Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

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This article is about the game for the Nintendo 3DS. For the level from Super Mario Maker of the same name, see Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam (level).
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
Mario & Luigi - Paper Jam - NOA Boxart.png
For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer AlphaDream
Switch Entertainment Inc.
Digital Works Entertainment
Will Co., Ltd.
Sound Racer Ltd.
Publisher Nintendo
Platform(s) Nintendo 3DS
Release date Japan December 3, 2015
HK December 3, 2015
ROC December 3, 2015
Europe December 4, 2015
Australia December 10, 2015
USA January 22, 2016
South Korea May 26, 2016
Genre Role-playing
Rating(s)
ESRB:E - Everyone
PEGI:3 - Three years and older
CERO:A - All ages
ACB:G - General
USK:0 - All ages
GRAC:All - All ages
Mode(s) Single-player
Media
Nintendo 3DS:
Game Card
Digital download
Input
Nintendo 3DS:

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam (known as Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. in European languages) is an RPG for the Nintendo 3DS. The fifth game in the Mario & Luigi series (and the final original installment), it features a crossover with the Paper Mario series. As a result, the game uses the same graphics and engine as its predecessor and contains elements from Paper Mario: Sticker Star. The plot revolves around Mario, Luigi, and Paper Mario trying to stop Bowser and Paper Bowser from taking over the Mushroom Kingdom using their combined armies. It is the second Mario & Luigi game for the Nintendo 3DS, as well as the final original game in the series developed by AlphaDream. The game requires 3,444 blocks if downloaded from the eShop. The name comes from the phrase "paper jam", a malfunction in a computer's printer or a photocopier or similar device occurring when sheets of paper become jammed inside, and "jam", an informal word for an issue or predicament.

Story[edit]

MLPJ story01.png

The story begins with Luigi and a Toad entering the attic of Peach's Castle, looking for the source of a draft. Luigi is spooked by a Scaredy Rat and ends up bumping a bookshelf, opening a mysterious book that contains the Paper Mario world. The Paper characters are released into the Mario & Luigi world, spreading across the Mushroom Kingdom. Paper Toads are seen landing near Toad Villages, while Bowser's minions begin to meet with their paper counterparts. Paper Peach remains at Peach's Castle with Princess Peach, while Paper Bowser, Paper Bowser Jr. and Paper Kamek meet and decide to team up with Bowser, Bowser Jr. and Kamek. Mario, Luigi and Starlow decide to help Paper Peach to find the Paper Toads spread across the Kingdom, as well as Paper Mario. They also meet up with Nabbit, who steals most of the Bros. Attacks that the Toads had prepared, and Toadette, who has taken interest in papercrafting and is inspired to make giant papercrafts with the help of the Paper Toads.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam screenshot.

Mario and Luigi head to Sunbeam Plains, where they come across two Paper Goombas, whom they defeat and leave one with a crease. This Goomba returns with reinforcements, and form a Goomba Wheel that defeats the Bros. Shortly afterwards, Paper Mario arrives, defeats the Paper Goombas and saves Mario and Luigi, who team up with Paper Mario to rescue the Paper Toads. However, the Bowser duo arrive at Peach's Castle and kidnap Princess Peach and Paper Peach, leaving behind Petey Piranha to stop them. After his defeat, the Mario trio head to Bowser's Castle to rescue the Princesses, but the way to Doop Doop Dunes is blocked by a Papercraft Goomba. Toadette arrives with Papercraft Mario, which she built with the Paper Toads the Mario Trio rescued, to destroy the Papercraft Megacrinkle Goomba blockade, allowing the trio to access Doop Doop Dunes. As they approach Bowser's Castle beyond the dunes, the Big Pokey Duo knock them off a bridge into the Doop Doop Dunes Grotto. After rescuing some more Paper Toads, they build a trampoline to reach the Pokeys and fight them to escape the grotto. The trio are blocked yet again by the Kamek duo and their Papercraft Kamek, at which point the trio are given Papercraft Luigi to destroy it with. However, right as they are about to reach the castle, they are knocked out by cannonballs that also take down the bridge to the castle. Wendy, Roy, Larry, and Ludwig arrive and order the Chargin' Chuck Corps to take them away to the Twinsy Tropics Dungeon, and the Bowser Jr. duo arrive to collect the book that contained Paper Mario's world, which Luigi dropped after being hauled away.

The trio escape their cell, and battle their Hammer Bro wardens to retrieve their items and Command Blocks. The creased Goomba from earlier returns locked in a cell, and he gives the trio Battle Cards in exchange for freeing him. The trio find out the arrested Toads are being forced to mine Fire Ore by Bowser and Paper Bowser in order to make an "ultimate papercraft," and soon run into a gate with a round-shaped indent in the center, before proceeding to fight against Wendy and Roy to escape the dungeon. Meanwhile, the Bowser Jr. duo annoy the Kameks into giving them a vacation to Bowser's Villa on Mount Brrr and take the Princesses with them. They also try to tell the Bowser duo about the book containing the Paper Mario universe, but are ignored.

The Mario trio, alongside the freed Toads find themselves stranded at Twinsy Tropics. The Paper Toads build a boat for everyone to return to Sunbeam Plains, and the trio returns to Peach's Castle, where a Toad tells them the Princesses were taken to Mount Brrr, which can be accessed through Gloomy Woods. Getting to the woods, the trio find new papercraft terrain that covers and changes the landscape, and even fight a paper version of Petey Piranha. Arriving at the woods, they meet a starving Wiggler who claims to be the guardian of the forest. Paper Kamek soon appears to block the path with junk, which Wiggler considers littering. Feeding the Wiggler eleven berries and a Melon they win from a Yellow Yoshi in a race, the Mario trio use him to break the blockades. The Kamek duo tries to hinder them, with Paper Kamek cursing Wiggler and forcing him to battle the team. After he is defeated and Wiggler is freed, Wiggler turns into a Flutter and flies them to Mount Brrr. At Mount Brrr, the source of paper terrain is revealed to be a summit base, where King Bob-omb, Iggy, Lemmy, and Morton use the cannons to blast the land with papercraft. With the help of Toadette, the Mario trio make it to a Toad Village, where they prepare to build Papercraft Peach to combat Papercraft Bowser Jr. and save the princesses. However, after destroying Papercraft Bowser Jr., the Bowser Jr duo manage to escape with the Princesses and the book unharmed. They accidentally leave behind a Red Medallion, which opens the gate in Twinsy Tropics Dungeon. In order to go there, they cross Doop Doop Dunes again.

While crossing Doop Doop Dunes, they meet up with the Creased Goomba again and travel to the dungeon with him. Along the way, the Mario Trio are ambushed by the Chargin' Chuck Corps and defeat them. Upon reaching the dungeon, the Goomba betrays Mario and Co. to the Fire Bros, who have taken over as wardens; taking the Red Medallion with him. After getting the medallion back, they open the gate which leads to Bowser's Castle, and fight Ludwig and Larry, who try to stop them. Inside Bowser's Castle, the trio encounter the Kamek Duo and their new Papercraft King Boo, which Morton and Lemmy pilot. Luckily, Toadette arrives on time with Papercraft Yoshi. After the trio's Papercraft is victorious, Kamek kidnaps Toadette to prevent the production of more Papercrafts, and prepares to build his own ultimate Papercraft Bowser with the help of his paper form. The group begin searching for Toadette and rescue her shortly afterward. Meanwhile, the Princesses escape and greet the team, but are shortly caught by the Bowser Jr. duo. They initially mean to fight, but after showing the book to them, they realize that the trio had no idea they had the book, so they flee instead. The Mario trio chases them down, but are fooled with a fake book the Bowser Jr. duo uses to escape. After deciding to fight the trio, they are promptly beaten. The Bowser duo come in and, enraged by this, lift the castle into the sky, turning the castle into Neo Bowser Castle. Mario and co. escape the castle, leaving the book behind. As they head back to Peach's Castle the Bowser duo take their revenge by destroying Peach's Castle with cannonballs. Toadette realizes she can build a staircase with the Paper Toads from the summit of Mount Brrr to reach Neo Bowser Castle.

The team begins to make their way through Gloomy Woods to get to Mount Brrr, but due to paper terrain blocking certain paths, end up on the haunted west side. Both Mario and Paper Mario are promptly kidnapped by King Boo and his minions, leaving Luigi alone to find them. Luigi manages to find them, but he and Mario soon realize that "Paper Mario" is King Boo in disguise. Paper Mario is rescued and King Boo is defeated, and the trio meet up with Flutter once again, who flies the trio back to Mount Brrr. At Mount Brrr, the group rescues all the remaining Paper Toads to build the staircase, and proceed to venture to the summit of the mountain. At the Papercraft Base, King Bob-omb appears and proceeds to start a self destruction sequence, whom the trio defeat before the timer runs out. Lakitus then arrive at the summit with a large delivery of Paper Toads to build a staircase to Neo Bowser Castle.

The final frame of the victory parade from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.

At the castle, they find Toadette, who is defending Papercraft Mario, Luigi, Peach and Yoshi. However, the Kameks release their new Papercraft Bowser, which burns them all to a crisp. Toadette mourns the loss of her work, but then realizes that she could build a Papercraft out of the same material, Fire Ore, which she asks the trio to collect around the castle. The collected ore is used to assemble Papercraft Fire Mario, which then defeats Papercraft Bowser. The Bowsers and Kameks try to stall the Mario trio by dissassembling the bridge to the rest of the castle. As the Mario trio reassembles it, Lemmy, Iggy, and Morton activate a timer that charges up the castle's main cannon for a final blow to destroy any remains of Peach's Castle. The Mario trio manages to break the cannon before proceeding to the final area.

Before they can face the Bowsers, the Kamek Duo fights them, but are defeated. In the final corridor, the Bowser duo sends multiple waves of troops, including Goombas, Koopa Troopas, Spinies, Ninjis, Hammer Bros., Spikes, Shy Guys, Broozers, and finally the Koopalings to finish off the trio. They defeat them all and proceed to challenge Bowser and Paper Bowser themselves, who reveal they plan to trap the Bros. in the now empty book and burn it, both of them subtly hinting that they each wish to trap the other one in as well. After the Bowsers take enough damage, Paper Bowser merges with his entire paper army to create a suit of armor for Bowser; creating Shiny RoboBowser. However, this is not enough, and the trio successfully defeat them. Bowser is sent flying off of Neo Bowser Castle, and plummets to the ground. Paper Bowser makes one last attempt to grab the book, but Paper Mario makes it there first, and the trio seal him in it once more.

Back at Peach's Castle, with the Princesses and Toads gathered at the entrance, the group reunites with their friends. Toadette orchestrates a Papercraft parade, where they tour the lands bringing the terrain and enemies back to the paper world. Afterward, Peach, Mario and Luigi say goodbye to Paper Mario, Paper Peach and the Paper Toads who return to their world. The game ends with Mario and Luigi going off to stop Bowser's plans once again.

Gameplay[edit]

The overall gameplay is mostly similar to the previous Mario & Luigi games, though with the addition of a new party member alongside Mario and Luigi: Paper Mario. Players control Mario, Luigi, and Paper Mario simultaneously (Paper Mario using Y Button). Because the player now has two characters following after Mario, all three characters can be made to jump simultaneously with the X Button button, which also causes the three to flutter in the air briefly when held. By continuing to hold the button after jumping simultaneously, players can charge up a dash. All three characters also possess hammers. By using all three hammers in quick succession (A Button, B Button, and then Y Button), the trio unleashes a Trio Hammer, or powerful shockwave, that can destroy large blocks. Other moves include the Trio Drill, a reworked version of the Drill Bros.; the Trio Glider, that acts like Mario's Plane Mode from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and the Trio Grab, which can reach far distanced things and throw them.

In battle, players control all three members of the group. Paper Mario, in a first for the series, fights alongside but independently from Mario and Luigi, unlike the Baby Bros. in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, the only other installment to feature characters fighting alongside the Mario Bros. This allows the trio to take three actions in one turn. While Mario and Luigi control similarly to the way they did in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, Paper Mario's abilities set him apart from the other two. Paper Mario is able to create copies of himself as a battle command, which increase the damage he can do in his attacks: He can land as many jumps as he has copies, and when he uses his hammer, the copies split and target all enemies on the field. Paper Mario loses a copy for each hit he takes, but can replenish them on his turn before using another battle command. His jump dodge allows him to flutter, letting him briefly stay in the air longer than Mario and Luigi can.

Players are able to use Bros. Attacks with Mario and Luigi, working like they did in the previous games. In addition, a new variation of special attacks called Trio Attacks can be performed with Paper Mario. These attacks have all three members attack enemies with the Trio Attack Hammer to paperize them before executing the attacks.

At certain points, the trio take part in Papercraft battles, which are the equivalent to the giant battles from the previous two games. Each time, they control different Papercraft characters, each with their own unique abilities, and each of the five battles end with a Papercraft Boss.

Another new addition are Battle Cards, replacing the badge system, also from the previous two games. The player creates a deck of 10 Battle Cards, one of which is played each turn. These range from boosting stats, dealing damage, or lowering an enemies stats or level. Each one needs a different amount of Star Points to use. amiibo are compatible with the game, each giving the player a special set of support cards to use in battle. The cards reset once they all have been played.

Locations[edit]

MLPJ overworld map.png

The game is set in an iteration of the Mushroom Kingdom. In the original Japanese version, as well as in the Dutch, Korean and Portuguese localizations, all locations other than Peach's and Bowser's castles have names reflecting the theme of doubleness. This is mostly ignored in the English versions.

Special attacks[edit]

Bros. Attacks[edit]

Mario
Luigi

Trio Attacks[edit]

Ranks[edit]

  • Mushroom Rank - Levels 1 to 5
  • Shell Rank - Levels 6 to 11
  • Boomerang Rank - Levels 12 to 18
  • Flower Rank - Levels 19 to 26
  • Leaf Rank - Levels 27 to 35
  • Star Rank - Levels 36 to 45
  • Rainbow Rank - Levels 46 to 100

Characters[edit]

Playable[edit]

Papercrafts[edit]

  • Papercraft Mario - Normal Papercraft with no advantages and middle range.
  • Papercraft Luigi - Allows the player to use a Flying Hammer Attack, that can damage spiky enemies, such as Papercraft Pokeys.
  • Papercraft Peach - Allows for a long hover in the air, and ground pound on other papercraft, with a long range of attack. Dashing blocks enemy projectiles.
  • Papercraft Yoshi - Allows the player to use its tongue to grab poles, coins, and floating enemies. The ground pound made by Papercraft Yoshi can stun enemies nearby and push buttons, but has a short range of attacking.

Supporting[edit]

Antagonists[edit]

Cameos on Battle Cards[edit]

Enemies[edit]

Main article: Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam bestiary

Mario & Luigi series[edit]

Image Name Level HP EXP Coins Item Drop(s) Location
A Goomba's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Goomba 2 8 3 3 Mushroom, 1-Up Mushroom Sunbeam Plains, Paper Toad Rescue, Final Smash, Neo Bowser Castle
A stack of Biddybuds in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Biddybud (1) 3 7 2 1 1-Up Mushroom, So-so Boots Sunbeam Plains, Paper Toad Rescue
A Spiny's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Spiny 5 18 9 6 Nut Doop Doop Dunes, Doop Doop Dunes Grotto, Neo Bowser Castle
A Sandmaargh's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Sandmaargh 6 39 20 11 Candy, Stache Gloves Doop Doop Dunes, Doop Doop Dunes Grotto, Desert Rescue Party
A Fly Guy's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Fly Guy (1) 7 23 8 5 Mushroom, 1-Up Mushroom Desert Rescue Party
A Hammer Bro from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Hammer Bro (1) 8 32 16 13 Super Mushroom, Steady Boots Twinsy Tropics Dungeon, Stuff Retrieval, Neo Bowser Castle
A Cheep Cheep from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Cheep Cheep (1) 11 49 27 20 1-Up Mushroom, POW Gloves Twinsy Tropics, Tropical Paper Toad Hunt
An Urchin from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Urchin (1) 12 25 85 165 Candy, LV 1 Character Card Twinsy Tropics, Tropical Paper Toad Hunt
A Koopa Troopa from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Koopa Troopa 10 49 26 18 Super Mushroom Twinsy Tropics, Tropical Paper Toad Hunt, Neo Bowser Castle
A Monty Mole from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Monty Mole (1) 12 55 37 26 Super Nut, LV 1 Character Card Sunbeam Plains
A Ninji from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Ninji 13 70 44 30 Refreshing Herb, 1-Up Mushroom Gloomy Woods, Neo Bowser Castle
A Piranha Plant from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Fire Piranha Plant 15 104 60 40 Super Mushroom, Flame Hammer Gloomy Woods
A Bully from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Bully 17 131 80 50 Super Mushroom, POW Scarf Mount Brrr
A Buzzy Beetle from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Buzzy Beetle 16 53 72 38 Supersyrup Jar, Shiny Battle Card Mount Brrr
A Spike from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Spike 18 119 76 42 1-Up Mushroom, SPEED Scarf Doop Doop Dunes, Neo Bowser Castle
A Pokey from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Pokey 19 99 88 50 Super Candy, LV 1 Character Card Doop Doop Dunes
A Cheep Cheep from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Cheep Cheep (2) 20 131 86 50 Ultra Mushroom, Shocking Hammer Twinsy Tropics
An Urchin from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Urchin (2) 21 57 320 275 Super Candy, LV 2 Character Card Twinsy Tropics
A Fire Bro from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Fire Bro 21 152 92 40 Ultra Mushroom, Shiny Battle Card Twinsy Tropics Dungeon, Hunt for the Medallion
A Horned Ant Trooper from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Horned Ant Trooper 22 88 46 20 Ultra Nut, 1-Up DX Twinsy Tropics Dungeon, Final Smash
A Boomerang Bro from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Boomerang Bro 24 180 116 55 Ultra Nut, LV 2 Character Card Bowser's Castle, Neo Bowser Castle
A Big Tail Goomba from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Big Tail Goomba 26 277 300 77 Ultra Candy, Filler Brooch DX Bowser's Castle, Neo Bowser Castle
A Fly Guy's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Fly Guy (2) 31 158 175 40 Ultra Mushroom, 1-Up Mushroom Toadette in Trouble, Fly Guy Flyby, Paper Toad Shuffle
A Hammer Bro from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Hammer Bro (2) 27 169 122 60 Refreshing Herb, Double 1-Up Mushroom Sunbeam Plains
A Monty Mole from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Monty Mole (2) 28 195 140 62 Max Syrup Jar, Shiny Battle Card Gloomy Woods, Fly Guy Flyby
A Shy Guy from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Shy Guy (1) 30 200 96 45 Ultra Candy, Mushroom Amutlet Mount Brrr, Neo Bowser Castle
A stack of Biddybuds in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Biddybud (2) 31 79 38 15 Max Mushroom, LV 2 Character Card Mount Brrr
A Broozer from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Broozer 33 280 280 100 Max Nut, Crystal Boots Neo Bowser Castle, Bad Nabbit
A Mechakoopa from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Mechakoopa (1) 34 176 190 70 Max Mushroom, Dark Hammer Neo Bowser Castle
A Shy Guy from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Shy Guy (2) 35 327 550 120 Ultra Candy, Shiny Battle Card Neo Bowser Castle, Bad Nabbit, Final Smash
A Chain Chomp from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Chain Chomp 35 484 600 150 Max Syrup Jar, 1-Up Gloves DX Neo Bowser Castle, Bad Nabbit, Final Smash
Nabbit in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Nabbit 36 9999 0 0 None Bad Nabbit
A Mechakoopa from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Mechakoopa (2) 35 182 0 0 None Bad Nabbit
A Fly Guy's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Fly Guy (3) 34 187 200 50 Max Candy, 1-Up DX Final Smash

Paper Mario series[edit]

S Indicates enemies which appear in stacks.

Regular[edit]
Image Name Level HP EXP Coins Item Drop(s) Location
A Paper Goomba's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Goomba 2 8 3 3 Syrup Jar, 1-Up Mushroom Sunbeam Plains, Paper Toad Rescue, Neo Bowser Castle
A Paper Paratroopa's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper ParatroopaS 3 2 4 5 Nut, 1-Up Mushroom Sunbeam Plains, Paper Toad Rescue
A Paper Spiny's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Spiny 5 18 10 6 Syrup Jar, LV 1 Character Card Doop Doop Dunes, Doop Doop Dunes Grotto, Neo Bowser Castle
A Paper Bob-omb's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Bob-omb (1)S 7 7 15 9 Mushroom, Double 1-Up Mushroom Doop Doop Dunes, Desert Rescue Party
A Paper Hammer Bro's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Hammer Bro (1) 8 29 16 13 Supersyrup Jar, LV 1 Character Card Twinsy Tropics Dungeon, Stuff Retrieval, Neo Bowser Castle
A Paper Scaredy Rat's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Scaredy RatS 9 10 17 20 Refreshing Herb, Double 1-Up Mushroom Twinsy Tropics Dungeon
A Paper Koopa Troopa's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Koopa Troopa 10 49 29 18 Super Mushroom, Shiny Battle Card Twinsy Tropics, Neo Bowser Castle
A Paper Bob-omb's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Bob-omb (2)S 12 14 32 25 Super Mushroom, Shiny Battle Card Sunbeam Plains, Final Smash
A Paper Ninji's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Ninji 13 70 49 30 Candy, LV 1 Character Card Gloomy Woods, Neo Bowser Castle
A Paper Spear Guy's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Spear GuyS 14 25 48 40 Super Nut, Shiny Character Card Gloomy Woods, Fly Guy Flyby
A Paper Sombrero Guy's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Sombrero Guy (1)S 17 35 68 46 Super Candy, LV 1 Character Card Mount Brrr
A Paper Spike's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Spike 18 119 82 42 Boo Biscuit, LV 2 Character Card Doop Doop Dunes, Neo Bowser Castle
A Paper Fire Piranha Plant's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Fire Piranha PlantS 21 46 96 55 Ultra Mushroom, Shiny Battle Card Twinsy Tropics
A Paper Fire Bro's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Fire Bro 21 89 94 40 Super Candy, LV 2 Character Card Twinsy Tropics Dungeon, Hunt for the Medallion
A Paper Swoop's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper SwoopS 23 29 85 60 Ultrasyrup Jar, POW Scarf Twinsy Tropics Dungeon
A Paper Boomerang Bro's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Boomerang Bro 24 120 120 55 Ultrasyrup Jar, Shocking Boots Bowser's Castle, Neo Bowser Castle
A Paper Dry Bones's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Dry BonesS 25 57 105 68 Ultra Mushroom, Shiny Battle Card Bowser's Castle, Neo Bowser Castle
A Paper Paragoomba's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Paragoomba (1) 27 196 110 60 Ultrasyrup Jar, Shiny Battle Card Sunbeam Plains
A Paper Hammer Bro's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Hammer Bro (2) 27 169 126 60 Refreshing Herb, Double 1-Up Mushroom Sunbeam Plains
A Paper Boo's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Boo (1)S 28 68 150 80 Boo Biscuit, LV 2 Character Card Gloomy Woods, Fly Guy Flyby
A Paper Fuzzy's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Fuzzy (1) 18 194 150 80 Supersyrup Jar, 1-Up Mushroom Paper Toad Freeze-Out
A Paper Shy Guy's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Shy Guy 30 158 102 45 1-Up Mushroom, Shiny Battle Card Mount Brrr, Neo Bowser Castle
A Paper Broozer's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Broozer 33 258 290 100 Ultra Candy, Shiny Battle Card Neo Bowser Castle, Bad Nabbit
A Paper Sombrero Guy's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Sombrero Guy (2)S 33 78 175 90 Max Mushroom, Shiny Battle Card Neo Bowser Castle, Bad Nabbit
A Paper Chain Chomp's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Chain Chomp 35 557 600 150 Max Syrup Jar, Counter Wear DX Neo Bowser Castle, Bad Nabbit, Final Smash
A Paper Boo's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Boo (2)S 33 78 0 0 None Bad Nabbit
A Paper Paragoomba's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Paragoomba (2) 34 257 0 0 None Bad Nabbit
A Paper Fuzzy's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Fuzzy (2) 35 436 155 100 Max Nut, Double 1-Up Mushroom Final Smash
Shiny[edit]
Image Name Level HP EXP Coins Item Drop(s) Location
A Shiny Paper Goomba's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Goomba 6 11 9 12 Syrup Jar, 1-Up Mushroom Sunbeam Plains, Paper Toad Rescue, Neo Bowser Castle
A Shiny Paper Paratroopa's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper ParatroopaS 7 2 12 20 Nut, 1-Up Mushroom Sunbeam Plains, Paper Toad Rescue
A shiny Paper Spiny's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Spiny 10 25 30 24 Syrup Jar, LV 1 Character Card Doop Doop Dunes, Doop Doop Dunes Grotto, Neo Bowser Castle
A shiny Paper Bob-omb's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Bob-omb (1)S 13 8 45 36 Mushroom, Double 1-Up Mushroom Doop Doop Dunes, Desert Rescue Party
A shiny Paper Hammer Bro's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Hammer Bro (1) 14 40 56 52 Supersyrup Jar, LV 1 Character Card Twinsy Tropics Dungeon, Stuff Retrieval, Neo Bowser Castle
A Shiny Paper Scaredy Rat's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Scaredy RatS 15 12 51 80 Refreshing Herb, Double 1-Up Mushroom Twinsy Tropics Dungeon
A Shiny Paper Koopa Troopa's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Koopa Troopa 17 68 87 72 Super Mushroom, Shiny Battle Card Twinsy Tropics, Neo Bowser Castle
A shiny Paper Bob-omb's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Bob-omb (2)S 19 16 96 100 Super Mushroom, Shiny Battle Card Sunbeam Plains, Final Smash
A Shiny Paper Ninji's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Ninji 20 98 147 120 Candy, Shiny Battle Card Gloomy Woods, Neo Bowser Castle
A Shiny Paper Spear Guy's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Spear GuyS 22 30 144 160 Super Nut, LV 1 Character Card Gloomy Woods, Fly Guy Flyby
A Shiny Paper Sombrero Guy's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Sombrero Guy (1)S 26 42 204 184 Super Candy, LV 1 Character Card Mount Brrr
A shiny Paper Spike's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Spike 27 166 246 168 Boo Biscuit, LV 2 Character Card Doop Doop Dunes, Neo Bowser Castle
A Shiny Paper Fire Piranha Plant's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Fire Piranha PlantS 31 55 288 220 Ultra Mushroom, Shiny Battle Card Twinsy Tropics
A shiny Paper Fire Bro's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Fire Bro 31 133 282 160 Super Candy, LV 2 Character Card Twinsy Tropics Dungeon, Hunt for the Medallion
A Shiny Paper Swoop's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper SwoopS 33 34 255 240 Ultrasyrup Jar, POW Scarf Twinsy Tropics Dungeon
A shiny Paper Boomerang Bro's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Boomerang Bro 35 168 240 220 Ultrasyrup Jar, Shocking Boots Bowser's Castle, Neo Bowser Castle
A shiny Paper Dry Bones's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Dry BonesS 36 68 315 272 Ultra Mushroom, Shiny Battle Card Bowser's Castle, Neo Bowser Castle
A shiny Paper Paragoomba's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Paragoomba 39 274 330 240 Ultrasyrup Jar, Shiny Battle Card Sunbeam Plains
A shiny Paper Hammer Bro's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Hammer Bro (2) 39 236 378 240 Refreshing Herb, Double 1-Up Mushroom Sunbeam Plains
A shiny Paper Boo's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper BooS 40 81 450 320 Boo Biscuit, LV 2 Character Card Gloomy Woods, Fly Guy Flyby
A shiny Paper Fuzzy's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Fuzzy (1) 27 271 150 80 Supersyrup Jar, 1-Up Mushroom Paper Toad Freeze-Out
A shiny Paper Shy Guy's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Shy Guy 43 221 306 200 1-Up Mushroom, Shiny Battle Card Mount Brrr, Neo Bowser Castle
A shiny Paper Broozer's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Broozer 46 361 870 400 Ultra Candy, Shiny Battle Card Neo Bowser Castle, Bad Nabbit
A Shiny Paper Sombrero Guy's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Sombrero Guy (2)S 46 93 525 360 Max Mushroom, Shiny Battle Card Neo Bowser Castle, Bad Nabbit
A shiny Paper Fuzzy's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Fuzzy (2) 49 610 465 200 Max Nut, Double 1-Up Mushroom Final Smash

Papercraft[edit]

Bosses[edit]

Normal Bosses[edit]

Image Name Level HP EXP Coins Item Drop(s) Location
Petey Piranha's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Petey Piranha 4 143 70 100 Picnic Boots Sunbeam Plains
Big Pokey's head sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.A Paper Tower Power Pokey's Head battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Big Pokey Duo 8 Main
Both-144
Body segments
Both-16
250 170 Big Pokey-Mix Badge
Paper Tower Power Pokey-Thin Wear
Doop Doop Dunes Grotto
Roy Koopa in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.Wendy O. Koopa in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Roy & Wendy (1) 10 Roy-343
Wendy-294
350 220 Roy-Fighter Hammer
Wendy-Charge Wear
Twinsy Tropics Dungeon
A Paper Petey Piranha's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Petey Piranha 13 Main-384
Copy-34
650 330 Collector Wear Sunbeam Plains
Wiggler under the effect at Paper Kamek's power in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.A Paper Kamek's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Rampaging Wiggler 16 Wiggler-660
Paper Kamek-440
900 440 POW Gloves Gloomy Woods
One of the Chargin' Chucks in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.One of the Chargin' Chucks in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.One of the Chargin' Chucks in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Chargin' Chuck Corps 20 105 each 1600 550 Blunt Hammer Doop Doop Dunes
Ludwig von Koopa in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.Larry Koopa in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Ludwig & Larry (1) 24 Ludwig-975
Larry-825
2140 660 Ludwig-Shocking Boots
Larry-Shiny Battle Card
Twinsy Tropics Dungeon
Bowser Jr. in his Junior Clown Car in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.A Paper Bowser Jr.'s battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Bowser Jr. Duo 27 Bowser Jr.-979
Paper Bowser Jr.-1068
2760 770 Bowser Jr.-Iron-Ball Hammer DX
Paper Bowser Jr.-Knockout Draw Gloves
Bowser's Castle
King Boo in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. King Boo 29 1421 3250 880 Guard Wear DX Gloomy Woods
King Bob-omb in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. King Bob-omb 32 1744 5500 990 Ironclad Wear Mount Brrr
Kamek as he appears in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.A Paper Kamek's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Kamek Duo 36 Both-1853 6000 1100 Kamek-Shiny Battle Card
Paper Kamek-Shocking Boots DX
Neo Bowser Castle
Roy Koopa in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.Wendy O. Koopa in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Roy & Wendy (2) 35 Roy-1573
Wendy-1452
2950 900 Roy-Max Mushroom
Wendy-Max Nut
Neo Bowser Castle
Ludwig von Koopa in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.Larry Koopa in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Ludwig & Larry (2) 36 Ludwig-1482
Larry-1359
3150 900 Ludwig-Max Syrup Jar
Larry-Max Mushroom
Neo Bowser Castle
Lemmy Koopa in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.Morton Koopa Jr. in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.Iggy Koopa in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Lemmy, Morton, & Iggy 36 Lemmy-692
Morton-865
Iggy-790
6300 1350 Lemmy-Shiny Battle Card
Morton-Golden Hammer
Iggy-LV2 Character Card
Neo Bowser Castle
Bowser in Mario & Luigi: Paper JamPaper Bowser's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Bowser Duo 38 Both-9999 0 0 None Neo Bowser Castle
Shiny RoboBowser's Armor battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Shiny RoboBowser 40 Main-2145
Armor-650
0 0 None Neo Bowser Castle

Boss Battle Ring Bosses[edit]

Image Name Level HP Expert Challenge points S-Rank Expert Challenge points
Petey Piranha's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Petey Piranha 15 920 15 60
Big Pokey's head sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.A Paper Tower Power Pokey's Head battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Big Pokey Duo 18 Main
Both-648
Body segments
Big Pokey-76
Paper Tower Power Pokey-70
15 60
A Paper Petey Piranha's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Paper Petey Piranha 23 Main-858
Copy-100
45 180
Wiggler under the effect at Paper Kamek's power in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.A Paper Kamek's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Rampaging Wiggler 26 Wiggler-1471
Paper Kamek-1038
45 180
One of the Chargin' Chucks in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.One of the Chargin' Chucks in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.One of the Chargin' Chucks in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Chargin' Chuck Corps 30 189 each 90 360
Bowser Jr. in his Junior Clown Car in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.A Paper Bowser Jr.'s battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Bowser Jr. Duo 37 Bowser Jr.-1638
Paper Bowser Jr.-1764
90 360
King Boo in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. King Boo 39 1890 90 360
King Bob-omb in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. King Bob-omb 42 2312 90 360
Kamek as he appears in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.A Paper Kamek's battle sprite from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Kamek Duo 46 Both-2318 90 360
Dry Bowser, in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Dry Bowser 48 2880 100 400

Papercraft Bosses[edit]

Items[edit]

Objects[edit]

Status ailments[edit]

Sidequests[edit]

Lakitu Info Center[edit]

Main article: Lakitu Info Center
Mario, Luigi, and Paper Mario talking to Lakitu in a Lakitu Info Center in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario talking to a Lakitu in a Lakitu Info Center.

The Lakitu Info Center plays an important role in this game. It is a cloud-shaped building found in the various Toad Towns. The player can talk to two Lakitus: the one on the right offers to play new missions whose goals are catching Paper Toads. The player must obtain a certain number of them to progress through the story. The one on the left lets the player replay already cleared missions (but also minigames like Toad Quizzes) and also try Hard Mode of some of them (which make a mission harder by doing things like adding or reducing timers). By clearing a mission for the first time (Hard Mode included) the player can earn Medals. Obtaining a set number of Medals gives an exclusive Battle Card. A pipe on the left of each building, which passage is freed once the player reaches the second Lakitu Center in Sunbeam Plains, leads to the Arcade. Here, the player can buy Lakitea for 20 Coins (which fully heals the party) and play in the Boss Battle Ring, the Papercraft Battle Ring and the Attackathlon, which, respectively, lets the player face harder variants of the game's bosses, replay Papercraft battles and play extended, more complex versions of the Trio Attack, and also get rated by their performance.

Toad Quiz[edit]

Five Toad scholars, found in Sunbeam Plains, Doop Doop Dunes, Twinsy Tropics, Gloomy Woods, and Mount Brrr, host quizzes with trivial questions mainly about the game's story and characters. To earn a one-time prize (3 Beans of a certain kind), the player must answer 3 questions out of 5 correctly—however, there is not a time limit. If the player keeps giving right answers, they also gain some Coins. The questions are picked randomly from a pool and their wrong answers may vary. From the aforementioned Lakitu Center the player can also play Hard Mode versions of the Toad Quizzes. While the answers are unchanged, the player must correctly answer to all 8 asked questions. To further increase the difficulty, the player must also face a 10-second timer for each question.

Differences from other Mario & Luigi games[edit]

  • The battle ring is different: there are no turn limits, bosses do not have a different color palette, and there is no fee to play. However, the bosses are still stronger than they are in the main game.
  • The first battle in the game is not against a boss and Luigi is also playable. Usually, for various contrived reasons (such as Luigi being asleep in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story), he is unplayable until later on. Additionally in the first battle, Mario and Luigi can use Bros. Attacks and Hammers. Previously, they were unavailable until a scripted event later in the game.
  • Badges are replaced by Battle Cards.
  • Luigi is the first playable character in this game.
  • This game keeps the same graphics as its predecessor.
  • Bonus points can no longer be applied to stats upon leveling up.
  • Lakitu's role is changed in this game. Instead of adding bonus points to stats (upon leveling up), he now gives the trio quests where the Bros. can help rescue the Paper Toads when needed.
  • The tutorials are optional, whereas in previous games, they are mandatory. This carries over into the later remakes.
  • No new characters or enemies are introduced to the franchise (with the sole possible exception of Shiny RoboBowser, although he is a fusion of two characters rather than a completely new character). Most of them originate from the mainline Super Mario series.
  • Toadsworth is completely absent from the game.
  • Bros. Attacks are obtained from Nabbit instead of Attack Pieces.
  • There are seven ranks, more than Bowser's Inside Story's six and Dream Team's five. New ranks include the Boomerang Rank and the Leaf Rank.
  • There are optional crosshairs under the Bros. when an enemy is attacking, as well as a peculiar animation of the character to be attacked preparing to defend himself. This is most likely due to three characters being on the battlefield at once and the fact that usual enemy indicators (such as kicking a certain way or flashing an eye) would not work against three heroes.
  • This is the first game in the series to have Items under categories in the player's bag. It also does not list key items or provide descriptions for them.
  • This is the first game in the series to have the three main playable characters all take a turn in battle.
  • Players can block attacks by pressing X Button before the enemy hits them in an Emergency Block, similarly to the Paper Mario series. This carries over into the later remakes.
  • In addition to jumping on enemies or pounding them with a hammer to deal early damage at the start of a battle like in past games, Mario and co. can also dash into battle due to the effects of the Dash Socks.
  • The game's Japanese title is not followed by a number.
  • Mario and Luigi do not gain the Spin Jump ability outside of battle.
  • This is the first and only game to have items other than beans underground.
  • Unlike the previous two installments, in this game, the Bros. perform a fancy spin before landing the second jump in battle. Previously, they only landed straight down before backflipping off of the enemy.
  • Luigi is not referred to as Green Stache due to Bowser finally learning his name at the end of Mario & Luigi: Dream Team.
  • This is the only game in the series which does not feature the Beanish species at all.
  • There are no Save Blocks or Save Albums of any kind. The only way to save the game is by tapping the SAVE button in the lower left of the touch screen.
  • There are no special locations where the Bros. can go depending on their rank as there were in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and Mario & Luigi: Dream Team.
  • Command Blocks are slightly larger than the previous game, and the Bros. stand slightly more apart.

Staff[edit]

Main article: List of Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam staff

The game was directed by Shunsuke Kobayashi and co-directed by Hiroyuki Kubota. Kobayashi worked as the field designer for Bowser's Inside Story and Dream Team while Kubota directed the former. The music for this game was composed by Yoko Shimomura who also worked on previous Mario & Luigi titles. The papercraft battles were developed by Will Co., Ltd. The game's producers were Akira Otani, Toshiharu Izuno, and Yoshihiko Maekawa.

Development[edit]

In the past, the Mario & Luigi games primarily used two buttons, but the developers wanted to break new ground by making a third button active in combat. Characters were brainstormed until the developers thought of a second Mario, where the Paper Mario character would fit the third character role neatly. This implementation has then turn the idea of a crossover.[1] Though Paper Luigi was considered to be the fourth character, the developers thought that adding a fourth button for a fourth character would be too difficult and complicated to enjoy the game.[1] According to Kobayashi, the trickiest thing to implement in a crossover was to make Paper Mario, a main character, stand out.

Though the first draft of the story involved the characters going back and forth between the Mushroom Kingdom and the paper world with many twists to the narrative, the developers thought it was too complex and that no one would enjoy it, so that it was rewritten many times to be simplified, where greater emphasis was placed on the character interactions between each other.[1] Though emphasis has been placed on Paper Mario to make him stand out, the developers wanted equal attention to all characters, where they mention that it was a "big job" to balance everything. The developers also mentioned interest in adding original characters to the plot, but decided against it since they already have many characters to work with, and it would be too challenging to fit them at an appropriate appearance in the story.[1]

When asked about the gameplay, battle designer Jun Iwasaki emphasized on narrowing the focus. His first thought was making use of three buttons, which were promptly brainstormed with lots of ideas on paper, until the developers chose the one that looked the best and tested them with a prototype.[1] Hiroshi Ohata, the battle programmer, explained that battles are first created without animations and other visual effects. He has stated that they always make sure the gameplay is very responsive at a basic level, so they perform many experiments to test the gameplay elements. What works and what doesn't is based on people who playtest the game during development.

Yoko Shimomura, the composer for the game's music, felt that since Paper Mario is joining the battle, she opted for a lighter, more upbeat tune to the game's soundtrack. When asked which music is her favorite, she stated that her songs are "like her children" and is unable to choose one, though she did say that Mountaintop Secrets, the background music for Mount Brrr, "has a certain fantastical atmosphere that isn't usually found in the Mario world, and having the opportunity to put a song with that kind of feel into a Super Mario game is something that's quite unique to the Mario & Luigi series, I think."[1]

Natsuko Kemi, the game's graphics designer, emphasized on the details of the animations and graphics on the characters. For example, Luigi's walk cycles is based off his walk cycles in Luigi's Mansion.[1]

Nintendo 3DS eShop description[edit]

American English version

Paper Mario™ is jumping off the page and into the quirky adventures of Mario™ and Luigi™! Become a superstar team of Mario Bros. to take on quests, take down enemies, and untangle these two classic universes in this playful new entry in the Mario and Luigi RPG series. The Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam game is the newest entry in the wild and popular Mario and Luigi RPG series. The denizens of Paper Mario are spilling out of the pages of a mysterious book and making mischief in the Mushroom Kingdom. You'll call on the talents of Mario, Luigi, and Paper Mario to solve puzzles, track Toads, chase Nabbit, race Yoshi™, and more in a variety of quests to separate and save the two worlds. Looking for a change of pace?...er, tempo? Challenge giant bosses using a combo of rhythm-based micro-games and an equally giant papercraft.

British English version

Two Marios are better than one in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros., a comical RPG mash-up for Nintendo 3DS family systems! When two unique universes collide, Paper Mario jumps off the page and joins a super team of Mario Bros. Together, Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario must save the Mushroom Kingdom from the only thing more threatening than one Bowser: two Bowsers!

Reception[edit]

Critical reception[edit]

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam has received generally positive reviews from professional critics, scoring a 76 based on 65 critics in Metacritic[2] and a 76.70% based on 44 reviews in GameRankings.[3] General praise has been given out to the battle system, gameplay, and the humor, as well as removing the amount of tutorials present in the game's predecessor, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, though it has been criticized for the simple story and playing too safe for the franchise. Lee Garbutt from God is a Geek, writer of one of the more positive reviews, giving the game a 9/10, praised the game's battle combat and the humor though stated that the game was too simple for hardcore JRPG fans and the amiibo implementation was superfluous.[4] Daan Koopman of Nintendo World report gave the game a 7.5/10. He called the game "cute" and praised the interactions between the characters, but criticized the pacing in the review, highlighting the Toad Rescue missions being the primary problem of being too excessive.[5] On a more critical note, Mark Brown of Pocket Gamer UK gave the game a 6/10, criticizing the game for being too safe and also lamenting the lack of a diverse cast of characters, and failing to live up to the standards set by preceding games, though he notes how some charm is left and that the gameplay is fun.[6]

Reviews
Release Reviewer, Publication Score Comment
Nintendo 3DS Daan Koopman, Nintendo World Report 7.5/10 "A very cute game, but pacing problems prevent the game from achieving excellence."
Nintendo 3DS Jared Petty, IGN 5.9/10 "Creases mar what should have been a beautiful origami of a game."
Nintendo 3DS Miguel Concepcion, GameSpot 6/10 "As a crossover that is already intriguing based on concept alone, it's hard to blame Nintendo for playing it safe and predictable in its execution: undeniably adorable but bereft of genuine surprises or innovation."
Nintendo 3DS José Manuel Bringas, IGN Spain (Spanish) 8/10 "One of the craziest crossovers ever seen in a videogame. Constantly changing the rhythm and showing new gameplay methods and with a hilarious plot. One of the best in their series."
Nintendo 3DS Lee Garbutt, God is a Geek 9/10 "This game is in no way a revolution of what's come before, but that doesn't matter one bit – the mechanics are still as solid as they always were, the humour still makes my face ache from smiling, and not once did it ever outstay its welcome."
Nintendo 3DS Alex Seedhouse, Nintendo Insider 9/10 "With unwavering charm, this resoundingly action-packed quest for the superstar trio succeeds on all fronts. There's little to criticise in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros., an epic collision that results in a Mushroom Kingdom mash-up of near perfection."
Nintendo 3DS Conor McMahon, Nintendo Life 8/10 "Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. totally succeeds as an accessible, entertaining and lengthy crossover for fans and newcomers alike. It introduces a solid list of worthy new mechanics, particularly building upon the battle system in some exciting new ways, and breaking exploration up with random quests. It's more of a mini RPG than ever, but doesn't quite nail it when it comes to environmental design and storytelling. In the end it's Paper Jam's simplicity that makes it a great starting point and an easy recommendation, but also holds it back from taking full advantage of more dimensions than ever before."
Nintendo 3DS Mark Brown, Pocket Gamer UK 6/10 "When you're in battle, Paper Jam Bros reminds us why we've spent countless hours with both Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi games. But everything else feels like a pale imitation of two, once great games."
Nintendo 3DS Dave Irwin, TheSixthAxis 7/10 "Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. sadly falls flat on its face at the final hurdle, but is a light-hearted and hugely enjoyable romp up until that point. There are great nods to both Mario & Luigi RPG and Paper Mario franchises, and the three protagonists make a great team in this 3DS RPG. Questionable decisions around the use of Amiibo and the mini-game side-quests can't be ignored, but the charm of Paper Jam Bros. can't be understated."
Nintendo 3DS Alex Jones, GamesRadar+ 4/5 "If you've never played a Mario & Luigi game, this is the perfect on-boarding point. It's got a hilarious script, near-flawless battling, and bucketfuls of charm."
Aggregators
Compiler Platform / Score
Metacritic 76
GameRankings 76.70%

Quotes[edit]

Main article: List of Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam quotes
  • "Oh, puh-lease! YOU'RE the knockoff!" - Paper Bowser
  • "One last thing: Be sure to save often, won't you?" - Lakitu
  • ""I AM NOT A BEE!!" - Starlow
  • "I can't lose to these puny brats! I'm a king! I...I have a mustache! Oh. Right. So do they." - King Bob-omb

Glitches[edit]

Main article: List of Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam glitches

Explore as Paper Mario alone[edit]

Warning! Performing this action may corrupt your game's save file.

The "Play as Solo Paper Mario" glitch in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
Paper Mario in an area that should be inaccessable to him alone

By moving down and left into the wall in the Sunbeam Plains Paper Mario only area at the right angle, the player can clip into the wall and take Paper Mario out of bounds. If he walks back to the main map, he is then able to wander off his own.

In this state, he can fight enemies, use/collect items, buy items, and access various areas via Warp Pipes, but cannot get through cutscenes or use Trio abilities. If the player talks to the Toad who sells them ? cards, after buying one, the game softlocks, as Mario is not there to say "Oh yeah!"

Note that certain parts of the game world cannot be entered or escaped by Paper Mario on his own. As a result, the player should not save the game while in one of these areas, since it makes the file unusable.

Stuck Papercraft Bowser[edit]

If Papercraft Bowser is knocked over too near the edge of his arena, his body can get stuck in the wall. This makes him unable to move and his followers unable to pick him up. This lets the trio attack him without any fear of taking damage.

Pre-release and unused content[edit]

Main article: List of Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam pre-release and unused content

In the footage of the game shown at E3 2015, Battle Cards are shown to be available to the player as soon as Petey Piranha's battle as opposed to the battle with Wendy and Roy in the final game. The number graphics on the cards are also different, being orange instead of yellow.

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.

Media[edit]

For a complete list of media for this subject, see List of Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam media. For a list of in-game music, see Music Player.
Audio.svg Mixed-Up Scramble - The game's main battle theme
File infoMedia:M&LPJ Mixed-Up Scramble.oga
0:29
Audio.svg Steel Yourself/Prepare Yourself - Plays during tutorials
File infoMedia:M&LPJ Steel Yourself.oga
0:29
Audio.svg Peach's Castle Theme - Plays in Peach's Castle
File infoMedia:M&LPJ Peach's Castle Theme.oga
0:29
Audio.svg Springtime Breeze - Plays in Sunbeam Plains
File infoMedia:M&LPJ Springtime Breeze.oga
0:29
Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?

References to other media[edit]

  • Donkey Kong: One of the Rank-Up bonuses is called "Jump Man".
  • Super Mario Bros.: After it is revealed that the Princess Peach duo are on Mount Brrr, the story text reads "Our princess is in another...prison?"
  • Super Mario Bros. 3: A portion of the music for the battle against Bowser and Paper Bowser is taken from the Airship Theme from this game.
  • Super Mario Adventures: How Roy summons the Charging Chucks is a reference to the same thing Wendy does in this comic.
  • Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars: The game ends with a parade of the characters going through the Mushroom Kingdom. Parts of the title and credits theme sound similar to the first eight notes of "Happy Adventure, Delightful Adventure". A Battle Card has the effect of possibly turning enemies into mushrooms, similarly to how some enemies could do the same thing in this game, although they turn into consumable items rather than being afflicted with a status effect. The song "Mixed-Up Scramble" has a brief rearrangement of "Goodbye Geno" in the middle of the track.
  • Paper Mario: The block ability originated from this game can be used as a "last resort" when counter-attacking in battles. The game utilizes Star Points for the Battle Card system, and these are similar in design to the ones found in Paper Mario. A melon is given to the bros. and Paper Mario by a Yellow Yoshi, which is a reference to what happens in Lavalava Island. Whenever a paper enemy gets defeated, it spins around and then explodes, like the enemies did in this game. One of the Expert Challenges is called "Lucky Star" which is a reference to this game's item of the same name. Bowser's Castle rising out of the lava because of a platform underneath is very similar to when Bowser's Castle lifts Peach's Castle into the sky in this game. The record player that Paper Luigi listens to in the Music Player looks similar to the one found in Boo's Mansion, and the music notes it produces are similar to the ones Paper Luigi produces when he sings at Mario's House.
  • Luigi's Mansion: Luigi's walk cycles are based on his walk cycles from this game.
  • Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga: A cover of the battle theme from this game is used before Paper Mario joins the party. When Mario is about to talk to the two Peaches at the start of the game, Luigi occasionally jumps and can be talked to, referencing him in Toad Town Square. HP recovery blocks from the Japanese version return. One of the attacks used by the Kamek duo is similar to the Border Jump minigame.
  • Super Mario Sunshine: During the chase sequence with Petey Piranha, he uses an attack featuring the Goop from this game. Some of Wiggler's voice clips from this game are re-used during Petey Piranha's boss battle.
  • Super Mario sports games: At one point, Paper Peach thinks about changing her hair into a pony tail, with Peach stating it is more fitting for sports, referencing her design in most sports games after Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour.
  • Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door: Both the Paper Airplane and Paper abilities return from this game. The first time Paper Mario meets Mario, he performs a Spring Jump. Paper Mario's blocking and KO'd animations are the same as from this game. The way the trio gains Star Points by performing the attacks as good as possible is similar to how Paper Mario and his partners has to "appeal" to the audience to refill the special meter, by also performing the moves as good as possible and by posing stylishly. The stage where the characters stand when they gain EXP after a battle is similar to the one from the battles in this game, down to the yellow stripes on the border of the curtains when they level up.
  • Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time: A cover of the tutorial theme from this game can be heard, which in turn is an arrangement of the Ground Theme from Super Mario Bros. The energy beams which unlocks pipes return. The cloud platforms return as well. In Twinsy Tropics Dungeon, Starlow breaks the fourth wall saying to the player, "Back to the adventure", referencing Stuffwell's catchphrase. The puzzle involving the three pearl statues in Twinsy Tropics is similar to the puzzle involving the four Dry Bones statues in the Gritzy Desert.
  • Super Paper Mario: Paper Bowser's artwork seen at the end is from this game. Additionally, one of the Expert Challenges is called "Super Paper Mario!", referencing the title of this game.
  • Super Smash Bros. series: There is a mission in Neo Bowser Castle that goes under the name Final Smash.
  • Mario Kart Wii: Some of Toadette and King Boo's voice clips are reused.
  • Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story: A cover of "Inside the Castle Walls" from this game can be heard, which in turn is an arrangement of the same theme from Super Mario 64. Some of King Boo's attacks resemble those from the Dark Star. His multiplying move resembles that of the Dark Star and his fire breathing attack resembles the Dark Satellmite's beam attack.[7] When Roy and Wendy are fought, one of the moves they perform resembles the Koopa Corps special attack from this game.[8] In addition, Goombas attack in an identical manner to Goombules and the Big Pokey has a similar attack to Calorites, the latter of which can even be dodged in the exact same way if enough of its segments are missing. The smaller balloons in Luigi's Balloon Blast Bros. Attack resemble the special enzymes that appear inside the Giga-carrot, complete with red, yellow, and blue variations.
  • New Super Mario Bros. Wii: Iggy's pet Chain Chomp returns when fighting the Koopalings. The Super Star theme is reused in the Papercraft Yoshi segment.
  • Super Mario 3D Land: A rank appears based on the Boomerang Flower, as well as one based off of the Super Leaf's redesign from this game.
  • Paper Mario: Sticker Star: Many of the elements from this game return. Thus, many graphics and enemies from this game and most of this game's background system is reused. When Paper Mario shows up for the first time, he jumps in the air and gets a yellow and white background, along with everything around him stopping for a second, similar to how characters are introduced in this game. One of the Toads in the Toad Village of Sunbeam Plains talks about wanting to become a traveling Toad, similarly to the disaster-prone one encountered in this game. Whenever a paper enemy is defeated, it turns gray, similar to how the enemies do if Paper Mario keeps attacking them after their HP has reached 0 in this game. Cardboard coins return from the Paper Mario universe as they are dropped from defeated paper enemies. Moving the system around whenever a shiny Battle Card is present on the lower screen causes the sparkle effect to move, depending on the angle the 3DS is held, the same exact thing that can be done with shiny stickers in this game.
  • The Year of Luigi: To encourage Luigi while he is alone in the Gloomy Woods, Starlow mentions he had a year named after him.
  • Mario & Luigi: Dream Team: The game runs on the same engine used in this game. As such, many of the game's graphics are reused, although some characters have received new animations. All of Mario and Luigi's battle animations are reused with the exception of new jumping in battle animations. One of the new Bros. Attacks, known as Mega Thwonk, features Luigi as a giant, using the same model from the Giant Battles in this game. There are also two returning Bros. Attacks originally from Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. Similar to giant battles, Papercraft battles allow players to win 4 items. The name Neo Bowser Castle is re-used. Bowser's theme in Paper Jam is a cover of his theme from this game, which in turn is an arrangement of the same theme from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.
  • Super Mario 3D World: Bullies and Chargin' Chucks retain their design from this game.
  • Mario Kart series: Character emblems from these games are used for Papercraft characters and Toads. Some of the Koopalings' voice clips are reused from Mario Kart 8.
  • Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker: Toadette often references her adventures in this game in her dialogue, even outright saying the game's title - "I've tracked a few treasures in my day, sirs." Also, some of her quotes have been reused.

References in later games[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Japanese マリオ&ルイージRPG ペーパーマリオMIX
Mario ando Ruīji Ārupījī Pēpā Mario MIX
Mario & Luigi RPG Paper Mario MIX

Chinese (traditional) 瑪利歐&路易吉RPG 紙片瑪利歐MIX[9]
Mǎlì'ōu & Lùyìjí RPG Zhǐpiàn Mǎlì'ōu Mix
Mario & Luigi RPG: Paper Mario MIX

Dutch Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros.
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French (NOA) Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
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French (NOE) Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros.
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German Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros.
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Italian Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros.
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Korean 마리오&루이지 RPG 페이퍼 마리오 MIX
Mario aendeu Ruiji Areupiji Peipeo Mario Mikseu
Mario & Luigi RPG: Paper Mario MIX

Portuguese (NOE) Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros.
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Russian Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros.

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Spanish (NOA) Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
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Spanish (NOE) Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros.
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Trivia[edit]

  • This is the first Super Mario game where dialogue between the Koopalings can be seen, the first Super Mario game published by Nintendo since the Mario Discovery series to give spoken dialogue to the Koopalings and the first one since Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga to call them "Koopalings" instead of "Bowser's Minions" in the British English version of the game.
  • The top of the North American box art has a Paper Goomba in place of the fourth Paper Toad shown on the other international box art.
  • If Bowser's Castle and Neo Bowser Castle are considered the same location, then every major location is visited at least twice in the story.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Miiting (January 29, 2016) Nintendo. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  2. ^ Metacritic score for Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Metacritic. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
  3. ^ Gamerankings score for Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Gamerankings. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
  4. ^ Garbutt, Lee. (November 30, 2015). Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. Review. God is a Geek. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  5. ^ Koopman, Daan. (November 30, 2015) Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. (3DS) Review NintendoWorldReport. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  6. ^ Brown, Mark. (November 30, 2015) Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Review Pocket Gamer UK. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  7. ^ BeardBear (December 3, 2015). Mario & Luigi Paper Jam Walkthrough Part 20 | Gloomy Woods #3 & Boss King Boo. Youtube. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  8. ^ Tealgamemaster (December 4, 2015). Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. - Part 15: Roy & Wendy Boss Fight!. Youtube. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
  9. ^ Official Chinese website for the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary. Retrieved October 23, 2020.

External links[edit]