| Paper Mario | |
|---|---|
 Logo since 2012 | |
| Genres | |
| Developers | Intelligent Systems AlphaDream (2015) |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Platforms | |
| First release | Paper Mario August 11, 2000 |
| Latest release | Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door May 23, 2024 |
| Parent series | Mario |
Paper Mario is a video game series and part of theMario franchise, developed byIntelligent Systems and published byNintendo. It combines elements from therole-playing,action-adventure, andpuzzle genres. Players control a paper cutout version ofMario, usually with allies, on a quest to defeat theantagonist. The series consists of six games and one spin-off; the first,Paper Mario (2000), was released for theNintendo 64, and the most recent,a 2024 remake of 2004'sPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, for theNintendo Switch.
The originalPaper Mario began as a sequel toSuper Mario RPG (1996), developed bySquare for theSuper Nintendo Entertainment System. Changes in development resulted in the game becoming a standalone game titledMario Story in Japan. Although the early games in the series were well-received,Kensuke Tanabe wanted each one to have different genre and core gameplay elements. This led the series to slowly move genres from role-playing to action-adventure, though some role-playing elements are still present later in the series.
The first two games in the series,Paper Mario andThe Thousand-Year Door, received critical acclaim, and were praised for their story, characters, and unique gameplay. WhenPaper Mario: Sticker Star was released in 2012, the series began to receive many complaints about its change in genre, removal of original fictional races, and less unique character designs, but continued to garner praise for its writing, characters, music, and enhanced paper-inspired visuals.Super Paper Mario is thebest-selling game in the series, with 4.3 million sales as of 2019. The series has collectively sold 12.54 million copies.
SeveralPaper Mario games were nominated for at least one award;The Thousand-Year Door won "Role Playing Game of the Year" at the 2005Interactive Achievement Awards,Super Paper Mario won "Outstanding Role Playing Game" at the12th Satellite Awards in 2007, andSticker Star won "Handheld Game of the Year" at the 16th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards in 2012.The Origami King was nominated for 3, the most at once for the series. The games, mainly the first two titles, have inspired variousindie games includingBug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling. NumerousPaper Mario elements have also been included in theSuper Smash Bros. series.
In the series, Mario is tasked with a quest to explore either theMushroom Kingdom or a similar world. Each game divides the world into several explorable areas that contain puzzles and interactive elements, such as obstacles that Mario has to hit with his hammer,[1] that need to be completed to progress in the story. The locations are designed to look as if they are made out of paper,[2] and contain coins and other collectibles, such as hidden trophies.[3] There are alsonon-player characters (NPCs) which Mario can talk to.[4] All games exceptSuper Paper Mario feature aturn-basedcombat system, where Mario and one or more opponents take turns attacking one another.[1][5]
The first two games,Paper Mario andPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, feature elements similar to that of a typicalrole-playing video game (RPG). Mario encounters multiple allies that join him on his journey, who can help complete tasks in the worlds and fight in combat, the latter of which is similar to other RPG games. The player can either perform a regular attack, where they time a button-press on the controller to deal more damage, or use a special attack, which is more powerful but consumes flower points (FP)—an in-game statistic—when used.[4] When defeating an enemy,experience points (known in-game as Star Points, or SP) are awarded, which makes Mario and his allies more powerful as they progress.[6] Upgrades to special attacks can be found in the overworlds.[7]
Super Paper Mario, the third game in the series, deviates from the RPG genre and plays more as aplatform game instead.[8] Unlike the previous two games, which use a turn-based combat system, Mario does not enter a combat phase and instead fights the enemy in the overworld in real-time.[9] XP is still awarded for defeating enemies.[10][11] Although Mario does not fight alongside unique partners,Luigi,Princess Peach, andBowser are playable and a part of Mario'sparty.[12][13] In addition, allies known as Pixls, which grant abilities for combat and traversing levels, can be summoned and used.[14]
SincePaper Mario: Sticker Star, thePaper Mario games were aimed more towards theaction-adventure genre.[15] RPG elements, such as experience points, allies, a complex plot and variety of fictional races, were reduced. It instead emphasized puzzle-solving, a new experience point system, and new strategic and somewhatpuzzle-like gameplay around combat.[16][17]
| 2000 | Paper Mario |
|---|---|
| 2001 | |
| 2002 | |
| 2003 | |
| 2004 | Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door |
| 2005 | |
| 2006 | |
| 2007 | Super Paper Mario |
| 2008 | |
| 2009 | |
| 2010 | |
| 2011 | |
| 2012 | Paper Mario: Sticker Star |
| 2013 | |
| 2014 | |
| 2015 | Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam |
| 2016 | Paper Mario: Color Splash |
| 2017 | |
| 2018 | |
| 2019 | |
| 2020 | Paper Mario: The Origami King |
| 2021 | |
| 2022 | |
| 2023 | |
| 2024 | Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door |
Paper Mario[a] is a 2000 role-playing video game (RPG) released for theNintendo 64 in 2000 in Japan,[19] and 2001 worldwide.[20] The game was later re-released on theiQue Player in 2004,[21] theWii Virtual Console in 2007, theWii U Virtual Console in 2015,[22] and viaNintendo Classics in 2021.[23] InPaper Mario, Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach and steals the seven Star Spirits and the Star Rod to make himself invincible. Mario must save the imprisoned Star Spirits, defeat Bowser, and save the Mushroom Kingdom.
Gameplay centers around Mario and his allies solving puzzles, with many of the challenges designed around one of the characters' unique abilities. Mario encounters multiple partners as the game progresses.[7] In combat, Mario and his allies have special abilities that consume FP when executed.[6] In the overworld, other abilities can be discovered that can be used in combat.[7]
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[b] is a role-playing video game released for theGameCube in 2004.[20][24] Aremake ofThe Thousand-Year Door was announced for the Nintendo Switch in September 2023 and released on May 23, 2024.[25]
The game is set mainly in and around the hub town of Rogueport, where Mario and Peach discover a locked portal that is thought to lead to the riches of a lost kingdom. Soon after, Peach is kidnapped by the X-Nauts, who want to open the portal. Peach messages Mario about her kidnapping and informs him that he needs to search for the seven Crystal Stars to find the treasure. During this, Mario becomes cursed, which allows him to perform special moves such as folding into a paper airplane or boat.[26] Combat takes place on a stage in front of a live audience; if Mario performs well in battle, the audience will throw helpful items on stage or inflict damage to the opponent. Contrarily, audience members will leave and sometimes inflict damage on Mario if he performs poorly.[27]
Super Paper Mario is anaction role-playing platform game released for theWii in 2007.[20][24] In the game, a new villain, Count Bleck, summons the Chaos Heart to destroy and remake the universe to his liking. Mario sets out to stop Count Bleck by collecting the eight Pure Hearts with the help of Peach, Luigi, Bowser, and a new ally named Tippi.
Unlike the previous games,Super Paper Mario features gameplay more closely related to platforming rather than role-playing. Mario can switch between 2D and 3D, which rotates the camera 90 degrees to change the game's perspective. When he swaps dimensions, hidden elements become visible.[28] Mario is aided by other allies called Pixls, who have different abilities. For example, the Pixl Thoreau allows Mario to pick up and throw objects.[12] Instead of a turn-based combat system, battles take place in the overworld in real-time; upon victory, Mario is awarded experience points.[10][11]
Paper Mario: Sticker Star[c] is across-genre video game released for theNintendo 3DS in 2012.[20][29] In the game, the Mushroom Kingdom is celebrating the Sticker Fest, an annual event where the residents can wish upon the Sticker Comet and have their wishes granted by the Royal Stickers living inside the comet. However, Bowser appears and destroys the comet, scattering the six Royal Stickers across the kingdom. Mario, allied by a sticker named Kersti, search for the lost stickers to fix the Sticker Comet.
Sticker Star's gameplay relies heavily on stickers, which can be found stuck in the overworld, purchased from in-game shops using coins, or received from other NPCs.[30] In combat, Mario's abilities depend on the stickers obtained; for example, a Jump Sticker allows Mario to jump and stomp on his enemies.[31] Other stickers, called Thing Stickers, resemble real world objects that can either be used as a powerful attack against enemies or can be used to solve puzzles in the overworld.[32] Alongside the use of stickers, Mario can "Paperize" the environment to flatten his surroundings and reveal stickers and other secrets.[33]
Paper Mario: Color Splash is a cross-genre video game released for theWii U in 2016.[20][37] InColor Splash, Mario and Peach discover a color-drainedToad, prompting them to sail to Prism Island to investigate the oddity. After noticing the island is also color-drained, they speak to Huey, guardian of the Prisma Island fountain, who explains that the six Big Paint Stars that give the island color have been scattered, later revealed to be Bowser's doing.
Color Splash preserves certain elements of gameplay introduced inSticker Star. Mario is equipped with a paint hammer; various containers of red, yellow, and blue paint can be found that can be applied to Mario's hammer.[1] When he hits something in the overworld, an uncolored object is colored and rewards items such as coins.[1] The player can use theWii U GamePad to trace a hole in the paper environment to reveal secrets, known as the "Cutout" ability.[35][38] Much likeSticker Star, the player pre-determines their action in combat with cards to determine the action and target.[1] Cards can be collected in the overworld or purchased in shops.[39][1] Thing Cards are present, which function similarly to Thing Stickers inSticker Star.[40]
Paper Mario: The Origami King[d] is a cross-genre video game released for theNintendo Switch in 2020.[20][41] Mario and Luigi head to Toad Town in the Mushroom Kingdom, which they discover to be abandoned. At Peach's Castle, they discover Peach brainwashed and folded intoorigami by King Olly. Many other residents, including Bowser, have met a similar fate. King Olly covers the castle in five decorative streamers and Mario, aided by Olly's sister Olivia, head out to destroy the streamers and defeat Olly.
UnlikeSticker Star andColor Splash, the game reintroduces some RPG elements. The game brings back allies, albeit in a simplified role compared to the first twoPaper Mario games.[42] Mario has an ability called the 1000-Fold Arms, which gives him oversized arms that can be used to tear parts of the environment to reveal secrets.[43] Additionally, he possesses a bag of confetti, which is used to fill in empty holes of the overworld.[44] Combat emphasizes puzzle-solving on a circular combat field; the circle is divided into rings and the player is given time to rotate the rings horizontally and vertically to line up the enemies and deal more damage.[45][46]
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam,[e] known asMario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. in Europe and Australia,[48] is a role-playing video game developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for theNintendo 3DS in 2015.[47][49] It is a crossover between thePaper Mario series and Nintendo's other spin-off series,Mario & Luigi. InPaper Jam, Luigi accidentally knocks over a book that contains the Paper Mario universe, which causes the two universes to cross over and spreadPaper Mario residents all over the Mushroom Kingdom. The two Bowsers from both universes team up to kidnap both Peaches. Like the modern entries in thePaper Mario series, this game avoids characters original to the series and focuses primarily on characters found in the mainline Mario games. This is the onlyMario & Luigi title to use this approach, with Starlow being the only character original to either series who makes an appearance.
AlthoughPaper Jam is a crossover, its gameplay is more similar toMario & Luigi's thanPaper Mario's. The player simultaneously controls Mario and Luigi, who use their usual abilities, and Paper Mario, whose actions are paper-inspired, which include folding into a shuriken in combat, and performing a high-damage attack by stacking multiple copies of himself.[48][50]
Intelligent Systems was founded after Tohru Narihiro[f] was hired as an employee byNintendo to port games on theFamicom Disk System to cartridges in the 1980s. Narihiro went on to develop successful games in theWars andFire Emblem series, which allowed him to expand his company with additional artists and developers.[52]
Super Mario RPG, which was released on theSuper Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), was the firstMario role-playing game and was developed bySquare. Square used experimental gameplay mechanics, such as timed button presses to deal more damage in combat, to try to ease fans into finding interest in the genre.[53] Although Nintendo wanted Square to create another RPG game, Square later signed a deal withSony Interactive Entertainment to createFinal Fantasy VII on the originalPlayStation. Instead, Nintendo hired Intelligent Systems to create an RPG for their newest console, theNintendo 64.[20] Game development began shortly after the console's release in Japan in 1996. The game, produced byShigeru Miyamoto, was originally planned to be a sequel toSuper Mario RPG,Super Mario RPG 2, used a similar graphics style to its predecessor, and was to be released on the64DD, a disk drive add-on for the Nintendo 64.[20] Naohiko Aoyama, the game's art designer,[20] later switched the graphics to a paper-like style because he believed players might prefer a game with "cute" 2D character designs instead of one with low-polygon 3D graphics. Development took four years and was released in August 2000 towards the end of the console's lifecycle with theGameCube nearing announcement. The game was titledMario Story in Japan andPaper Mario in North America.[52]
At the 2003Game Developers Conference, Nintendo announced a direct sequel to the previous game,The Thousand-Year Door.[54][55] The game had a playable demo atE3 2004, and was released worldwide later that year[54] asThe Thousand-Year Door internationally andPaper Mario RPG in Japan. By the time the game was released, another series ofMario RPGs,Mario & Luigi, was created for Nintendo's handheld consoles. The first game in the series,Superstar Saga, was developed by AlphaDream and released for theGame Boy Advance in 2003.Kensuke Tanabe, the supervisor ofThe Thousand-Year Door, and assistant producerRisa Tabata drew inspiration from Miyamoto to introduce different gameplay concepts to make the series more entertaining. In a 2020 interview, Tanabe acknowledged the difficulty of maintaining motivation when every game in the series is the same, leading them to explore bigger changes in each game's gameplay and design team.[16]
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The series underwent changes in an attempt to reach new and various audiences.[53] ForSuper Paper Mario, game director Ryota Kawade wanted to surprise fans of the series with new concepts that did not appear in the previous games. When the idea of being able to alternatively switch from 2D to 3D was conceptualized, he presented the idea to the new producer, Tanabe. When Tanabe approved, they both agreed that the idea would work well as anaction-adventure video game rather than an RPG, and real-time combat was also introduced to fit the idea. Despite the changes, Tanabe asked the writers to keep the plot similar to a role-playing game's.[56]Super Paper Mario was announced for the GameCube atE3 2006,[57] but it was ported to theWii in mid-2006 before being released in April 2007.[58] Since the game was intended to be played on a GameCube controller, it did not take full advantage of Wii's new motion controls.[12]
Trailers forSticker Star were shown atE3 2010,[5]E3 2011, andNintendo World 2011,[59][60] but its title was not announced untilE3 2012,[61] and the game was released later in the year. As Miyamoto was no longer the series producer, he asked the developers to not create any new characters and instead use established pre-existing ones in theMario franchise; Nintendo'sintellectual property team enforced this statement into future games in the series.[16] He also asked to change the combat system fromThe Thousand-Year Door, and to remove most of the story elements due to early feedback from fans.[17]
Paper Jam's development was mainly inspired bySticker Star.[36] AlphaDream wanted to use a third button to control a third character in their newest game, and felt Paper Mario would fit the role.[62] Every game in the series fromColor Splash onward has a white paper outline around Mario; the developers ofPaper Jam needed to differentiate the characters from the separate series.[36]
As the Wii U has more graphical power than previous Nintendo consoles, development forColor Splash emphasized the console's graphics and controls. The artists made the graphics look like paper and craft materials, and the Wii U GamePad heavily influenced player combat as the developers found the motion controls fun to use.[34][35] Producer Kensuke Tenabe limited the variety of character designs and continued to exempt original characters, out of respect to series creator Shigeru Miyamoto.[34] The game was announced via aNintendo Direct presentation in early 2016.[63] The game received negative reception afterwards, as fans were frustrated the series was following an action-adventure genre format likeSticker Star.[64] Tanabe mentioned thatMario & Luigi would replacePaper Mario as the RPG series and[65] Tabata noted that thePaper Mario series would focus more on non-RPG elements, such as "puzzle-solving" and "humor", to differentiate the two.[15] The game released worldwide in early October 2016[66] and became the lowest-selling game in the series, possibly due to the low sales of the Wii U and the announcement of the Nintendo Switch prior to its release.[20]Paper Jam was the last game in theMario & Luigi series created by AlphaDream before the company filed for bankruptcy in 2019.[67]
This game is an action-adventure. I'm sure you're aware that, at Nintendo, we also have another series called the Mario & Luigi RPG series, and so since we already have that established Mario & Luigi RPG series, in order to differentiate these two series that we have running concurrently, we've tried to focus more on the non-RPG elements for the Paper Mario games.
Paper Mario: The Origami King was planned to be announced for the35th anniversary ofSuper Mario Bros. in early September 2020, but was instead announced in mid-May the same year.[68][69] Soon after the game's ROM was leaked, the game released worldwide in mid-July 2020.[70][71]The Origami King is the first game in the series that Miyamoto was not actively involved with.[72] Despite the appearance of some iconic characters from the mainline Mario series and the return of allies,[73] critics were still disappointed in their lack of role in the plot and other gameplay aspects.[74][75] The game features large overworlds instead of linear-based levels in the previous games.[76]
In a 2020 interview withVideo Games Chronicle, Tanabe reaffirmed from previous interviews that while he makes note of general criticisms, he makes sure not to ignore "casual players" and new fans of the series. With this in mind,The Origami King greatly focused on puzzle-solving. Tanabe said that he could not satisfy every fan amidst the core veterans and casual players, and instead attempted to gravitate towards new concepts, which is whyThe Origami King used origami as a new paper-like theme. Tanabe explained how the game's writing was kept broad in its context and format so it could be understood by other ages and cultures. He has since kept away from a complicated plot due to how it "led the game away from theMario universe",[16] and instead created a story where different locales would be tied to specific memorable events.[77] Tanabe also noted that sinceSticker Star it was "no longer possible to modify Mario characters or to create original characters that touch on the Mario universe."[16]
As the final announcement of a Nintendo Direct on September 14, 2023,[78] Nintendo announced a remake ofThe Thousand-Year Door, set to release on the Nintendo Switch in 2024. It features remastered HD graphics, and retains the arts and crafts visual style that was established inColor Splash andThe Origami King.[79]
| Game | Year | Units sold (in millions) | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper Mario | 2000 | 1.3[80] | 93/100[81] |
| Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | 2004 | 1.3[82] | 87/100[83] |
| Super Paper Mario | 2007 | 4.3[84] | 85/100[85] |
| Paper Mario: Sticker Star | 2012 | 2.47[86] | 75/100[87] |
| Paper Mario: Color Splash | 2016 | 0.87[86] | 76/100[88] |
| Paper Mario: The Origami King | 2020 | 3.47[89] | 80/100[90] |
| Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | 2024 | 2.06[91] | 88/100[92] |
Paper Mario received critical acclaim when released; the game was positively received for its combination of roleplaying, platforming, and pre-existing elements from theMario franchise.[6][93][28] Its writing and characters received additional praise.[93][94] Publications, such asNintendo Power andGameSpot, listed it among the best games on the Nintendo 64.[95][96][97] It was listed as the 63rd best game on a Nintendo console inNintendo Power's "Top 200 Games" in 2006.[98]
The Thousand-Year Door is often ranked as one of the best games in the series.[99][100] Reviewers praised the game's plot and characters,[26][27][28] withEurogamer considering the story whimsical in tone.[28] The new paper-based game and audience mechanics were also lauded.[26][28][101]The Thousand-Year Door won "Console Role-Playing Game of the Year" at the8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.[102]
Despite deviating from the RPG style,Super Paper Mario still generally received positive reviews. The concept of changing dimensions received praise,[103][104] though there were some complaints for underdeveloped gameplay.[12][11] Some reviewers criticized the plot as overly complicated,[12][105] but most praised the game's writing and humor.[28] The game was commonly listed as one of the best games on the Wii.[106]
Sticker Star received more mixed reviews than its predecessors. Critics enjoyed the graphics, world scale,[107][108] and characters,[32][109] although the lack of character design variety,[107] and gameplay mechanics such as the stickers, were not well-received. While some critics enjoyed the additional layer of strategy, like Philip Kollar ofPolygon considering it engaging,[110] multiple functions of the stickers were criticized. Thing Stickers were considered one of the game's biggest weaknesses,[32][111] and stickers in general were disliked for having only one solution to each puzzle and frequently requiring players to backtrack.[32][109]Sticker Star was overall disdained by fans for the loss of a strategic combat system.[112]
Upon its reveal, fans criticizedColor Splash for continuing the trend of action-adventure installments, and aChange.org petition calling for its cancellation was created.[64] The game was initially disparaged further when it was announced but received generally positive reviews upon release. Most reviewers praised the redefined graphics, and soundtrack,[113][114][115] but combat was considered too simplistic and some reviewers noted its lack of overall necessity to the game.[40]Giant Bomb reviewerDan Ryckert observed that the primary function of coins was to buy cards for combat, which awarded coins in return; he considered the overall system pointless.[114] Ryckert also criticized the depiction of characters, such as the abundance of Toads for lacking in original designs that past entries had.[114]
[The] Nintendo Switch's [The] Origami King is the next great hope then, and while the latest entry does appear to have solved some of the problems fans had with recent previous entries, many series stalwarts are likely to be left waiting for that mythical Thousand Year Door sequel in the sky.
The Origami King re-added favored RPG elements and removed unwanted features, though it was still criticized for continuing the action-adventure format.[117][118] It was praised for its interactive elements,[119][120][2] writing,[2][121][42] characters,[122] and worldbuilding.[119][2][123] Of these elements were hidden Toads, which reviewers commonly called fun and enjoyable, commending their humorous dialogue and interesting hiding spots.[124] Reviewers gave the game's combat system a mixed reception; it was liked for its unique layer of strategy, but dreaded for being difficult and unrewarding.[125] One ofGameSpot's few criticisms of the game included the character designs being less charming than past entries.[126]
The three games sinceSticker Star were strongly criticized for the removal of elements that made the games RPGs, such as an XP system[115][127] (which critics believed made combat unnecessary),[1][109][114] the removal of new and original characters, and the removal of other unique aspects from prior games.[128][100]
ThePaper Mario series has been used as inspiration for variousindie games. According to Jose Fernando Gracia of Moonsprout Games, the game designer behindBug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling, thePaper Mario series was a major inspiration for the game's development.Bug Fables is similar to the first two games in thePaper Mario series, which Gracia considers to be the reason for the game's success. He said that creating a combat system similar toPaper Mario was simple, but not as much as maintaining a similar style of humor. Nicolas Lamarche, who is developingBorn of Bread with Gabriel Bolduc Dufour, said that it retains core RPG gameplay concepts from thePaper Mario games. He mentioned how his ultimate goal was to curate what made the RPG elements so special. Similar games the series has inspired includeScrap Story,Seahorse Saga,[129] andTinykin.[130]
Paper Mario was the best-selling game in its first week in Japan and other regions,[131][132] and has sold 1.3 million copies, making it one of thebest-selling games on the Nintendo 64.[80] Similar toPaper Mario,The Thousand-Year Door was the top selling game in Japan in its first week,[133] and sold over 1.3 million copies since 2007. It is the thirteenthbest-selling game on the GameCube.[82][134]Super Paper Mario was the top selling game of the week upon release in Japan,[135] and ranked as the thirdbest-selling game on the Wii in April 2007, similar to its predecessors.[136] By 2008, the game had sold over 2 million units worldwide.[137][138] As of 2019, the game had sold about 4.3 million copies and is the best-sellingPaper Mario game to date.[84]Sticker Star sold around 400,000 copies in Japan by 2012,[139] and almost 2 million worldwide by March 2013.[140] As of 2020, the game had reached almost 2.5 million sales and is also one of thebest-selling games on the Nintendo 3DS.[86] According to a whitepaper published by the JapaneseComputer Entertainment Supplier's Association,Color Splash had sold over 60,000 units in Japan and nearly 1.2 million copies worldwide by July 2020, making it one of thebest-selling Wii U games.[141][142]The Origami King had the best launch in the series, having doubled the launch sales ofSuper Paper Mario in the U.S., and the series' best launch in its first month.[143][144] By December 2020, the game had sold 3.05 million copies and is the second highest selling in the series, becoming one of thebest-selling games on the Nintendo Switch.[145] By December 2022, the game had sold 3.47 million copies.[89] The remake ofThe Thousand-Year Door had sold 1.74 million copies within a month of launch in June 2024.[146] As of December 2024, the game has sold 2.06 million copies.[91]
VariousPaper Mario elements have been featured in theSuper Smash Bros. series. The most prominent is the "Paper Mario" stage, a map based on multiple games in the series[158] that folds into multiple areas with themes of specific games, such asSticker Star andThe Thousand-Year Door.[159] The map first appeared inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U in 2014,[159] and later appeared inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate in 2018.[160] Additionally,Ultimate has featured "spirits" – in-game collectibles representing various video game characters based on characters from the series. The most recently added were three characters fromThe Origami King in August 2020, being King Olly, Olivia, and Princess Peach after having been folded into origami.[161]
Cast of characters isn't as charming as previous entries
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