3) I did appreciate Nintendo taking risks with the series and trying out other mechanics. It helped develop the series in some aspect but removing the traditional core mechanics of previous games felt like taking a step back. I think adding in new mechanics in The Origami King is exciting but if there isn't a return to traditional Paper Mario game play, it can end up being detrimental. Having a good balance it what I hope this upcoming game has in order for the Paper Mario series to keep moving forward in the right direction, for old fans and new fans of the series.

Anonymous

1) I've only played Paper Mario and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. It's been so long since playing either that I don't feel I could give a good answer to which I liked better and why. 2) I assume tag-along characters means party members? If so then I would lean toward yes they're needed, it is an turn-based RPG afterall. Having multiple characters give for better strategy variations and different ability usage. 3) I cannot comment on the games post-The Thousand-Year Door, but as an outside observer I tend to not like single-game gimmicks. Games should evolve and get better and tossing out mechanics and not making them better just to add a new gimmick system is disappointing.

Anonymous

1) I grew up on super Mario RPG, and always felt like paper Mario 64 was a spiritual successor to that game, that was more "mario-y". I played thousand year door as well, but not any of the Mario & Luigi games, or paper Mario DS games. I tend to lump all of the RPG games together, as I feel like they are all Nintendo trying to figure out how it wants Mario RPGs to feel with their IPs. 2) I think it's necessary to have more than one character with a moveset. I don't think it had to be partners, but that vibe did work out really well in 64 and thousand year door. But I think what helps make an RPG feel like an RPG (and function more gracefully as well) is getting more than one and different action choices each round in a fight. It could be partners, or it could be characters from the game like Bowser jr or kamek or yoshi, etc. I DO really like the humanizing some of the classic villains that partners do. 3) I think the genre needs to stay closer to RPG. It's a genre that has shown to be pretty successful every time Nintendo let's it in a bit, but it's also one that in the past has really contradicted their "no story just game loop" company focus.

Anonymous

1) I discovered Paper Mario at a local rental shop. Needless to say, a rental period was not enough time to progress very far through the N64 RPG, but it won me over and I ended up buying a copy to play through to completion. 2) Partner characters aren't strictly necessary, but they sure give the expert writers at Nintendo Treehouse more opportunities to flex their comedic talent! 3) I wish Nintendo was not so adverse to making direct sequels without a brand new core mechanic. Sometimes a formula just works (like The Thousand Year Door), and they should give us more of the same!

Beej

1) If you consider Super Mario RPG part of the history, then I started there. It was astonishing. When Paper Mario came out on the N64, I was immediately there. I don't think I ever finished it, and somehow I missed TTYD, but when Super Paper Mario came out, and we could swap the 2d world into 3d and back...I was hooked back in again. I think that's my favorite one so far. I recently downloaded the Paper Mario 64 and Super Mario RPG on the Wii U virtual console and am going back through those. They're still just as awesome now. 2) I think I prefer a standard RPG party to the tag-along character, but I don't mind it at all. I would love the tag-along to be an existing Mario character like Yoshi rather than someone from just that game. But maybe that's just me. 3) I don't think experimentation is a bad thing. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. For Super Paper Mario, it worked. Apparently, for the others...not so much. But as long as they're willing to learn from what works and doesn't, I am great with it. Some series, like Dragon Quest, can build on a standard gameplay foundation and refine it until it's just about perfect. Others, like Final Fantasy, tend to experiment more -- which can lead to innovation and amazing things, too, but can also lead to some misses (XV's combat, I am looking at you).

Anonymous

1.My personal experience I ve first played the gamecube version liked the style of gameplay even though I didnt play much of these series 2.i like the tag team idea and you got have Luigi as partner 3.rpg elements

Angel

1.) Paper Mario: TTYD was the first Paper Mario game I beat, but I remember getting stuck on Super Paper Mario earlier. TTYD is my favorite in the series hands down, I think the story was intriguing and the world and adventure you go through was just so fun. I mean each chapter had a radically different theme, which kept it fresh and exciting. It starts out kind of basic, but soon enough you're looking for pirate treasure or uncovering a wrestling murder-plot or solving a murder mystery on a train. The music is also incredible, the main theme of the crystals stars was so jaw-dropping for me the first time I heard it in its glory when fighting the Queen,. It is something I remember vividly to this day. I also really enjoyed the interludes with Peach and Bowser, they were equally great. I need to stop myself from gushing, but to put it one way TTYD is one of my favorite games of all time. 2.) I'm not sure if a game needs partners per se, but I think it does help to hammer in the adventure of finding new friends along the way. I think it also helps keep things interesting in a battle, and allows for different play styles. My favorites came from TTYD and is a toss up between Vivian and Bobbery. I really liked Vivian because I thought her story and character was the best, but I also loved Captain Bobbery because I love pirates and sea captains, and remember his damage being good. 3.) As a whole I do not like the post-TTYD direction. I think the games are no longer as fun or memorable as TTYD, and also not polished as well. I liked Super Paper Mario as a kid, I thought the story was fantastic at the time, as it was the first "tragic villain" I had ever encountered. Going back though, the game play is just weird and not great. I would like very much rather have a Paper-based RPG instead of the Paper Mario: [Insert Paper/Craft Pun Here] we've been getting. I also think it is probably possible to do both experiment and have a simple RPG like TTYD and the Original. I don't know if the two ideas have to be mutually exclusive. At this point I would settle for a TTYD remaster on Switch, I think that would not only sell well but I need another excuse to play that game again!

Bobby P

1) Paper Mario (N64) was one of the first RPGs I ever owned, and the N64 was the first system I had that was 100% mine (take that, parents!). I have played every game, to-date, but the original reigns supreme in that #1 Slot. 2) I don't think tag-along characters are a must-have for an entry to be great, but I do think the lacking cast of tag-along characters plays a role in the later titles not being as enjoyable or as memorable. Bombette is my personal favorite. A lady Bob-omb that's on your side, can explode at-will, and has a pink color scheme that sticks out in the already colorful world. Wins all across the board there. Runners-up would be Watt and Sushie. 3) I always try to welcome significant changes in games, especially when it's a franchise I care about. However, I think Paper Mario is one of the few series that prove that change isn't always necessary or beneficial. I would love to see a return to form with the Origami King and future titles; especially in this age where we're getting reboots, remasters, and an overall desire for nostalgia. Nintendo could always test those waters with a remaster of the original title(s). If the rumored Mario Series remasters for Nintendo Switch ends up being true, I hope Paper Mario is among the initial run of releases.

Anonymous

1) My first video game ever was Super Paper Mario for the Wii and it literally taught me how to read. I haven't finished the first two, but I beat Sticker Star for some reason??? Anyway Super is my favourite. 2) If the games are going to be RPGs, then partners add a ton of depth to combat. But if they want to keep taking the experimental angle, I don't really see the need. My favourinte partner is Tippi from Super, they sort of just threw the other Pixls in the trash to give her more development. 3) I like the story of the first three games, but honestly, I don't think the newer games are that bad. Sticker Star was the worst in the series, but Colour Splash fixed most of the game's issues. If Origami King can fix up the battling (or take the series in a new direction), it'll probably be one of the series' best.

Anonymous

1. I have played every Paper Mario game since the original! I have followed the series throughout all of its changes and new twists. My favorite is Paper Mario on the N64, and that game is also my favorite game of all time. I got it when I was little, so my mom used to play with me to help me figure it out. It will forever be my favorite game of all time. 2. I don’t think Paper Mario needs partners to be great, but the partners definitely make the games better! My favorite partner is the Mini-Yoshi(Yoshi Kid) that you get to name! I love the whole Glitz Pit section of The Thousand Year Door. 3. While I do like Super Paper Mario, Sticker Star, and Color Splash, I would like to see a return to form. I think that the three later titles had some really cool mechanics and ideas that could blend greatly with a more traditional Thousand Year Door formula. I would be very happy with a nice blend between all of the games!

Anonymous

1.) I first found out about paper mario quite by accident. At the time I was pretty new to Nintendo and had not really experienced all their games before. I came across the first game by chance well browsing the Wii Shop Channel. I thought the name sounded interesting so I took a chance with some Christmas money that I had saved up. I was completely surprised the game was an RPG. But I ended up falling in love with the series because of those mechanics, and the writing. Because of this, despite me enjoying the second game more, the first one will always be my favorite. It holds a special place in my heart. 2. The tag team mechanic definitely adds alot to paper mario. The casual comments and scenarios that play out have always made the game fun. It's pretty essential to the series... Of all the characters the one I remember the most is the cowardly Koops. I always thought his character was fun. But It has been awhile since I've played the first two games so perhaps I should replay them to refresh my memory. :) 3. Some of Nintendos choices with the last two games in particular have ruined alot of what I like about paper mario. Sticker star in particular was such a shocking departure that I don't think I even finished the game, but if I did I don't remember. Whereas color splash, although it significantly improved the writing, the combat was still a shell of its former self, dragging down the experience. Overall it would be nice to see a return to form. Although the experimental gameplay ideas can be interesting, most of the time they've been executed rather poorly. With them being at the focus rather than adding to what was done great before.

Anonymous

1. I've never played a Paper Mario game before. 2. I have no idea what makes a Paper Mario game good. 3. No idea. :)

Anonymous

You guys do such an AWESOME job with the magazine, I somewhat INSIST you don't add to your workload because Patreon is charging tax. Keep on keeping on. :-D

Anonymous

1. The first Paper Mario game I ever played was Sticker Star. That was before I learned people's feelings behind the game, especially with how the battle system worked. While I liked it for a while, I didn't realize what the series was missing until I finally got to play TTYD. It showed me what Paper Mario could be and made me understand what Sticker Star was lacking. I don't hate SS as much as others do, it's just that I found it more disappointing, especially after realizing what it could have been. 2. I don't think the game necessarily needs a partner system to be great; It's more of an icing on the cake scenario where the core gameplay is amplified with its addition. Personally speaking, having a bunch of friends helping you fight just makes them feel more like... well, friends! Not only does it give you a lot more variety, but it also makes your Partners fell like actual companions rather than just a bunch of pixels. I think my favorite partner would have to be Vivian. Her design is excellent, especially when juxtaposed with other Mario characters. The thing that sells it for me is all her dialogue for the random stuff throughout the game. I know all the characters have their own words to say for some of the events, but I just find Vivian's to be entertaining. 3. Honestly, I think they should go back to the RPG format from TTYD and 64. While I like the idea of new mechanics each game, I feel as if they're focusing more on making new mechanics instead of making something fun and enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed some of the weird things they implemented into SS and CS, but I feel as though they misinterpreted some feedback they got during development. It just feels like they're focusing on the wrong things when they are so painfully close to making a good game.

Anonymous

1. The thousand year door was my first experience with the series, never was a really into those turn style based games prior that game changed me. 2. My memory is not that great these days but I would have to say Vivan was my preferred tagalong and I feel if it's not broke don't fix it. 3. So far everything I've played from the franchise I've enjoyed I enjoy how they change the style to reflect different art forms and creative formats I can't wait to see what this game has to offer.

Anonymous

1) I've played Paper Mario on the N64, GameCube, and Wii. Haven't played Color Splash yet, but I think it will be hard for that experience to surpass the one I had with The Thousand Year Door. I loved the gritty hub town, the creative level design like when Mario enters a fighting tournament, and the hilarious writing. Lord Crump is one of my favorite villains of all time. The Thousand Year Door had it all. 2) I don't think a Paper Mario game NEEDS a team of tag-along characters to be great, although my two favorite Paper Mario games do have that feature. If Nintendo really wanted to make a GREAT Paper Mario game with Mario adventuring solo, it would take some creativity because the formula from the original Paper Mario and The Thousand Year Door works so well. It would be interesting to see a game where you fight with two or three partner characters at the same time like in a traditional JRPG. My favorite partner character from the games is Koops because I like Koopa characters and he's so relatable. 3) I'd like to see a return to tradition even if it will be tough to surpass the brilliance of The Thousand Year Door. These games are all about heart, humor, and fun characters, and those are all possible no matter what the gameplay looks like. For example, Super Paper Mario had incredible writing and funny characters that made it a blast to play even without my ideal gameplay style. That's why I'm excited for Origami King even if it doesn't give me a classic RPG experience. I know the Paper Mario brand will deliver.

ChocoMitz

1. As long as I can remember, the first time I saw Paper Mario was the first and the original game on the old Nintendo 64. It was very different to other Mario game, but despite the different looks, for some reasons, I was drawn to it, and since I like the series. My favorite game in the series is The Thousand Year Door because for many reasons; one, it is my first personal game I ever played on the GameCube. No matter how many times I playthrough the game, it never get bored and I love all the characters in the game. It had a really good storyline, some twists, and a lot of funny moments. You even control Bowser in this mini game at the end of ever chapter except last one, where it is literally based on the platform mechanic from the Super Mario Bros game! Two and this is a bigger reason, it is that I saw Let's Play series for the game by Chuggaconroy on YouTube and his Let's Play inspired me to play it. 2. Personally, I do think it need to have a team of tag-along partner characters because I think it drive the story forward, in the dialogue and even character development. Paper Mario is not too heavy on story-telling or character development like other RPG games, like Dragon Quest, Fire Emblem, or Final Fantasy, but most RPG, if not all RPG game, does have a team of tag-along partner characters, so I think it is a like basics thing for an RPG. I really don't have a favorite character in the game or the entire series overall, but I just love the story. 3. My opinion is a bit indifferent. I didn't play any games after Thousand Year Door, so I cannot say what I think about the games I never play. It is nice to experiment but if they make too much changes over something that a lot of people liked already, then why do they have to change it? It is sort of waste and just confusing.

Anonymous

1. I've played at least parts of the first four Paper Mario games, though I've only beaten the original and Super. Got stuck on the final boss of TTYD and the length of the fight kept me from continuing to try. Super Paper Mario was the first I played, and has remained a favorite since then. I'm all for the RPG style, but I think the platforming and especially the story were marvelously done in Super. 2. With Mario as a silent protagonist, there need to be supporting characters to keep the game moving. The Paper Mario series has always been quite expressive, but that's best shown through the variety of helper characters--particularly in the first two games, where they were nuanced, allied members of species normally opposed to Mario. It's been a long while since I played either of them, but I remember liking Vivian quite a bit, and I'm fond of Watt as well. 3. I think there's definitely room for experimentation, but some ideas should be left on the cutting room floor. As I said, I love Super Paper Mario--but for all its gameplay weirdness, it had an incredibly strong story. I never made it through Sticker Star and I've never played Color Splash; while the writing I've seen has its moments, it lacks the strength to make up for the departure from the gameplay fans are looking for. Changing too much makes the game stop feeling like the Paper Mario they want to play, but I think there's a middle ground where the series can evolve while respecting what people love about it.

Anonymous

1) My first paper Mario title was Super Paper Mario on the Wii and I loved it. But the one that holds a special place in my heart is Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door because my wife bought it for me for our first wedding anniversary. Traditionally, the 1st wedding anniversary gift is paper. 2) I don't really think the need to have any tag-along team members. 3) After Super Paper Mario I really didn't like where they took the game. I couldn't stand sticker and having to have the exact right stickers in our collection before starting a level, only to find out that you didn't bring the most important sticker with you and have to start all over again, drove me crazy.

LaLtheGaL

The Thousand Year Door was the first and only Paper Mario game I've played. At the time, my roommate had a Gamecube and I was couch ridden with a bad case of strep throat. My roommate was super awesome by bringing home a copy of The Thousand Year Door for me, as he knew how much I loved Mario. It was the perfect game for me at the time, because it didn't require TOO much precision and the humour and story lifted my spirits. It quickly became one of my all time favourite games. I took an extra sick day, even though I was better by that point, just so I could finish up the game. As much as I love video games, I sometimes struggle to sit for long hours to complete games, because I get fidgety and need to move. Paper Mario: TTYD kept me glued to the couch until I completed it. I adore that game immensely. I don't have enough experience with the series to comment on whether tag partners make the game great or how the series has evolved. I consider myself open to new ideas in video games and tend to judge games on their own merits. I can't wait to play The Origami King. The trailer had me giggling at its ridiculousness. It seems to capture what I remember of the series; my favourite characters being brought together in situations that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Anonymous

Question 1: Great series. I've played several of the games, though not the one for Nintendo 64. I remember I used to go over and watch my cousin play Thousand-Year Door. It was that fun, even to just watch it. My favorite is Sticker Star. I've generally played on handhelds way more than home consoles - (that's what's so great to me about the Nintendo Switch) - and there was finally, finally, a handheld Paper Mario game. That game was a ton of fun! Question 2: I don't think it's essential to have a bunch of tag-along characters for a Paper Mario game to be fun. I really enjoyed Sticker Star, and for the most part you're on your own. I will say, though, that it is uniquely satisfying to control a tag-team, and have them utilize different abilities. My favorite partner charcter was Mario and Luigi, in Paper Jam. Superstar Saga was one of my all time favorite GBA games, and I thoroughly enjoyed the Mario & Luigi series - (*sheds tear for AlphaDream*) - So I was thrilled when Paper Mario teamed up with Mario and Luigi. Question 3: I enjoyed the unique concepts that the games had, going from Thousand-Year Door. Just one example: flipping through the screen and into a new realm to get somewhere. It was as if a whole new dimension was in place. The gameplay had a different style than regular, and the graphic design was different. Not quite standard, yet still pleasant. To me, it was as if a kid took out a coloring book and drew those characters and worlds really well. I definitely appreciate when Nintendo does stuff like this. I'm sure that for a company, employing new concepts and ideas might have its risks, but as a gamer I'm telling you that I definitely appreciate new styles of gameplay and design.

Anonymous

1. I remember buying the original Paper Mario in the store when it was new and being shocked there was a new N64 game on the shelves! I brought it home because I didn't have any newer systems and I fell absolutely head over heels in love. I went on to The Thousand Year Door and even Super Paper Mario. I'm a huge fan./ 2. I don't think a Paper Mario game needs partners per se, but every game that has tried to ditch them so far has been really disappointing. What I think a Paper Mario game really needs is for it to be oozing with that quirky vibe, lots of character, lots of fun story. Lots of good, nice spaces to be in.. / 3. I was intensely disappointed by Sticker Star and it had nothing to do with its mechanics, they can change the mechanics all they want for all I care, it's the quirky story, vibe, and characters that really makes Paper Mario Paper Mario, Sticker Star didn't have that even remotely. Color Splash I haven't played, it seemed better, but still not right. I'm hoping Origami King is more like the original two while still taking into account what was good about Sticker Star and Color Splash.

Noah Goodman

1) I started with Super Paper Mario as my first Paper Mario game, and absolutely loved it. The story was deep, twisty, interesting, and different from anything else I'd played, especially from Mario. Of course after that I went back and played The Thousand Year Door and the original, also getting the new games as they came out, but my personal favorite is Super Paper Mario due to Mr. L and the special place it holds in my heart as my first Paper Mario game. 2) I don't believe a Paper Mario game needs partners to be fun, but they certainly seem to improve things! It's great to get to team up and talk with characters, especially standard enemies, whose side you typically never get to see. My favorite partner of all would have to go to the Yoshi from Thousand Year Door - getting to give them a name was so exciting, and they turned out to be especially fun in battle. 3) Having started with Super Paper Mario, I like the experimental direction since the Thousand Year door, though I don't think Sticker Star and Color Splash did the series justice. The battle style in those two games wasn't the best, but my biggest gripe with them was how generic the games were. TTYD and Super were extremely creative with new, original enemies, creatures and locations. Sticker Star instead went with a generic mushroom kingdom, only toads to really talk to, and Bowser as the main antagonist. And Bowser didn't even talk! Interacting with Bowser is one of my favorite parts of the early Mario RPGs, so having original villains and teaming up with Bowser and his minions gives me very high hopes for Origami King!

Anonymous

1) My history with Paper Mario started with coming across The Thousand-Year Door on the shelf of a local game store having never heard of it before. With almost no RPG experience but being a Mario fan, I brought it home and popped it into my Wii, discovering one of my favorite games of all time. TTYD is so unique and full of charm. The story, cast of characters and locations all burst with creativity while retaining the distinct Super Mario vibe. And, it introduces a layer of strategy with its satisfying turn-based combat that’s easy to grasp but full of depth. The Thousand-Year Door is close to perfection in my opinion. 2) While the partner characters are a staple of the classic Paper Mario games, I don’t think it’s impossible to make a great game without them. With the right mechanics in place to flesh out the battle system, along with the writing necessary to make the story engaging and alive, Paper Mario could in theory carry on just fine without partners, as those are the purposes they serve. That being said, partners really have added a ton of personality to the past games; my favorite has to be Vivian, who starts out as one of the villainous Shadow Sirens and joins your party through the course of TTYD’s story. 3) I think it’s disappointing how many of the elements that made the classic Paper Mario games so fantastic have gone missing as the series progresses. I’m not at all opposed to the new ideas that have been introduced; it’s always great to see Nintendo flexing their creative muscles and providing new takes on their established games. What I find disheartening is that in recent history, these ideas have come in place of what fans loved from previous games. My ideal for a new Paper Mario would be one that continues to introduce new fun paper-based gameplay while simultaneously keeping and building upon the excellent RPG and battle systems from previous entries.

Dimos Pittas

1) I started out with the original Paper Mario as a gift for my birthday. I absolutely loved it, but could never get passed Chapter 3 ( I was really young and did not really read the dialogue). It took me till 2012 to finally beat the game. During the year of it's release, I also received TTYD as a birthday gift. I had similar troubles with finishing this game, taking over 10 years. Super Paper Mario was the game I was given when my parents bought our Wii, and being much older and more familiar with RPGs, I was able to finish it (and it was the first in the series I had beaten). I was truly disappointing in Sticker Star, mostly due to the previews making it seem like the first two games and that it was very different from that. While I have little time with Color Splash, I did find it to be more enjoyable than SS. The first three games all hold a special place in my heart, but the original will always be my favorite mostly due to its simplicity and nostalgia. 2) I do not think Paper Mario needs a tag-along partner mechanic in order to be great, but that was what made it different from other games in the genre. Additionally, partners made party system more simple in design, but there was a lot one could do in terms of strategy. My favorite partner is easily Goombella, her sassy personally is equally hilarious and awesome! 3) I do not like the change in game design after SPM, and I think Nintendo/Intelligent Systems should return to the game play of the first two games.

Anonymous

1. Paper Mario was my first experience with the series and I have played them all since. I loved Paper Mario for how it took Mario into such a new and creative world. When you look at all the Paper Mario games, The Thousand Year Door stands out the most. It has a great cast of characters and beautiful envioments. 2. Yes. you need a good sidekick for funny banter, dynamic battles and unique problem solving. Parakarry is the partner who I played with the most. 3. It's always fun to bring a new aesthetic to games that are part of a seroies or sequels. You want to keep things fresh. I am looking forward to a return to a more traditional RPG. The old can be new again.

SothetheRogue

1) Paper Mario was a game that came out when I was really young, but I loved my N64 and I asked my parents for it. They said no, but then surprised me with it for Christmas! It was awesome and I started playing it that same day. Played through it so many times that I have lost count. I can't choose between the original and TTYD, however. 2)I don't know that it needs the partners to be great, but they are such an awesome addition. It allows them to give normal 1 note enemies/baddies/other characters in the Mario universe personality. We got to know a Koopa, Bomb-omb, a Boo, a young Yoshi, and whole new races made just for the game? It's awesome! Bow is my fave for sure. She floats in, smacks someone with her fan, and then vanishes away. Total boss boo. 3) They should return to the RPG roots. Full stop. I didn't fall in love with the series because of the paper themes, it was because of the story, the battles, the world exploration and more. The paper aesthetics made for some really cool possibility in terms of powers and things they can do, but they were not the thing I want focus on. I'd much rather have the RPG elements!

Anonymous

1) I started with Paper Mario The Thousand-Year Door and absolutely loved it. I actually played it recently on my GameCube with an HDMI adapter and it still holds up nicely. I also played Super Paper Mario on the Wii and Sticker Star on 3DS but I feel that it didn't meet my expectations. I hope the series can return to its roots with turn based combat, fantastic writing, multiple sidekick partners, and a world worth exploring.

Eliskor

1) My history with Paper Mario is interesting to say the least. I'll only cover the original and TTYD as those are the more interesting stories. For the original, this was back when Blockbuster still excited (boy, I feel old just saying that!). I rented the game over and over again so as to keep my save file in tact. This was around the holiday season and my parents could tell how much I was loving it. So they spoiled one of my Christmas gifts -- they took me to put the game on layaway at Wal-Mart. I cried my eyes out. That may seem odd. However, it was happy tears. I was so happy that I'd finally own the game and not have to worry about the save file being overwritten by anyone else who'd rent it from Blockbuster. I was overjoyed. I still had my rental copy from Blockbuster. I kept playing it till it was almost Christmas. I eventually beat the rental copy and that made my mom "he's not going to want to play the copy we got him now". I ensured her that I would still play it. I was in love with the game. I wanted more of it. That's a memory I'll always cherish no matter how much time passes. For TTYD it's not as touching. Though it does go to show how much parents can truly care about their child's happiness. It was release day for Thousand-Year Door and I wanted it badly. A sequel to one of my favorite games? Sign me up! We went to several stores and could not find a single copy. I'm not sure if they sold out or just didn't get their shipments in. We were close to giving up, but we decided to try one last store. That store was KB Toy Works (does anyone remember them?). Luckily they had some in. Plenty in fact. After a long day of searching and being ready to go home and admit defeat, I finally found the game and was able to get my own copy. It became my favorite in the series and still is to this day. 64 and Super trail it not far behind and Color Splash takes 4th with Sticker Star sitting in the trash bin. Again, another memory I'll never forget. 2) I don't think they're explicitly needed however they do help make the games feel unique. I've always been hoping for a wiggler, chain chomp, shy guy, or dry bones partner. It's ad they've not yet happened despite being pretty common enemies in the Mario series. A ninji could be fun too. I feel there's still a lot of untapped potential with partners and that's what hurts the most about exclusion in recent entries. So while not outright needed or necessary, they are always a welcomed addition and makes the journey more fun and less "lonely". 3) While I, like many others, am not a particular fan of Sticker Star or Color Splash's game mechanics, I can at least appreciate they tried. Sometimes it's nice to try and change things up to avoid each game feeling "same-y". It doesn't always work as we've seen, but at least the effort was there. I don't think Paper Mario needs to always be turned based RPG. However, I feel it going back to that now may be good due to the loss of AlphaDream and with them the Mario & Luigi series. I'm quite interested to see how Origami King's battle systems pans out with it being wheel based. It could be rather interesting with the potential for many strategies.

Anonymous

1) Started with the GameCube's The Thousand Year Door, and really loved the side stories, environmental puzzles, and general levity of the game. Didn't experience the N64 version until Wii's Virtual Console. Favorite is TTYD, though. 2) The Paper Mario series shines with its story, which is strange to say for a Mario game. The colorful sidekicks and side quests flesh out a world that you really come to know well over the course of the game. Could that be done without sidekicks? Dragon Quest VII used a large number of semi-self-contained side stories to move the overall story forward with much of it not directly including sidekicks, so a Paper Mario RPG doesn't have to have permanent sidekicks, if it's overflowing with interesting side story content. The sidekicks still help keep things interesting, though! Favorite partner is Madame Flurrie from TTYD. Her ability to discover hidden paths by blowing parts of the environment away is very useful, and it's so fun to try on just about everything else, too! 3) I greatly enjoyed Super Paper Mario (2-D Bowser levels? More please!) as a different take on the Paper Mario series, but the games since then have not gone back! Yes, we still have an RPG battle system in the Mario & Luigi games, and I understand Nintendo's desire to not have competing Mario RPG series. However the real appeal of Paper Mario and TTYD, to me, was the intricately woven story throughout the game. That's what been missing in the subsequent games, in my opinion. The battle system is important, as you spend a lot of the game in it, and it shouldn't be mind-numbing like in Sticker Star. But a well-crafted world with meaningful hidden paths and discoveries should be the main draw. Super Paper Mario was able to do that well, so even if the Origami King follows more in that vein, it'd be good with me. (Along with more 2-D Bowser levels!) (^_^)

Anonymous

1)- Back when Video rental stores where still around I rented a copy of Paper Mario on the N64 it kinda blew my mind when I was a kid especially that opening with Mario falling down from Peach's Castle to the ground. It made me realize that this one will be different from the other Mario games I have played up to this point. A couple of years later I vaguely recalled Paper Mario and asked my mother to get me a copy of Paper Mario. Well I guess I wasn't specific enough because of the N64 Paper Mario I got Paper Mario: The Thousand Year door which quickly became of my favorite video games ever it truly was something special. Later when Super Paper Mario came out it in my mind then and still is now an awesome game in the series. Sticker star is when that was lost on me due to it losing the magic of the series to me which is the environments and the story beats in said environments. That is why Thousand Year Door will be my favorite in the franchise because the environments where interesting, dynamic, and filled with wacky characters. 2)- The buddy system is a great feature of the series because those characters fleshed out the world to the player with their outlooks on the situation, connection to the npcs in the environment, and goals for helping Mario in his quest. My favorite partner will always be Goombella she just has the cutest outfit and all of her comments on various enemies and the environments/people always gave me some chuckles. Though I do think it can be done to make an amazing Paper Mario Game without that element I mean look at Super Paper Mario that game to me is just superb and it barely had tag-along partners just weird block pixies that say one line and that's it. Tippie kinda carried the spirit of the partners but to me she felt like more of a major character then just a simple partner. Overall it can be done just put Mario in these strange environments with an interesting story then it can potentially be great. 3)- The experimental style was good for me with Super Paper Mario because the story and the environment was interesting so I can put up with an above average platforming puzzle game as it serviced it well with the overall feel of the game. The direction afterwards I feel made it unbearably bad. In sticker star there is no story and most of the characters in the game are just red toads but, all that didn't help when the game play literally feels like your progression is actually regressing every time you battle due to the sticker mechanics. It was just boring overall. Color splash in terms of game play also bears the same problems but, the writing of the game was at least funny so the series I feel is going in an alright direction. To me though Paper Mario isn't just funny dialogue it is the whole spectrum of emotions within the dialogue and throughout its story. I want it to make me feel sad, anger, joy, tension, and uncanny throughout the whole adventure of the game because that is what a Mario story should be. As much as I would like for it to return to form to the earlier games super paper mario is still on of my favorites in the series so as long as Origami King as the heart of the earlier games within its characters and story with the game play not being absolutely soulless as the wheel system seems potentially cool then we have a contending new favorite in the series on our hands.

Anonymous

I have only ever really played Sticker Star (got it on sale at GameStop). I was slightly disappointed with the game because I found I was hesitating to use the stickers for fear of running out. I enjoyed all the toads and funny humor but never finished the game. I do wish they would go a different direction than that game though. I think a Paper Mario Nintendo Franchise RPG (like Smash, with all the characters) would definitely get me back into them. Though I am excited to see what people say about Origami King

Anonymous

1. I bought Paper Mario for N64 on launch day (purely by accident...we knew much less about launch schedules back then). I hoped it was a direct sequel to Super Mario RPG, and I was disappointed for a bit. But the more I played, the more I fell in love with it. The characters, the world, all of it. Due to that gradual appreciation curve, the first is still my favorite. TTYD was amazing and SPM was a good time. I had the misfortune (or good fortune) of seeing reviews for the newest two before playing, so I saved myself the pain. 2. I'm not prideful enough to say what a Paper Mario game NEEDS to be great. I love the ragtag crew of partners, but the guys and gals at Nintendo are pros. They are capable of subverting expectations in a good way and giving us something incredible that we never knew we wanted. They just had a couple of flops. This is a new Nintendo though, so I'm ready to roll those dice again. My favorite? Goombario for life. I got attached to the little guy, and his attack was super quick to execute. That's important to me. He was an efficient little fungus. 3. Even though I wasn't a fan of the new direction, I am a fan of experimentation. It doesn't always work out well, but experimenting is what the big N does. If they cut that out and just played it safe, we would never have gotten the Switch, BOTW, Mario Oddyssey, or anything they have given us that differentiates them from Microsoft and Sony. I love an experimental Nintendo. So yeah, I miss the older games, but I would never suggest that Nintendo stops playing around with new ideas. Either way it goes, retro Paper Mario or brave new frontier, I'm happy to see them doing their thing.

AA

Thousand-Year Door felt like a never-ending epic. I'd explore a little further each day after school, inching my way toward the next chapter. Super Paper Mario quickly became my go-to answer for favorite Wii game. Both took such beloved characters and added delightful levels of depth (while flattening them!). When Sticker Star reduced the story and gameplay to a level system, I felt guilty I had asked for it for Christmas.

Sanford

1. I'm mostly new to the series with Origami King. The new game looks like the most interesting one of the series. I did have a roommate that had Super Paper Mario on Wii and it looked cool when he played it, but I never got into it myself. Looking forward to Origami King to be my entry point into the series. I did play a bit of Super Mario RPG long after the SNES was ot of fashion, but didn't really care for it. 2. A team of characters with different powers could be cool. 3. As a new fan I can't really evaluate the history of the series.

Anonymous

1. My personal experience with the paper Mario series is simple. I have never played the series before. From 1987-1999 I was a Nintendo guy. From 2000-2014 I flipped back and forth from PlayStation and Xbox. I bought a Wii U and got back to the Nintendo team ever since even though at that point it was clear the Wii U was a dying console. Hyped about the switch and love Nintendo’s first party games more so than Gran Turismo or Halo.

AA

Mario needs some sort of partner to speak for him in story segments. His cartoonish reactions are fun enough, but Mario & Luigi already does it fine. My favorite partner is the adorable Koops. He's shy yet powerful, with an attack that hits all ground enemies and reaches far items.

Kurt from Cincinnati

1) I've been playing Paper Mario since the N64 release. The Thousand-Year Door is my favorite in the series by far. They polished a lot of the aspects from Paper Mario that I loved and introduced even more fun. At the time, the graphics were phenomenal, and I just loved looking at all the scenery and detail put into the locales. 2) The use of partners in the first Paper Mario allowed for you to have more choice and strategy in fights. It would be a good gameplay element to continue using in the series. Goombario is the first partner you get in Paper Mario and will always my favorite. I always used his Tattle ability on new enemies prior to switching partners out to fight. 3) Nintendo should really return to the RPG roots of Paper Mario. Super Paper Mario was fun, but it wasn't an RPG anymore. And don't get me started on the card/sticker battle systems of Sticker Star and Color Splash. Give me a true gameplay sequel to The Thousand-Year Door before any additional experimental gameplay, please!

AA

At the time, I felt Super Paper Mario would overtake 2D Mario as the defacto Mario style. We were all young, once. I do truly appreciate experimental Nintendo, but we need a strong Mario RPG series. Mario & Luigi developers AlphaDream filed for bankruptcy, and the series always shot for light and fun over dramatic. We need a Mario RPG with Latin vocals on the soundtrack.

Megan Fox

1) My absolute favorite is Thousand Year Door, and it was also the first one I really got into. I tried the N64 one but never got into it, and I ended up really not caring for Super Paper Mario in the end, even if the platforming focus was initially kind of fun. I guess I felt the game peaked really early, and the rest was just a slog. 2) I think yes, the tag-along characters are where a ton of the charm comes from. If you systemize them down to nothing but powerups, the game goes flat (but not in the good way, heh). It's basic, but my favorite is probably Goombella. Though Ms. Mowz gets a nod, too. 3) I desperately hope they return to Thousand Year Door-era gameplay/puzzle/writing. Super Paper Mario was fine, if maybe not as good, but everything past that has just gotten worse and worse. Bit sad to see.

Anonymous

1) I first played Paper Mario on the Wii Virtual Console and Loved it, which was surprising to me because I'm not a big turned based style RPG fan, but being able to interact with the moves helped me stay engaged. I haven't played any of the others yet because I like to do games in order, I did finally purchase The Thousand Year Old Door however! 2) I don't necessarily think the game needs the tag-alongs, it did add something but not having one would spare me having to make the decision of who to bring and who to leave behind. 3) I liked the idea in Super Paper Mario of the perspective switching, however Mario games are already the experimental series for Nintendo and I'm not sure they need to necessarily experiment with new ideas within an already branched off series. Most of their games are focused on providing new gameplay experiences, I wouldn't see anything wrong with one franchise focusing on new story telling experiences.

Kaylee Christine

1) I have never played a Paper Mario game, but I'd like to try the new one! 2) Can't speak for this series, but Super Mario RPG was the first time I got to play as Peach, and Geno was pretty great too 3) I'm just curious to see what the new one is all about ^_^

Anonymous

1) My first experience with Paper Mario was at a Toys r’ Us. It was a new Mario game but instead of being a sequel to Mario 64 it was like a sequel to Super Mario RPG that I remember playing. Once I bought the game I realized it was not a sequel as much as a successor to that game, but I really liked the paper aesthetic. 2) I think it actually does need a team to tag along. Think back to every Mario rpg and you will see that it’s spawned some of the best characters in the Mario series. These new characters flesh out the world and bring it to life more than NPC townspeople can. 3) It’s kind of a double edged sword to keep changing the formula because once a gamer gets a formula they like they want to keep that style of combat. Also it feels like the gimmicks took more from combat than they added. It should be a light garnish if you’re not going to change basic flow, but if I get too much of that spice then I’ll only taste that spice and not the meat. Super Paper Mario changed the gameplay but I feel like that was a spin-off more than an actual proper new entry.

Anonymous

1) My personal history with the Paper Mario Series started on the Wii with Super Paper Mario. I wasn't really interested in it before that because I don't like RPGs really that much besides Pokemon. I have played and beat every Paper Mario with Super Paper Mario and everyone after that. I now own the first Paper Mario and Thousand Year Door but I have never beat them and they just dont hold ny attention. Super Paper Mario is my favorite in the series. I loved that it had platforming, ability to level up, and the ability to shoft angles from 2d to 3d. That is the best one in my opinion.

Lukas but also known as Foxmosis how long can the name be

1.) I got introduced with the original entry, back on the Nintendo 64. Played a bit of Thousand Year Door, but I don’t believe I finished it. Technically I haven’t beat the first one either, I got all the way to the final fight with Bowser and as I kid I never could beat it. I could probably do it now but I feel like I’ll save it for a rainy week to replay this game. Played Super Paper Mario and love it, and I mostly fell off from there. I did play a bit of Sticker Star in the form of a rental, and while I didn’t really hate it I didn’t really have an urge to continue renting it. My favorite in the series in the first one, it’s probably one part nostalgia but I like it’s general aesthetic a bit more compared to other entries that went “full paper” which I know sounds weird but that’s just me. 2.) I would like to say to say no, but I haven’t seen a great one that lacks them. I do prefer it when the tag-alongs are more interesting obviously, but who knows you could make a great story without them. I’d say Bombette or Bow are my favorite characters, but I got a soft spot for Goombario and that Baby Yoshi. Tippi and Carrie are also favorites. 3.) Once again, loved Super Paper Mario. If every entry had the same level of quality that the previous games had, then I wouldn’t really mind the genre shifts. Sure I prefer the traditional RPG style because I think that's fun, but that traditional RPG style isn’t what makes Paper Mario so charming. It’s the world and writing that does that, I feel like the format that uses to execute that is really secondary.

Anonymous

1) My personal history with the Paper Mario Series started on the Wii with Super Paper Mario. I wasn't really interested in it before that because I don't like RPGs really that much besides Pokemon. I have played and beat every Paper Mario with Super Paper Mario and everyone after that. I now own the first Paper Mario and Thousand Year Door but I have never beat them and they just dont hold ny attention. Super Paper Mario is my favorite in the series. I loved that it had platforming, ability to level up, and the ability to shoft angles from 2d to 3d. That is the best one in my opinion. 2) I dont think Paper Mario needs to have a team of tag along partners in order to be great. I personally don't really remember the tag along partners in the Paper Mario games I played. To me they were just characters that gave you extra abilities. So, I can't really say any that stood out. 3) I like the new direction Nintendo has taken with Paper Mario since the Thousand Year Door. The first first Paper Mario and Thousand Year Door are the only Paper Marios I did not beat because they did not keep my interest. I have loved every game since Thousand Year Door!

Dark Side

1) I started off with both, The Thousand Year Door and Super Paper Mario, with the latter being my favourite. I really like the dynamic approach the a platformer with the new 2D/3D gimmicks set in the humorous and almost parodial world of the Paper Mario games. The plot was also fantastic and was surprisingly a lot darker and deeper than I expected. 2) I don't really think so. I think it's great that the subfranchise has created a lot of new original characters to rep different races across the Mushroom Kingdom and giving them oodles of personality that adds plenty of flavour to the games, but I wouldn't say it's an absolute must. 3) Super Paper Mario is my favourite game, so I'd say yes, I think it's great they're trying out new things to see what works and what doesn't. I've only played a bit of Sticker Star, which I thought was okay, and I haven't really seen much from Color Splash, but I doubt it's bad enough where people have condemned the series based on these two entries. I'm pretty excited to see where they take Origami King!

Anonymous

1. My first experience with the Paper Mario series was looking at an Nintendo Power article for the Thousand Year Door, which I eventually played a demo of. The first Paper Mario game I ever actually got was Super Paper Mario, then I got Sticker Star,after that I bought the original, and later I got Color Splash (though I did not play it that much), finally I did purchase a used copy of The Thousand Year Door. As for my favorite, I would pick the original. I really enjoyed the partners in the game, the other characters, the battle mechanics, and the music. 2. I don't really think that a Paper Mario game needs to have a team of tag-along partners to be great. A great game just has to have great things about it. As for my favorite partner, I would have to pick Bow as there is something very satisfying about seeing her just slap enemies. 3. I'm fine with the fact that the developers of the Paper Mario game's are trying to do different things with the franchise. While I do prefer turn based battles, I have played RPG's that are not like that but I still like them.

Anonymous

1) I only discovered Paper Mario after Super Paper Mario was announced, but since then, I've had the pleasure of watching others play through the games I missed out on as a kid; it wasn't quite the same as playing through the games myself, but given my circumstances at the time, it was plenty. I still favor the original Paper Mario on the N64, to be honest. For as many ways as TTYD improves on the formula, something about the original game has just stuck with me more over the years; maybe it's the fairy tale story, or maybe it's some nostalgia towards the game's slightly rough but still charming art. It's just the game that comes to mind when I think of Paper Mario. 2)I don't think partners in the traditional sense are absolutely necessary for a Paper Mario game to be good. To me, the partners add a fairly consistent dose of charm to the game and a little something extra to the combat, but those are things that can be done and have been done in other ways in other RPGs. To me, as long as that sense of charm is intact and the combat isn't bare-bones, it's still Paper Mario. That said, I'm certainly not against partners coming back. 3) I'm okay with Nintendo trying new things with Paper Mario, but I feel the execution of their ideas has been off the mark. Super Paper Mario was too easy for my liking for most of the game, while Sticker Star and Color Splash largely trivialized combat. But I did really like the story and the variety of helpers in SPM, and I do see potential in the latter two's attempts to shake up the battle system. It might be better to return to roots if Origami King doesn't work out, but I think it'd be cool to see a new Paper Mario game successfully pull off something different.

Matthew The Dark

1) I've been playing the Paper Mario games for as long as I remember. I remember starting with Thousand Year Door and absolutely adoring it. So much so that I ended up buying the original when it showed up on the Wii Virtual Console and loved that one too! In fact, I even loved Super Paper Mario despite all its changes to the game. If I had to pick a favorite, I'd say it HAS to be Thousand Year Door, but mainly for its heavy variety. You went from Professional Wrestling in the clouds, to fighting a body-snatching doppelganger who was turning people into pigs, to solving mysteries on a train, it felt like every chapter, even if it wasn't great, had something unique to offer. 2) I don't necessarily feel it NEEDS partners to really shine, but I feel Thousand Year Door and, to a lesser extent, Super Paper Mario show that a Paper Mario game without partners does leave a void in need of filling as they can be a great source of constant humor and character to add a lot of personality to the game. If I had to pick one partner I loved the most, it would probably be Lady Bow as I feel she's got a whole lot of charm and character to her (I mean they brought her back as a cameo in TTYD), though Admiral Bobbery has to be second for his backstory. 3) I admit I'm not exactly a fan of where the series has gone post Super Paper Mario. Not to say they didn't have moments, but I felt there was so much personality that was lost in the transition (such as a varied cast, its absolutely stellar combat in TTYD, and as Super showed us, a story that could really hook you) that I feel the last two games haven't even come close to emulating. As for the combat, I never felt that whether combat is "traditional" in Paper Mario was the issue if you ask me. Granted, the fighting mechanics in the likes of Sticker Star and Paint Splash didn't exactly help the argument considering what was in TTYD and the Original Paper Mario were perfectly fine and didn't really NEED changing and what they gave us was gimmicky at best, but I felt that wasn't the issue. I feel that the failing of Sticker Star and Paint Splash was that getting into combat was always more of a bad thing than a good one as you never really got rewarded well for finishing a fight, meaning that combat didn't really have a point. I feel as long as the game properly rewards you for a fight on top of fun game mechanics, then there really shouldn't be much of an issue.

Anonymous

1) The first Paper Mario experience I had was with The Thousand-Year Door – which I most definitely consider to be a masterpiece –, but I would say Super Paper Mario just about has the edge over the GameCube entry. While it certainly isn’t without its faults, the ambitious storyline, incredible writing, and original cast of antagonists simply made it an unforgettable experience for me. 2) I think the Paper Mario series definitely benefits from having partners, even if it is only a single “fixed” character – with the likes of Tippi and Huey taking on that role. Personally, though, I am more a fan of also having partners with unique abilities and personalities which help out in battle. Here’s hoping that The Origami King takes such an approach! As for who my favourite partner is, I’d have to say Vivian. 3) I am all for a certain amount of experimentation in the Paper Mario series, as long as these novel gameplay aspects don’t detract from the overall enjoyment. In this sense, I feel that Super Paper Mario was able to strike an as good a balance as possible between the presence of a more experimental “gimmick” while still maintaining an enjoyable core experience. The 3DS and WiiU entries’ gameplay, on the other hand, introduced more tedium than necessary, if you ask me.

Anonymous

1) My personal history is a love for the game. I remember re-playing the original game during summer break in elementary school. 7 days of non-stop Paper Mario (slight amount of time to sleep...maybe eat). My favorite game would have to be Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door. It took all the good from the first game, expanded on it, and added new mechanics that enhanced the RPG elements and battle system. Just Brilliant. 2) The Mario games are boosted by having Partners, for humor and to help add conversation when Mario doesn’t talk... I love all the teammates in Thousand Year Door, but my favorite (and most used) was Goombella. Nothing like getting kissed by a cutie Goomba to make you want to jump on your enemies twice as much. 3) I’ve been slightly disappointed with all the Paper Mario games since they left the turn based RPG elements of Thousand Year Door. The stories and what not are still fun to play, and commercial, plus the use of paper is fun in the games, but I really wish they’d return to their roots. I could at least go with a Thousand Year Door remaster with some bonus dungeons/content.

Anonymous

1) For me, the first Paper Mario for Nintendo 64 is still my favorite. Super Mario RPG was (and remains!) one of my all-time favorite games, and that game was the closest we ever got to a true sequel. I remember asking my parents to rent it (from the video rental store- look it up kids!) over and over so I could finally beat it. Then, one day, I rented a copy that someone had saved just a little before where I had been. I continued from their save, and played enough to finally beat Bowser in the most satisfying final-boss battle of my young life. I admit that Thousand Year Door is a better game, but the original is still my favorite! 2) The partners are part of what makes Paper Mario work! While I could really pick any of the Bob-omb themed partners, I'll go with Bombette from the original. I loved how the partners from the first two games were fun takes on classic Mario enemies or characters, and she just hit the mark a little closer for me than Admiral Bobbery! 3) Traditional RPGs are my favorite games to play, and have the best potential to tell a good, well thought out story. So while I enjoyed Super Paper Mario quite a bit, I do wish they would go back to a more traditional style like Thousand Year Door and the original Paper Mario. Super Mario RPG is one of the games I most enjoyed as a kid, so I would love if they could incorporate more characters and elements from that classic into Origami King!

Anonymous

1. I have only played sticker star and had seen the others but haven't played them. 2. Yes they need tag along partners. My favorite is Koops! 3. They should focus more on the RPG style

John W. Barbagallo

I love the Paper Mario games, especially the first 3. I found the first game quite by accident at my old Video Den (ask your parents if you don't know) and instantly fell in love with it. I prefer the older turn based RPGs with Thousand Year Door being the best as well as having the best support partner (Admiral Bobery). I may be blinded by nostalgia but I really want Nintendo to go back to the turn based battles, even though there was nothing wrong with Super Paper Mario as stated earlier my heart is firmly "folded" around my turn based Mario

Anonymous

1) The first Paper Mario game I played was the original on the Nintendo 64. My mom rented it for me from Hollywood Video and at the time, I didn't really like it. I was expecting the game to play like Super Mario 64 only with a 2D Mario (which would later happen with Super Paper Mario) and I couldn't wrap my little kid brain around the concept of the battle system. It wasn't until Paper Mario: Sticker Star that I jumped back into the series, having been more experienced with RPGs. I was pleasantly surprised with how the gameplay had changed and I personally liked it a lot but found it weird that seemingly everybody else hated it. I really enjoyed the sticker battle mechanic a lot and thought it was fun having the ability to beat bosses using specific stickers that had really amusing animations. Since I haven't played any of the other games in the series due to not having the ability to obtain the games easily, I guess Paper Mario: Sticker Star is my favorite game in the series. 2) I do not believe a Paper Mario game has to have a team of tag-along partner characters to be great. Having well written characters and a fleshed out world for the story should be what decides whether a game is great or not. That being said, my favorite partner character from the past games would have to be Huey from Color Splash because he was a sassy little pain in the butt, which really appealed to me personally. 3) I think the experimental approach to the Paper Mario games is a good thing. If the series cannot change and only sticks to the exact same gameplay without any variation, it can grow stale over time and people will start to lose interest in the series. Take the Mario & Luigi games for example. They stuck to the same formula for 5 separate games and 2 remakes with very little variation in play style and people lost interest in it which lead to Alpha Dream going bankrupt and the series seemingly coming to an end. This does not mean that I would be opposed to them returning to the series's roots but I do not think it would be good for the series as a whole to not try to integrate some of the experimental game ideas into the standard RPG formula of the first two Paper Mario games.

shadowscribble

1) Was a fan since the Mario RPG days. I love the first and second Paper Marios, confident Nintendo had landed on a winning formula. Super Paper Mario was a fun aside and then... the dark times. The moment I saw them lean hard into the world of papercraft, I knew they handed the series to someone who had no idea what they were working with and did not care. My favorite was probably the first because I have the clearest memories it forged was what other stories were trying to live up to. I don't get to finish a lot of the games I more or less collect anymore, they take a long time (especially if you wander for side quests and completion) and there are a lot of them. Beating Paper Mario that first time was a special moment. 2) As a mechanic, yes it allowed you to be tactical with more than one turn (and an annoying gimmick) to deal with battles. More friends gave you more options which allowed enemy encounters to be more varied. As an element of the worldbuilding they are a necessity. Mario is pretty bland. Stone silent, heroic, you know Mario. You get reactions, but you don't get into head. Other characters for him to play off of gives us someone to muse and comment on the world. And the best part of partners is they were all good versions of SMB enemies. Partners (and the villages they came from) fleshed out the (paper) SMB universe more than any other game. Of Course they aren't ALL bad, Of Course they don't ALL work for Bowser. The later games took that away. My Favorite? I loved Bombette the most, slightly edging out Bow because her moveset. 3) As I said earlier they weren't so much experimental as detrimental. Okay that's mean, Super Paper Mario was the best because it WAS a departure from a full RPG with all the trimmings we expected from the first two, so it was easier to cut it some slack. Sticker Star and Color Splash leaned hard into the paper thing, which was cute, but you could feel what they removed from the PM and TYD's magic. All that might have been forgivable if their new deck/sticker collection based play wasn't more awkward. Everything was finite, so (literally happened) should you run out of hammers and run into an impromptu mid-boss fight where you needed one to make it vulnerable your game was soft locked until you died. THEN they had "special" super moves that took up space in your deck/book because you could only use them the one time. Instead of feeling tactical it just felt misery than say a special move you could pull out any dang time you wanted. The Mario & Luigi crossover had the opposite problem. Enemies were unbalanced to encourage the special moves so you could get bored doing them.

Anonymous

1.)I had every intent and purpose to pick up The Thousand-Year Door when it came out at the behest of my brother...only to never do so, much to my own chagrin. The original Paper Mario came out so late in the Nintendo 64's life cycle that I unfortunately never got on that bandwagon, either. So...Super Paper Mario was my first introduction to the series! I liked it quite a bit, even though the general consensus was it as good as previous games. I then picked up Sticker Star and liked it even more even though it deviated even further. Color Splash is an underrated gem of game that I actually like the most! The Origami King feels akin to that one, so my hope is it turns out as good as I'm hoping it does! 2.)I think it’s important to for Mario to have a “voice” in these games, so his sidekicks are always a great addition. I don’t know if they’re necessary to make Paper Mario games “great,” but they do give each game a distinct personality and often takes old standby characters and gives them something that makes them more memorable. With all that being said I’m going to zig from where I zagged and say that Huey is my favorite partner! 3.)I’m going to take the controversial stance that I like it that Nintendo and Intelligent Systems tend to experiment a bit more with the Paper Mario series. It makes the series not only seem more distinct from the tried-and-true Mario & Luigi one, but they also push boundaries of storytelling and exploration the more they deviate! I’ll admit that the different battle systems don’t always stick the landing, but being different from what you’re familiar with doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad, either. With AlphaDream sadly being dissolved, I’m definitely open to a return to a more traditional battle system now that there’s not a competing series, but I’m not going to pooh-pooh something a little more unique and refreshing either!

Supercharged (CEO of 9-Volt)

1) What is your personal history with the Paper Mario series? Which game in the franchise is your favorite, and why? My first game in the series was Super Paper Mario, and honestly, that was also my favorite game in the series. As such, I was much more used to not being around partner that talked like in the first 2 games. I also ended up preferring the real time combat in comparison to the turn based combat. 2) Does a Paper Mario game need to have a team of tag-along partner characters in order to be great? Who is your favorite partner character from the past games? I don’t think it’s needed, as Super Paper Mario did that and ended up great. In terms of my favorite partner character, it would have to be Admiral Bobbery with his explosive power. 3) What's your opinion on the direction Nintendo has taken with the Paper Mario brand since The Thousand-Year Door? Do you like the experimental gameplay ideas of each new game, or should they return to the more traditional RPG style of the first games? I personally like the idea of them trying to experiment and keep innovating, as one such experiment (Super Paper Mario) was my favorite of the series. Although I do wish they keep in the exp and growing more powerful like the original two games.

Anonymous

1) I played the original on my N64 when I was a little kid, it was probably the first non-Pokemon turn-based game I actually liked. I got really really really into it, I thought the animation was the coolest thing and I loved the story, especially the little star that stayed with Peach the whole time. It's honestly still probably my favorite turn-based RPG and I always think about it when I play another game that uses its 'action command' style combat. It's for sure my favorite of the style. 2) I liked Parakerry and Bow because of their special attacks. The timing of Parakerry's attack and the brokenness of Bow's attacks were great. I'm not sure if I think a side character is necessary but it's for sure preferred. Turn-based fighting isn't as fun when you only have your one move, having a partner is better and mixes up strategies. 3) I didn't really enjoy the non-RPG style ones, I think I got the first non-RPG one for the Wii and never even finished it. I love platforming but it seemed pretty shallow compared to how creative Nintendo is with that style of game. They should focus on making another good Nintendo style RPG.

Anonymous

1. I first started with the Paper Mario series when my father got me The Thousand Year Door (TTYD) because he saw that it was one of the "Player's Choice" games. That game was definitely one of the highlights of my childhood! Since then, I've played all of the Paper Mario entries, but I'd have to say that my favorite is still TTYD, if partly just because of nostalgia. 2. My favorite party member is Goombella, if only because I loved using the Tattle ability so much! However, I am of the opinion that multiple partner characters are not pivotal to the success of the game. They certainly enhance the charm, don't get me wrong, but I would still be satisfied if you instead battled alongside one unique party member (such as if Kersti or Huey were playable in battles). Developing more diverse movesets for two or three characters for battle, while keeping the traditional battle style of the original Paper Mario and TTYD would still make for a great experience for me. Which leads me into... 3. I'm not as big of a fan of the new territory that Paper Mario seems to have entered. I still have enjoyed both Sticker Star and Color Splash, but there was so much potential behind those titles that I think went unused... Which is why I'm so interested in "Bug Fables", which is a spiritual successor to the Paper Mario series! It uses the same base formula as TTYD, but shakes it up just a bit to keep things fresh. If you are a fan of the original Paper Mario entries but haven't found the newer ones as interesting, then I would encourage you to check it out! -Nathaniel Smith

Anonymous

Mine started with the original Paper Mario on the N64, such a fun and colorful game ^-^ I must admit, I love having the partners and their unique abilities, making the game world much more interactive. I also felt after 1k year door, the game worlds felt more compacted and I just didn’t feel the want to replay some of them, especially when some content could only be one and done, like the rubies collecting in Super Paper Mario, and I miss the simple mechanics of hammer/boots/badges

Anonymous

1. My first Paper Mario game was Thousand Year Door. It was one of my favorite games on Gamecube. The writing and humor were superb and the quick-time events during battles made the game extremely engaging. It is easily my favorite game of the series. I tried Super Paper Mario and Paper Mario Color Splash, but neither had the same appeal as Thousand Year Door 2. I can't say a teammate is necessary for a great game, but it certainly added to the charm of Thousand Year Door. The only partner I remember is Goombella. 3. I think that every game in a series should push to do something new, not rehash the previous game. I enjoy what Nintendo has tried to accomplish, but I feel for the most part, the battle systems have fallen short. Collecting attacks can get very monotonous and it seems more engaging to have those standard attacks and find ways to enhance them.

Anonymous

1. So my first Paper Mario game was Super Paper Mario on the Wii. I'm older and easily could have played the N64 and GameCube games, but on the Wii was my first experience. I LOVED it! Because it was my first intro to Paper Mario, it's my favorite. Since then, I've gone through all of the games and retroactively collected previous titles. 2. My favorite sidekick is Goombella. She's an archeologist, and I love Jurassic Park... so boom... favorite. 3. I love the experimentation. Keep it weird Nintendo. If you do the same thing over and over it gets boring. I only wish they would bring great games like the Thousand Year Door to Switch so that everyone can enjoy it.

Anonymous

1) My first paper Mario game was Super Paper Mario and I loved the story and I loved play as the other characters like Princess Peach, Bowser, and Luigi! I especially liked how the game played with perception though! 2) I feel like a Paper Mario Game can be good without partners! If there are likable and unique characters in the games that are apart of a big story, I would be content. My favorite partner from past games is Vivian! I love her story with her going towards your side because she isn’t wicked at heart. She is also one of the best lgbt characters in gaming! She was portrayed as a trans woman in Japanese and European versions and I wish the English translation had kept that! 3) I feel like we should have our cake and eat it too! A game that is grand, but also can have crafty bits to it! I actually love how the games look like displays that could be in someone’s house! It makes my imagination wonder about the world and how it is portrayed! I also like some gimmicks as long as they work with the world and are fun! I feel as thought The Origami King will be one of the best Paper Mario’s since The Thousand Year Door and Super Paper Mario!

Scott Tando

1) I have played all of the entries thus far, though only completed Super Paper Mario's story (that I can recall). Despite this, Thousand Year Door is still my favorite! I love all of the partners and the humor that persisted the game. I also loved the chapter interludes. It still bugs me that the only thing that prevented me from finishing the game was having the right badges for the final boss. 2) I don't think it necessary HAVE to have a team of tag-along partners. The teams did help vary the play style and give you options in both the worlds and levels. Vivian is one of my favorite partners. I like Vivian's arc and battle abilities. 3) I like they keep experimenting with different "paper" aspects. People would have been complaining if Nintendo stuck with the TTYD formula too long. I think it still resonates with people because of the variety in the game with regards to setting, battle, writing, and tone. I think Super Paper Mario has come close for me. I it wasn't the traditional RPG elements that people like TTYD. I enjoyed the ways you had to manipulate the controls from simple battle to the different Star Powers. Also, who doesn't like having the battle being performed on a stage and being rewarded for perfect execution?

Anonymous

1) I've played them all since I rented Paper Mario for the N64 from Blockbuster! The original is still my favorite. Something about the paper look in the N64 engine is lovely, and the nostalgia certainly helps. 2) A team of partners isn't necessary, but it certainly brings a lot of charm and story elements you don't get in other Mario games. Vivian is my favorite partner! 3) I love the experimentation! I really enjoyed Color Splash, it was something different and was enjoyable even if the combat system wasn't always the greatest. Experimentation is good, but I feel like we're due for a new traditional Paper Mario

Alex James

1) The original Paper Mario was one of my favorite games as a kid and one of my first RPGs in general! I remember when Thousand Year Door was announced and pouring over every bit of info I could find. TTYD is definitely my favorite overall but it and the first game both hold a very special place for me.

Alex James
>>38511539

2) I think the partners very much amplify the series and are one of the best elements, but not necessarily needed. Instead it just needs characters in general, such as the costumed Toads of the first two. Favorite partner is definitely Vivian! Her story arc is still one of the best!

Anonymous

1) My personal history with the Paper Mario series began 1,000 years ago. At first I thought playing it would be all for X-Naut, and that I would say something like, “eeeew, Grodus.” But Professor Frankly speaking, when all was said and done, all I could see were Crystal Stars. I celebrated by purchasing an ice cream cone from a nearby Shadow Queen. Gotta go - this TEC is about to shut down. — ericthemurse

Anonymous
>>38516799

Oh, and my favorite game in the series should be obvious... it’s Super Paper Mario.

Anonymous

#1 - I don't really have a personal history with the Paper Mario series, but I don't really know why! My only guess is that I wasn't always a fan of RPG games, an opinion and attitude that has changed over the years, but that perhaps turned me off from trying them. I think with this new adventure in the Paper Mario series, I will finally dip ny toes in the water! #2 - Not sure how much a team changes the dynamic and story for this series, as I haven't played them yet! I would say that as long as Mario's interactions with the other characters in the game are fun and interesting, whether they are on his team or not, then I'd be happy. #3 - While I haven't played the series yet, I do think changing up the game elements and creating new gameplay styles & mechanics for a series helps keep each game fresh and not feeling like just a rehash of the previous installment, so I welcome the new experiences!

Anonymous

1) I wanted to play Color Splash back when that game was on the horizon (in no small part thanks to the interest generated in this very magazine), so I binge-played the 3 console games for the first time in about one month leading up to it. Though I may have lost some sleep and skipped some side stuff, I found the franchise delightful and loved every second of all three. Of course Thousand Year Door was the best one, but the charm of the original makes it very hard to choose a favorite between the two. 2) Honestly the charm of the Paper Mario series is abundant even in it's weaker entries, so I don't feel like party members are "needed" for the games to still be good. But still, who doesn't love them? Kooper will always be my favorite from the first, with Ms. Mowz from the second! 3) I'm sure we all want Paper Mario to go back to it's routes, but based off the reveal for the new game it almost feels like we're starting to get that? It's too soon to say, but it looks like a step in the right direction of giving us an RPG experience while still incorporating the paper theme they took on in Color Splash. I'm excited to see if it works!

Anonymous

1. I've played every game in the series expect for Color Splash, which is kind of hard to get for a decent price being stuck on the Wii U (Switch port?) My favorite game is definitely Paper Mario. I remember buying it from Target with my money, even confusing my dad why I wasn't buying a game for the new generation of consoles, but I knew I wanted it and loved it. They're also just something about the fuzziness of the graphics and everything that charms me, even when compared to the cleaner graphics of the future games. 2. I love Kooper, he's the best. I don't think PM games *need* partners, the main appeal of partners was the charming cast of characters, and you can replace their purpose in the battle system any number of ways, but I do miss the wide cast those first two games had as opposed to the newer games, where we usually get one character to be our tutorial buddy/talking companion. It was cool to have all these different races in the Mushroom Kingdom on your side interacting. 3. I'd love a return to the classic formula, if only because those games are still the best, but I don't mind experimentation. I even don't hate Sticker Star as much as most people, if you go in not expecting TTYD 2 it's a pleasant enough game. I do feel at times though that Paper Mario is experimenting for experimenting's sake, like how Nintendo is treating Star Fox, when they could be refining and innovating on a formula that was almost perfect from the start. They kind of seemed to get too fixated on the paper theme, when that wasn't really what made people love this franchise at the start. I think I might have enjoyed the series even more if it was a bit more like Mario & Luigi: continued iterations on an established form, and maybe saved the weird stuff for another Mario subseries or a whole other franchise entirely.

Anonymous

I have never played a Paper Mario game ever! They never appealed to me that much... until NOW! The graphics in Origami King look incredible and the storyline isn’t the same old Mario saves Peach (the Nintendo Gods have finally listened!)

Anonymous

1) I have only ever played The Thousand-Year Door, years ago, but the memory of that game still sticks with me to this day. I never thought a "Mario-game" could have such a complex and well-written story line and the combat design has still never been replicated in a manner that bests this game. I suppose it is my favorite in the franchise by default, but it would be a tough one for any newcomer to top. 2) I would simply hope that a Paper Mario game has interesting characters with lots of fleshing-out and some kind of story-arc involving them. My favorite partner is a very tough choice. I suppose it would have to be Goombella. Her humor and smarts were spectacular and she was a tough little Goomba too. I think she has to be one of the strongest female characters in the Mario series. 3) I haven't played any of the Paper Mario games since The Thousand-Year Door. That being said, I think some of the things I saw in Super Paper Mario looked fantastic and, despite not being an RPG, it still retained an elaborate story line. So, no, I don't think a new Paper Mario has to be an RPG. Although, I would love a real successor to the GameCube darling.

Anonymous

I started with the original paper mario on the N64 and I loved it, I haven't really played any after The Thousand-Year Door however... as far as my favorite, I'd have to say the original, I don't know if it's because of the nostalgia glasses or not. I do like a good RPG with multiple party members, as far as my favorite character, I wouldn't say I have one, but if I had to pick one I'd say Bombette because of the explosive personality. I'd honestly just prefer if Nintendo went back to a more traditional RPG style of gameplay, I loved Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario, but the later games just don't have that same RPG feel.

Lux Anatis

1) When the original Paper Mario was released, I had just recently gotten access to a PlayStation for the first time and was too deep into catching up with it's library to pay the N64 much attention. I did eventually get to it when it was released on the Virtual Console and regret having passed it up when it was new. The Thousand Year Door was my first Paper Mario, though I had played Mario & Luigi and Super Mario RPG before it and I consider it my favorite game in the series because it is the most traditional, but these days I'm no longer looking for that in an RPG. Super Paper Mario was a great change of pace that I feel plays even better now than it did then because of how unique it is. I haven't played Sticker Star, but very much enjoyed Color Splash and consider it among the most underrated games of it's time. 2) Partners are only necessary to make a Paper Mario "great" if what is lost without them is not replaced with something else. I don't believe any entry in any franchise (or genre for that matter) needs to follow any set of gamer-imagined "rules" set by it's predecessors and I embrace new ideas whole-heartedly over stagnation. More characters usually means more connection to an RPGs world, but if there are gameplay ideas and elements in place that partners wouldn't mix with, that gameplay is always more important than narrative. Video games should not be seen as a narrative medium, which is the very paradigm shift that is causing many of them to be so unengaging as the interactive challenges they are meant to be. 3) After 6 Mario & Luigi games, 2 traditional Paper Marios, and the 1 SNES classic that built the foundation of what a Mario RPG is, I welcome with arms wide open any and all new ideas their developers can come up with. Super Paper Mario and Color Splash play like nothing else; to go back to the traditional mold would be a cop out. I enjoyed the deck building in Color Splash because it was a remedy to a pair of major problems traditional RPGs have: repetitive battles and a bottomless inventory. By limiting your abilities to consumable items, it not only ensured you used them all strategically, but rewarded careful observation of the maps with treasures the player would actually be happy to have and use then and there. No button mashing through battles and no hoarding items for a tougher battle that never comes. There needs to be a distinction between the Mario & Luigi series and Paper Mario, but it must also be remembered the former stagnated while the latter innovated. I don't want a new entry in a franchise unless the developers have ideas enough to justify one. Sequels for the sake of a sequels that play exactly the same as the last get old quickly. Gamers are quick to defend their medium as an art form, but demand their games cater to their every whim, which almost always means serving up the exact same experience they're comfortable with. If they really believed games are art rather than simply defend them against criticism they wouldn't be so fickle, entitled, and resistant to new ideas.

Anonymous

1) Almost all the paper Mario games are in my backlog, the one I have played the most is the Thousand Year Door. 2) That being said, I am not real familiar with the tag along partners. 3) I am very excited about the direction that Nintendo is taking the paper Mario series. Everything they have done since the release of the switch has been amazing and I can't wait to add another great title to my library (backlog 😂 ).

Anonymous

1) I have been playing Paper Mario since the beginning. The Thousand Year Door is my favorite, closely followed by the first game. TTYD is my favorite because of its amazing characters, world, music, and general feeling of this unique adventure in a different part of the Mario world. Ms. Mowz, Admiral Bobbery, Madame Flurrie, there was just so much wonderful character building and story. And the music is so phenomenal. It occasionally has that ethereal quality that Donkey Kong Country 3’s soundtrack had. The finale, too, is amazing, and exemplifies all the emotions and feelings of heroism present from the highest highs of the pantheon of epic Nintendo endings. 2) Yes, having partner characters is essential to the heart of Paper Mario. Miyamoto’s involvement in ruining the story and partner characters of past games in the series was one of the first times I realized his genius had limits, and his up ending the tea table could be a truly detrimental force on game development. This was a time when I was already angry at him for creating a dark stain on the Mario story, by blatantly ignoring Mario canon and trying to retcon Bowser’s 7 firstborn children into just sub bosses who aren’t related to their own father. My favorite partner is hands down Ms. Mowz! That music, that style, that sass! She is the best! 3) Paper Mario has been living in a terrible shadow since MIyamoto’s involvement ruined the heart of the story and partner characters, stripping the charm and uniqueness from the characters and world. The experimental titles could have been FAR improved by including the partner characters and a more traditional battle system. There is no solution to saving the series except going back to where it all started with the first two games.

Anonymous

1) Super Paper Mario is my big exposure to the franchise, which I know is a strange outlier and not what many people think of when they think of the series. But I liked it well enough, especially in the early days of Wii ownership. 2) I don't really have a favorite old partner, but yeah that definitely seems like a major selling point for the series, so the more the merrier! 3) I think there's room for multiple styles of game, but another traditional RPG entry would probably make a lot of people really happy.

Anonymous

1) I remember from an older issue of Nintendo Power finding a cutout Paper Mario that you could use to play with at the launch of the original on the 64. I never had a 64 myself, so I sadly missed it as a kid. When The Thousand Year Door released on the Gamecube, I remembered the cutout I had and got it shortly after that realization. I played each installment after that on release. 2) One of the distinctive features of the Paper Mario series are the interchangeable partners Mario has alongside him. In the shift away from traditional RPG-styled gameplay, Super Paper Mario introduced Pixls, and although they had little screentime comparative to the older partners, they still exuded some personality among meeting them. This, of course, is in tandem with the four playable characters you had. I believe partners like the ones from the original, or at the least a diverse cast like the Pixls, are what gives the games a unique touch. 3) Experimentation makes each game feel fresh, for better or worse. I believe that Nintendo should harken to the original gameplay style in their next installment, so that longtime fans may be sated and that newcomers may understand why it has such a cult following. The heavyhanded approach to using the series' gimmick of paper is beginning to grow tiresome, as games prior only minutely used the theme, just enough to show that it was there and played a small part, whereas now it seems to rest on it as a significant part of the series.

Anonymous

My first post disappeared so I'm rewriting my entries. Apologies if this posts twice. I've played almost every Paper Mario game. I played the original first, but PMATTYD was the first one I actually owned and completed. I picked PMATTYD as my favorite RPG, but it's so nice I have to choose it twice! ( Since the question was changed, I actually chose it as my favorite Mario game so this is really the third time in a row) I love it so much I replay it like a yearly tradition. In a world of constantly evolving visuals PMATTYD's graphics need no refinement. Everything looks and feels like its made out of paper-- even the animations. I become so immersed in it I forget its supposed to be paper, something that the additions of realistic "things" in future games has taken away from me. This game did for me what Odessy did for many others in that the worlds redefined what was considered "Mario." Mario's levels always had a certain look, but I feel that this game could make you forget it was part of his world because they were so different. The music is the best and I kept 2 saves just to listen to Rawk Hawk's and Ms. Mowz's themes. You even got to play as Peach and Bowser, which was still unheard of (at least for me) at the time. I saved my 3rd free file just for Bowser's underwater bit. The action commands always combat fun. Iv'e played thought with just about every combat configuration imaginable and always collect everything. But one of the best parts? Luigi. His outrageous stories are hilarious and something you'd have never expected. I can talk for hours about how much I love every individual part of this game! I honestly hate pick your favorite character questions because I can never decide, so I won't. I love all of the partners both in terms of sentimentality and strategy and can't decide which I would like more. Whether they have a complex story or simplistic or even just serve as the guide I like them all. As for, "If the games really need partners," I would ultimately say no, but friends always make things better. It's sappy but true: Mario could entertain us well enough on his own but his partners can play off of his silence and expand the story. Even though Tippy and Huey only serve to point you in the right direction, I feel the games would still feel empty without them. I've been expecting a question about the games after The Thousand Year Door and my answer is a bit of a two parter. Part one: Whenever I ask a fan, the usual response is, "Original was good, TTYD was the best, Sticker Star sucks, Color Splash was okay," but Super Paper Mario is never mentioned. At first I agreed, but this series has taught me to look at each game both as part of a series, and by itself as if it was my first game. I personally don't like the changes and when I compare the later games to TTYD I tear them apart. However, when I think of them separately they're really good games. I've learned that games don't have to keep the same format every time. Part two: As for if they should return to their roots... well I think its rather greedy of us as gamers to think we should tell creators how to make games. Creators should be able to do what they want without being restrained to past successes. If they always gave us what we wanted, we'd never be surprised. That said the customer is always right... Even if a game is perfect its success is measured by how many people want it. So do I want to keep them experimenting? My answer is the greediest of all. I want both traditional and new. I want traditional RPG with partners, complex stories, paper only graphics, and no "were made of paper" jokes. But I also want new stuff with never ending references, new styles, and surprises. In the original set of questions I said I had no idea what the next game might be, but I knew it would be fun. I think that prediction holds true even if it is another nontraditional Paper Mario.

Stewart

1. I had almost 18 hours in the original paper mario as a kid. I loved it so much and played it a lot. I only ever got the first star though however. (Proof https://i.imgur.com/ARG322y.jpg) I guess I liked the random pig machine too much. I've also played all of Super Paper Mario and loved that one the most. 2. I dont have anything else to say. I just want you to print the image of my old save file having 18 hours but only 1 star.

Anonymous

1) I have played a few of them over the years, but the only one I've ever beaten is The Thousand-Year Door. That was an epic, fun time. I am excited for Origami King. Lots of cool gameplay in the latest video. 2) Yes, the partners are what make these games so much fun. They add lots of strategy and personality to the game. I think my favorite was Koops from The Thousand-Year Door. He was a cute kid. 3) I know Nintendo loves to push the envelope and try new things all the time. That's one of the reasons I love their company, but...I would love a regular, traditional RPG set in the world of Nintendo at some point.

Anonymous

I've only ever played and completed Super Paper Mario, though I am at least familiar with the plots of the first two games via Let's Plays. Ironically enough, SPM was actually my second ever Mario game (after Super Mario 64... DS), as mine had been a PlayStation home until the Wii. I still hold up Super Paper Mario as not only the best in the series, but also as the best written game ever made by Intelligent Systems, that people actually played. Yes, I'm still bitter about Codename S.T.E.A.M. I came into the series post-Thousand year door, so I don't really care about partners in a gameplay since. Story wise, I can see the benefit, but Intelligent Systems got me to care about four triangles and a line much more than any of the party members they made in the first two games. I honestly have no dog in the horse race of the Paper Mario series. I don't even like Mario as a character. Now Paper WARIO. There's a video game!

Anonymous

1) Paper Mario: TTYD has a special place in my heart, as it was one of my first gamecube games, and is easily my favorite GC game of all time. I was pretty little, so beating it took a really long time (with much help from a family friend who had beaten it himself) but was 100% in love with this series from then on. I've finished TTYD at least 3 different times, the Original at least once, and Super Paper Mario at least twice. 2) In my opinion, Paper Mario games don’t NEED to have certain things to be a great game, but I do think partners add a layer of fun that you just don’t get when they’re gone. For example, Dialogue differences depending on who is equipped for certain boss battles, and even just some battle strategy! Sure, you could give Mario all the abilities and it would be fine, but the partners just add a layer that makes all of the difference. My favorite partner character is easily the baby Yoshi from Glitzville, as depending on when you catch the egg changes his color, you get to name him, AND you can ride him around for fun. What’s not to love? 3) Nintendo 100% made a mistake with Sticker Star, and that happens from time to time with loved game series. As for color splash, it did a lot of things the right way, such as the beautiful sound track, the awesome art style, and even the classic dialogue and story… But the “level” esque map just doesn’t do it for me. Origami king has seemed to switch back to this “Overworld” style from the first two games, or even possibly a similar “Door” system from Super Paper Mario, so that is a big plus in my book. Of course I want a true sequel to TTYD, but in all, I’m just happy Nintendo hasn’t given up on this series!

Anonymous

1. I’ve only played one paper mario game. It was the one on the 3DS called Sticker Star.... it really wasn’t good. So I don’t really have a favorite paper Mario game. I’m hoping maybe this addition to the series will become my favorite Paper Mario game! 2) I don’t think Mario needs a tag along character. There’s nothing wrong with it just being Mario! It is called Paper Mario after all! 3) I haven’t played any other paper Mario games but I heard that The Thousand Year door is great! I think if they went back to what made the earlier paper Mario games great it would awesome for the series!

Jack Byerley

1) My first experience with Paper Mario was Super Paper Mario back when I was in 6th grade. This was back when I was just introduced into the world of Gaming. I remember enjoying the game so much that I was shocked that there were two games made before it. I then played those two and loved the series even more. 2) I believe Mario does not need to have a partner fo make a good Paper Mario Game, however I will say that I miss the charm of having "friendly enemies". We are so use to goombas, koopas, etc being "bad" that previous Paper Matio games was a breath of fresh air and lore in displaying what a goomba and koopa family would be like if they did not join Bowser's army and were actually rooting for Mario. 3) Its good to explore new ideas, and sometimes they can succeed like with Super Paper Mario. I think the biggest downfall of the last two games in the series was the pointlessness of battling. For all intents and purposes, battling was useless (and also quite annoying) and served no purpose to the game other than defeating Bowser or his Koopalings and therefore was a hindrance to my playthrough of the games.

Anonymous

1) I've played nearly all of the Paper Mario games (Paper Jam and Color Splash are on my list) - but the first two (original and Thousand Year Door) really spoke to me and felt exciting as they retained a lot of the RPG elements I love, with great replay value. Super Paper Mario was a bit of a departure, but still fun. 2) I love Flurrie and Vivian for representation's sake. But I tend to use and stick with partners with the best utility or who deal the most damage. 3) I miss the RPG elements. I know we get some of that with Superstar Saga and that line of games, but those adventures just always seemed so small. Paper Mario, TTYD, and the Super Mario RPG are epic and I want to see more of those.

Zakanuva

1) The only Paper Mario games I've played so far are 64 and Thousand-Year Door, and I haven't beaten either of them (mainly because I was really young when I played them); I do want to play Super Paper Mario at some point in the future, but I've heard enough about Sticker Star and Color Splash to be in no rush to get to either of them. 2) It's probably not *necessary* to have them, but I think it's rather telling that all of the widely loved entries *do* have them; even Super Paper Mario is widely accepted for its story, which includes clever and witty writing for Peach, Bowser, and Luigi to counter the plank of wood that is Nintendo's mascot. As for my favorite partner, I'd have to say that Goombella and Koops both stick out very strongly in my mind; the former has just the right amount of teenage sass, and Koops' timidness and desire to better himself is really relatable and inspiring. 3) I think that the only good "experimental" Paper Mario game was the first one, Super Paper Mario; I'm hoping that Origami King is good, but I firmly believe that the series needs to move back towards Thousand-Year Door and away from Sticker Star.

Anonymous

1. My first Paper Mario game was The Thousand-Year Door. I remember going to Toys R Us when I was ten and playing The Thousand-Year Door on a GameCube demo kiosk. The demo started with Mario and Goombella warping to Petal Meadows. I was captivated by the art style and the sense of adventure. I ended up getting the game for my birthday and I was so excited to finally play it. The Thousand-Year Door is my favorite in the series for nostalgic reasons and because it's such a good game. I love all the different areas and how creative they are, my favorite being Glitzville. The partners you meet are so unique and each have their own backstory, some of which are pretty touching. 2. Paper Mario absolutely needs to have partners for it to be a good game as they make battling more interesting and strategic. Each one has different movesets that allow the player to strategically choose which partner would be best for that specific battle. This also keeps battling interesting since every partner has unique moves that are drastically different from each other and Mario. Outside of battle, partners help a lot with story building. As a silent protagonist, Mario being alone can prevent interesting dialogue from occurring as he can't respond to what's happening around him besides nodding and making affirmative noises. Having a partner with him lets them respond to what is going on, which allows there to be more story elements and dialogue between characters. My favorite partner from past games is Vivian. Her design is so cute and I really like her backstory and how she was able to leave her sisters and be happy traveling with Mario. She is also a really good partner for battle. 3. I am not a fan of the direction Nintendo has taken with Paper Mario since The Thousand-Year Door. Super Paper Mario is an exception as it had a really solid story, interesting characters, and unique areas. However, Sticker Star was when Paper Mario lost a lot of its charm. The complete removal of the story was abhorrent and it became just a save Peach game with no real interesting dialogue or story. While Bowser was also the villain in the original Paper Mario, he had funny dialogue and scenes between chapters. Peach also had a bigger part in the first two games that really fleshed out her character. While the humor is still there, a lot of the jokes end up playing on the characters being made of paper. Sticker Star also marked a change in the series with the lack of unique character designs. Battles in Sticker Star became pointless since there isn't a leveling mechanic and the reward for battling is coins, which their only use is to buy more stickers. Color Splash is similar in this way, though the card mechanic is quite tedious. I definitely think Paper Mario needs to return to its RPG roots with badges, a leveling up mechanic to make battles worth it, and partners.

Anonymous

1) I had Paper Mario as a kid, for all extents the only RPG a child would expect to have for the N64 given how few of them existed, and it was magical. I'd played through the first half of it at least half a dozen times, like I often did as a child when I would inevitably get stuck at some point (I think it was Huff N. Puff for Paper Mario), before The Thousand Year Door was announced. I distinctly remember eyeballing it over and over at Blockbuster, where there was never a copy available- same thing happened with Pikmin 2. Eventually I got it for Christmas and began my endless curse- my favorite Paper Mario game is whichever of the first two I'm *not* currently playing! When I'm playing the first one, I miss the updates to the combat system and humor of the second. When I'm playing TTYD, I miss the world and characters of the first. It really stinks! 2) I'll explain this more in the third answer, but I don't think partners are really what the new games are missing. Partners are wonderful and bring a lot of personality to the table, and I'd love to have them back, but I wouldn't say they're a hard requirement- Super Paper Mario had partner Pixel characters and to be perfectly honest, I don't remember any of them! Paper Mario-inspired indie games don't always have to include a series of partners either, such as in Undertale. I think partners served a particular (and interesting!) gameplay purpose for the RPG battles and overworld exploration that doesn't necessarily have to continue to keep Paper Mario interesting. I've always been partial to Goombella- she's cute and sassy and knows what she wants! As a whole the writing for the first Paper Mario is a little on the bland side compared to The Thousand-Year Door, so I'd generally rank those partners higher than the original games' 3) What surprised me the most about Sticker Star and more so Color Splash is that hidden underneath their surfaces are surprisingly good adventure games. You're going around looking for hidden exits and items, solving puzzles, and exploring a really quite big world. Unfortunately though, it's the ties to the older games that end up holding them back. They insist on a battle system that doesn't really reward you in any way, other than giving materials for you to use in... More battles- it's kind of like a closed gameplay loop that I don't want any part of. Playing Color Splash and skipping as many battles as possible made for a pretty fun experience, though not one I'd say was on par with the earlier titles in the series. I think Nintendo needs to go all-in on the adventure angle if that's what they want to promote, rather than the current jack of all trades, master of none approach. Eliminate battles altogether and use Super Paper Mario's mechanics- the adventure aspect is long and engaging enough, I promise!

Payt and Nevi

1. I’ve played all the games and my favorite game is still the original for sure. I do love TTYD and SPM and I also believe that Sticker Star gets way too much flak! Color splash is pretty eh though 2. It doesn’t NEED it to be great as that’s not what the charm is centered around but I love the concept and how they’ve carried it out in the past and I don’t understand why they kind of refuse to bring it back. My favorite partner is definitely Kooper 3. I think I like them dipping their toes into the water and trying a bunch of different things to see what works and I believe Origami king will be a culmination of that. I think fans need and old would love for them to put new spins on old concepts but I can’t blame them for wanting to move forward either!

Anonymous

1. My first paper Mario game was "Super Paper Mario", and I loved it. I haven't played any other paper Mario games, but I would like to change that with the new Paper Mario game. 2. I don't think having a tag-along partner character defines a great Paper Mario game, but I think it really helps make it better. I really think that what makes a great Paper Mario game is 3 things: 1. being over the top and super silly, 2. having a really fun and interesting story, 3. having a good battle system, and also having fun things puzzles to do when not battling. 3. Personly not having very much experience with the Paper Mario franchise I really don't have enough information to really answer this question; however, I think that Arlo has some good commentary on what Nintendo has been doing and I just really hope that this new game answers some of Paper Mario fans complaints.

Super Abachi Bro

1. First Paper Mario was The Thousand-Year Door, which I was hyped about getting when it was new. To this day, out of 64 and Super, it remains my favorite with its engaging combat, deep story, humorous writing, colorful characters, and the post-chapter Bowser SMB-styled mini-games. 2. Having tag-along partners isn't entirely necessary to MAKE a great Paper Mario, but it does add charm to the series by having characters with their own personal stories that ties into the main story itself, making the experience all the more relatable and special. Out of all characters, Vivian has to be my favorite, cause not only she's a cutie, but she has the most development out of the other partners by the time she joins your side. 3. Post TTYD, I was alright with Super Paper Mario, despite the drastic gameplay difference, since it still had the spirit of a true Paper Mario. But with the recent games following it, everything that I've come to know and love about Paper Mario has been sucked dry, leaving me apathetic for a time. There's nothing wrong with being experimental once in a while, but it does have a problem when said experiments turn out to be anything BUT fun (SS & CS's broken item-based battles with little to no rewards in doing them). Seeing how Origami King is somewhat making an effort to improve upon the issues with the previous games by bringing back classic PM elements in some form, I am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. However, if we cannot get a proper return to the actual RPG style of the first games after Origami King, then I would rather settle for a remake/remaster of both 64 and TTYD.

Anonymous

1. Im kinda younger, so i’ve only played origami king, but thought it was cool. Ive played super paper mario at my grandparents house and that one is my favorite with the 2-d and 3-d