2. Paper Mario 64
Ah, the one that started it all. Well, technically, I guess you could say Super Mario RPG started it all since this was a spiritual successor, but we’re sticking with strictly Paper Mario right now.
There is still nothing like playing the opening hours of the game and getting to walk through Toad Town and getting to see Mario characters living out their simple lives. Although there have been explorable areas/hub worlds in prior Mario games like Super Mario 64, they felt empty and disconnected.
Toad Town, however, was great because every time you came back to it, there was something new to explore or discover, thanks to Mario gaining new abilities or partners. This is where the really great gameplay loop starts.
The reason why older Paper Mario games are better than the more modern ones is because of one reason, cohesiveness. The newer games try so hard to be both adventure games but still try to resemble RPGs, and it’s just a janky mess that doesn’t mesh well.
Paper Mario 64 knows exactly what it wants to be, a turn-based RPG that focuses on puzzles solving, and telling a fun yet simple story. Progressing the story gets you new abilities and partners who can help you get past certain puzzles, which then allows you to go back to older areas and explore more.
The combat is simple yet engaging, requiring a bit of strategy, but battles aren’t too difficult or long. What’s even more fun is the progression, though, as when you level up, you get to choose which aspect of Mario you want to better. You can improve his health, flower points (like magic in other RPGs), or his capacity to equip a certain amount of badges that have a wide array of effects in battle.
The world is so fun to explore, the music will get stuck in your head for days, and fighting enemies like Mario with a know-it-all goomba and other whacky partners by your side is endlessly fun. Paper Mario blends its mechanics and world together seamlessly and is filled to the brim with charm.
