Paper Mario's transformation of the beloved Super Mario universe into a papercraft world is an absolute delight. The RPG-infused gameplay adds a layer of depth and strategy, while the charming story and witty dialogue create an unforgettable experience. Battles are timed to maximize impact and minimize tedium, and Mario's quirky crew of partners bring their unique abilities both in and out of combat. Though some occasional navigation confusion and backtracking exists, this N64 gem remains an imaginative journey and a must-play for RPG fans and Super Mario enthusiasts alike.

Whoever convinced the higher ups at Nintendo to make Mario into paper and then also doubled down on the most ridiculous writing is an actual genius and I thank them everyday.
Paper Mario is a fantastic RPG that really holds it's own in Nintendo's library, if you removed the Mario element from the game it would still be great. The combat is turn based but forces you to be engaged at all times with small different quick time events which helps with the slow battles. The story is good fun and while not mind blowing, it's intriguing and a good time and the writing of side characters are amazing, genuinely every side character was memorable and good God the artstyle is so gorgeous.
The problem this game faces is the way they shove so many party members in your face so fast that you never have a chance to actually learn about them, nor do you use them all much outside of when the game forces you to use them so that you can beat an enemy that's on fire or made of stone and also the balance of enemies towards late game seem to just do loads of damage with attacks so fast you have a hard time defending with the action command.
This is just a great game, it's one of the few Mario games I really enjoy because it's different and unique from the 2D platformer he's known for.

This game's artstyle is beautiful man. I absolutely adore the way it looks, everywhere you go in the game is as beautiful as the last.

This is a super chill RPG, quite possibly one of the most chill out there. You explore a silly little world with Mario enemies and go through quirky little text boxes. Though basic, the game is very noticeably well-polished in this regard. There's a nice, easy skip text button that makes a cool sound, you can spin in the overworld to travel faster which is fun to do, and the way the game moves through areas quickly, the way the camera can sometimes panorama in large areas, it all feels so nice. It's a relaxing world.

The battle system is dirt simple and very fun. I absolutely adore the badge system, my only issue with it is that the game isn't really all that hard. It'll throw a curveball or two, but I don't think I died a single time (I'm pretty sure I popped a Life Shroom though). You don't have a lot you can sic your cool badge setups on, the most you can do is kill stuff faster, which is cool enough I guess.

I love the action command system, it integrates reaction times and execution into a turn-based battle system without feeling stupid. Honestly, fundamentals-wise, this is an incredible RPG. It's intentionally very basic and simple, so this game is "easy to digest" in a way. There isn't really a part of the game that sticks out to me as fantastic, nor is there a part that sticks out as irritating. It's a solid experience throughout.

I 100%'d the game on my last run of it, which was generally pretty chill... except for the genuinely shocking amount of recipes this game has. I had no idea how many there were.

Really, there isn't an extensive amount I can say about this game other than it's comfortable and pretty easy. It's just a solid little game you can play, not much more or less.

Its the one of two Paper Marios to have the simple yet straightforward actual RPG fights with no gimmicks and crap. Speaking as a TTYD fan and played said game as my first foray into this series, I think this game is great in its own way. The tone and aesthetics seems to be taken from [Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island] a lot, notwithstanding chapter 5. Everything feels goofy from start to finish, helped by the fact that Bowser's portrayal is balanced between threatening and hilarious. The gameplay is still good despite its limitations and how crap inputs are. I went for 100% as this game is really great despite how aged it is. Doubly so from how un-ergonomic the N64 controller is.

It's very clear that this game started its life as Super Mario RPG 2. A lot of familiar designs and mechanics from the original Mario RPG have found their way into Paper Mario, especially the Action Command system players will use to either aim or enhance their attacks. But the game certainly has it's own identity outside of being Mario RPG 2.

First and foremost of these differences is the iconic "paper" aesthetic, which originally was a clever sprite/3D style mix that ended up defining this series and a whole host of indie titles trying to recreate that charm. Another key split from Mario RPG is giving Mario 2 basic attacks, each with their own advantages and weaknesses forcing the players to be more strategic with whether they want to use their hammer on an enemy with higher defense, or jumping on an enemy that is otherwise out of reach.

But perhaps Paper Mario's standout mechanic is the Badge system. Through managing Badge Points (BP), players can drastically modify the abilities of Mario and his partners. This is where most of Paper Mario's depth comes from, granting effects ranging from giving Mario new attacks like multi jump and hammer throw, granting him resistances and immunities to damage types, or altering his stats and attack power. Players can use this both to make challenges easier for them, or to set up self-imposed challenges, raising the difficulty for some high-risk, high-reward scenarios.

As far as story and setting goes, Paper Mario stands out to me as the most "Mario RPG" Mario RPG out of all the different role playing games that Nintendo's mascot has found himself in. The setting mostly sticks to the Mushroom Kingdom, and the character and enemy types rarely deviate from familiar faces from past Mario titles. There are a few new creatures added in like Clefts and Duplighosts, but even they feel like a natural part of Mario's world. And unlike some later Mario RPG's, each and every one of these characters you encounter will have a fun and distinct personality that is even baked into their designs. Even minor NPCs will be memorable with fun unique designs and fun dialogue with little of the copy pasting that future Paper Mario titles suffer from.

The game tends to remain on the easy side with a handful of difficulty spikes for certain bosses, but this is not a strike against the game. Though mostly easy, the game's mechanics and puzzles still provide a lot of fun for players. If you're looking for a more of a challenge, you might be better off trying Bug Fables instead. But if you don't mind that then this game is a truly excellent title that I find myself coming back to frequently. Even after decades the original Paper Mario stands up as one of the best games in its series and one of the most polished N64 games out there.

going through my stack of the 8 (count them, 8) n64 games i own and reviewing each one now. paper mario 64 has a lot going for it to be sure, but i think it is outclassed in a lot of ways by ttyd and spm. i do like the spin move, it makes navigating the overworld really fun and im surprised they never brought it back, but like, ttyd outclasses 64 in gameplay, and spm outclasses it in story in my opinion. still, a great game on its own that laid the groundwork for a fantastic trilogy, it just suffers from "the first" syndrome in a couple spots