It's time for Mario to do a remake

Paper Mario was released in Japan 25 years ago today (August 11, 2025). Below, we review how the dynamic combat system and anomaly approach to Mario Lore affect the next few years of the series.

I bet when Gamespot is released Its first preview of original paper Mario– Then in the United States known as “Super Mario Adventure” and Japan's “Super Mario RPG 2” – Two and a half decades ago, no one expected it to be a beloved sub-series, and people would still enjoy a high priority after 25 years.

However, 25 years ago, the day we were here, Mario first got on the store shelves in Japan. While most Paper Mario fans are the best games in the long-running series on the Millennium Door, I've always loved the original book where it all started.

Paper Mario tells a story of tradition and freshness. It is known that this is a very important Mario story: Bowser takes on a magical devil, takes over the incredible power, captures the Peach Princess, and spreads seven star Macguffins around the world, and Mario must retrieve it in an epic pursuit to defeat him. There are no huge, defined character moments, no thinking plot twists. Just safe, simple Mario fare.

But also in the typical Mario way, simple concepts are enhanced by execution. At the local outpost, a pit filled with a swamp-standard trek where Mario must find descendants of the band of thieves that unlock the lead to the ancient temple. Before he climbs the snowy mountain, he must first prove that he is not the culprit of the Penguin murder mystery (well, it makes sense in the context). The bells and whistles of this journey helped to help it stand out from the plumber's platform escape.

Where the game really shines is its characteristic. Continuing the precedent set by his predecessor, Super Mario RPG, Mario calls life into the Mario universe and still doesn't see it until then. We first saw what Princess Peach do while waiting for Mario to rescue her from Bowserry. She is not a troubled helpless teenage girl who is bold and proactive, trying to assist Mario with the long journey, but can usually be sneaky and convey information about where he needs to go next. Bowser is a greater threat than ever, using the power of the legendary star pole is almost invincible. However, what was the first thing he did after stepping on Mario and putting him into some doom? Write it down in your diary like a dizzy female student. He is a horrible threat and absolutely stupid, a memorable portrayal of classic game villains, and subsequent games and even animated movies have been established.

Paper Mario's emphasis on the character is well proven in Toad Town, at the center of the game. With the modern Mario Champion toad, if you've seen a toad, you've basically seen all of it. Not here. Despite their relatively similar appearances, dozens of Toad Town residents have a unique personality, from this couple at the Fountain, who always find some way to connect their love for each other with Mario's adventures with their families, trying to cope with the shift in family dynamics, as the father's figure was a job off work until Princess Peach's castle was restored. Characters are not kept static either. Their conversation is changing as Mario's journey progresses, reflecting the current state of the world around her. This makes the player's journey more than just a journey to save the princess. This time, they save a bright, breathing world full of unique, fascinating characters and families-people they can actually care about.

But this is the portrayal of the non-toad residents of the Mushroom Kingdom, and the game is the brightest. Paper Mario cements the concept of the ordinary Mario creature with a very different look, personality, and even allegiance, an aspect of the franchise that fans have clamored for decades to return. Super Mario RPG's concept of Bowser's minions (like Goombas and Koopa Troopas) teased his troops to defect and live their lives in their own sense, and Paper Mario took that concept a step further. The first characters Mario met when she started her trip were a family of Goombas, who had nothing to do with Bowser, who helped him get back to health. Other characters, such as the rich young booed heiress bow or the character who wants to be Lakitu punk Lakilester, brings new designs and personalities to the formerly very one-note Mario creature. Most importantly, they can join your partner on your journey.

It is these partner characters that help make Paper Mario's RPG combat system so active. Contact enemies in the world and start a turn-based battle. Mario uses his various familiar jumps and hammer attacks to send his enemies, but his partner supports him with his unique abilities. For example, Goombario specializes in enemy enemies, while Bombette prefers to blow up opponents with a full range of attacks. Enemy position and typing force players to develop strategies to improve their actions and partner characters (regardless of whom), which is the best fit for every battle.

Apart from the graphics, the original paper Mario still performs well. It's as charming and fun as it was when it was first released in 2000. Its simple and engaging story and gameplay make it an ideal entry point for new RPG players and Mario fans. In recent years, almost all Mario RPGs have remakes around it (including a fantastic millennium remake that fixes the relatively few flaws of the original game), which is certainly not an unreasonable desire for paper Mario to receive the same treatment. Regardless of whether the game will be reshaped one day or retained in its current form, any gamer who has never given the original essay Mario A Shot credits it to himself to experience a timeless Mario Magic and continues to resonate 25 years later.

Image source: Nintendo Monovi on YouTube