Paper Mario is a role-playing
game developed by
Intelligent Systems for the
Nintendo 64. It was later re-released for the iQue Player and
Virtual Console.
Paper Mario has the player taking control of
Mario on his quest to rescue
Princess Peach and save the
Mushroom Kingdom from
Bowser, who has stolen the mythical
Star Rod of
Star Haven and used its wish granting powers to make himself invincible. To stop Bowser and rescue Princess Peach, Mario and company must save the seven
Star Spirits; magical beings who have been sealed in cards by Bowser with the power to nullify the Star Rod, as well as the original owners of the Star Rod.
Paper Mario's gameplay is a blend of traditional Japanese role-playing games and
Mario-esque platforming features; Mario has the ability to jump in both the overworld and in battle, and jumping remains one of the most important actions in the game. The player controls Mario and a party of followers as they journey through the
Mushroom Kingdom, exploring dungeons, managing stats, and battling enemies. The title refers to the game's arts and crafts aesthetic; nearly every character in the game is drawn as a flat 2D sprite, revealing itself as paper-thin when turning around, and many elements of the environments are also depicted as 2D sprites.
Paper Mario was initially in development for the
Nintendo 64DD under the name
Mario RPG 2 and intended as a sequel to
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. It later became the first installment of the
Paper Mario series and would go on to receive several sequels; the first in the same style of gameplay (
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door), followed by several in different playstyles (
Super Paper Mario,
Paper Mario: Sticker Star,
Paper Mario: Color Splash, and
Paper Mario: The Origami King). The game was also released for the
Wii Virtual Console in 2007 and the
Wii U Virtual Console in 2015.
