Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a 2004 role-playing video game for the GameCube developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. Following Paper Mario, The Thousand-Year Door is the second game in the Paper Mario series and is part of the larger Mario franchise. When Mario and Princess Peach become involved in the search for a mystic portal containing great fortune, Peach is kidnapped by an alien group known as the X-Nauts; Mario sets out to find the treasure and save the princess.

It's a vibrant adventure full of clever nods to the portly plumber's past and the same irreverent spirit that distinguishes so many Mario RPGs from the mascot's platformers. Whereas other entries have fallen short in one or two areas, Thousand-Year Door nails it all: plot, writing, battles, and presentation.

Critics praised the game, praising it for its engaging plot and gameplay. The Thousand-Year Door was named "Role Playing Game of the Year" at the 2005 Interactive Achievement Awards and is widely regarded as the series' best game. The game was followed by Super Paper Mario, which was released in 2007 for the Wii.

Detailed information:

Number of Players: Single Player

Genre: RPG

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Paper Mario is a video game series developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo that is part of the Mario franchise. It incorporates elements of the role-playing, action-adventure, and puzzle genres. Players take control of a paper cutout, and Mario, sometimes accompanied by allies, is on a quest to defeat the antagonist, primarily Bowser. The Paper Mario series includes six games and one spin-off; the first, Paper Mario (2000), was released for the Nintendo 64, and the most recent, Paper Mario: The Origami King (2020), was released for the Nintendo Switch.

Paper Mario may not look as sharp as it once did, but it holds up very well in the important areas and competes with The Thousand-Year Door for the title of Best Paper Mario Game. The N64 original does an excellent job of easing Mario fans into a new style of adventure while providing RPG gamers with depth that you might not expect from the paper-thin premise. The original is up there with the best, thanks to a fantastic supporting cast and buckets of trademark Nintendo charm. The ability to play it on Switch is fantastic news for anyone who missed out but still enjoys the more recent, less important Paper Mario entries in the series.

Detailed information:

Number of Players: Single Player

Genre: RPG

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Super Paper Mario is a 2007 action role-playing game (RPG) developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the third installment in the Paper Mario series and the first Mario game to be released on the Wii. The game follows Mario, Peach, Bowser, and Luigi as they try to collect Pure Hearts and stop Count Bleck and his minions from destroying the universe.

Super Paper Mario combines classic platforming with some of its predecessors' RPG elements, as well as a world-flipping mechanic that gives you a whole new perspective on traditional 2D platforming courses. Originally intended for the GameCube, it makes more sense that it deviates from Thousand-Year Door's approach, and it certainly divides series fans. Regardless of where you fall on the fandom spectrum, the Wii entry is a beautiful game with tricky puzzles and an intriguing, one-of-a-kind flip mechanic.

Detailed information:

Number of Players: Single Player

Genre: Action, Adventure, Platformer, RPG

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Paper Mario: The Origami King is a 2020 Nintendo Switch exclusive cross-genre video game. It is the sixth game in the Paper Mario series, which is part of the larger Mario franchise, and was developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. The plot follows Mario and his friends as they embark on an adventure to save the Mushroom Kingdom from being transformed into origami. To do so, Mario must untangle Princess Peach's castle from the five decorative streamers that span the kingdom.

Paper Mario: The Origami King tries something new with its combat system, and to be honest, we're not sold. That doesn't mean the rest of the game isn't enjoyable, and while the puzzle-based battles aren't exactly what a new Paper Mario game needed, they're not so bad that the rest of the game should be avoided as a result. It's not the new Thousand-Year Door fans were hoping for, but it's still one of the funniest games in the series with a truly likable companion character, and while the combat is far from ideal, the fact that we still recommend the game regardless should speak volumes.

Detailed information:

Number of Players: Single Player

Genre: Action, Adventure

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Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam is a 2015 role-playing video game for the Nintendo 3DS console developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo. It is the fifth installment in the Mario & Luigi series and a crossover between the Mario & Luigi and Paper Mario series. In Paper Jam, Luigi accidentally opens a book containing the Paper Mario universe and all of its containments, which spread into the Mushroom Kingdom; Mario and Luigi set out to save both Princess Peach universe variants from Bowser, who has also teamed up with his paper counterpart. In the game, the player guides the trio through an overworld to Bowser's Castle, fighting enemies in turn-based combat along the way.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam completely succeeds as an accessible, entertaining, and lengthy crossover for fans and newcomers alike by incorporating Paper Mario into AlphaDream's Mario & Luigi mix. This is a fun romp that introduces a solid set of mechanics, experiments with the battle system in novel ways, and breaks up exploration with random quests. Although it doesn't quite nail its environmental design or storytelling, Paper Jam's simplicity makes it an excellent starting point for anyone interested in either series. Fans should be aware, however, that this crossover is more akin to a mainline Mario & Luigi game than a Paper Mario entry.

Detailed information:

Number of Players: Single Player

Genre: Action, RPG

View Details: amazon.com/dp/B0171RL3RS