For over 20 years, Mario RPGs have been a surprise gem for Nintendo fans. They balance the cartoonish world of Mario with JRPG gameplay.
When someone thinks of Super Mario, the RPG genre is far from the first thing that pops into mind. How could Mario possibly work as a role-playing game? Surely this concept would flop harder than an attempt to reboot Devil May Cry. Not only did the blend work back in the ’90s, but it is still a thing to this day.
For over twenty years, Mario RPGs have produced gems for Nintendo fans. They balance the cartoonish world of Mario with thoughtful and well-made JRPG gameplay. What are the best, though? What Mario RPGs stand out more than others?
Updated on December 4, 2023, by Mark Sammut: The Nintendo Switch has received a new Mario RPG, but how does the remake compare to the plumber’s other adventures? 15 Paper Mario: Sticker Star
Sticker Star is when Paper Mario made the jump onto the Nintendo 3DS, albeit to a more mixed reception than usual for the series. It contained many familiar elements (including the stellar writing) that made everybody love the franchise, but it also made the mistake of being rather messy and uneven.
Sticker Star is not a bad game by any means, but it is considered by many to be a step backward. Rather than the usual experience-gaining system, the player is forced to collect stickers in order to get more powerful. Although not coming completely out of nowhere, Sticker Star shifted Paper Mario away from the RPG genre in general, to the point that it barely qualifies for this article’s subject. 14 Paper Mario: Color Splash
With some of the best visuals in the series, Color Splash takes a reverse Pleasantville approach to its story. All the color of the Paper Mario world has been drained, and it’s up to Mario to save the day. As per usual, the writing is top-notch with clever and inventive visuals to keep things fresh.
Paper Mario: Color Splash is a step up from Sticker Star and is overall a solid experience. Unfortunately, the combat system tends to be a sticking point with most people as it is considered to be among the worst in Paper Mario’s history. 13 Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
With the Mario & Luigi and Paper Mario series having so many entries, it was a pleasant surprise when a crossover was revealed. With the beautiful art styles merged together along with a unique combat system, it wasn’t hard to hook fans onto this game.
It wasn’t perfect, though. Since it was merging two franchises together, the game holds the player’s hand a little too much. Overall, Paper Jam is not the best of either series, but it is a great crossover event regardless. 12 Paper Mario: Origami King
By 2020, it had been a few years since the last Paper Mario game, but Nintendo finally brought the series to the Switch with The Origami King. This time, the visual gimmick is Origami and this leads to the best-looking game in the series. Of course, witty writing is back with some hilarious comedy.
Origami King is a game that shows that Nintendo is not afraid to experiment with new ideas. However, the new ring-based combat system did leave a slightly sour taste in some players’ mouths while others loved it. It was received positively for the most part and left fans hoping for a new Mario & Luigi game to hit the Switch as well. 11 Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
Inception meets Mario. That is the best way to describe Dream Team except without the mind-bending twists. The game was released during The Year Of Luigi and focused heavily on the underrated younger brother.
