Paper Mario

What if the whole world were cut out of paper? Paper Mario from 2001 took this playful idea and built on it one of the most charming RPGs on the Nintendo 64 — a game where the characters are as flat as cut-out figures, but the story and humour have a depth that keeps you glued to the screen.

Studio Intelligent Systems built on the spirit of Super Mario RPG and gave it its own artistic style: two-dimensional paper characters move through beautifully lit three-dimensional environments, so the whole world feels like a moving storybook or a children's puppet theatre. It's a visual that hasn't aged — it has its own, instantly recognisable charm.

The battles are turn-based, but don't be fooled: this isn't passive command entry. The key is the so-called action command — the correct timing of a button press during an attack or defence, which boosts damage or softens hits. This makes the battles active and demands attention, rather than degenerating into mindless button-mashing.

The real draw, though, is the writing. Paper Mario brims with wit, adorable characters and self-deprecating moments — even ordinary enemies and side characters have personality and lines that will make you laugh. The companions who join Mario each bring their own abilities, usable both in combat and in solving puzzles out in the world.

Paper Mario kicked off a beloved series whose peak, for many, is the later Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door on the GameCube. This first instalment, though, remains a superb and accessible entry point into the JRPG genre — light enough for newcomers, clever and funny enough to be enjoyed even by seasoned players.

Why play it: A charming paper RPG with clever turn-based combat and infectious humour — an enchanting start to one of Nintendo's most beloved series.