Re-played via NSO.
This game was the RPG/J-RPG that made me fall in love with the genre. Pokemon was the first I ever played, but I didn't play it because I loved RPGs. I played it because I loved the Pokemon anime. When I first saw Paper Mario as a dumb 6 year old kid I thought "Oh it's like Pokemon meets Mario, that's cool" and I initially got the game because I liked Mario, but the turn based gameplay and RPG mechanics in this game legit changed my life and perspective on the genre and gaming in general and I've played this game so many times across my life.
This is my "Super Mario RPG". and even though it doesn't have as good gameplay as Thousand Year Door, as over-the-top and wacky characters as Super Paper Mario or as funny writing as either of those games. Even though it has clear first game syndrome and was outdone by most in the series after it in many ways. I'll always have that nostalgic soft-spot for the game in my heart because it helped define such a core part of my personality and tastes.
In its own right, it is also still a super creative and charming adventure despite its simplistic narrative which is basically just a typical Mario plot in RPG form (However Bowser legit feels like an actual threat in this game unlike in most), it makes up for it with great world-building, an incredible artistic sense of style and a truly magical and iconic soundtrack that has lived rent free in my head for the past 23 years.
This game was the RPG/J-RPG that made me fall in love with the genre. Pokemon was the first I ever played, but I didn't play it because I loved RPGs. I played it because I loved the Pokemon anime. When I first saw Paper Mario as a dumb 6 year old kid I thought "Oh it's like Pokemon meets Mario, that's cool" and I initially got the game because I liked Mario, but the turn based gameplay and RPG mechanics in this game legit changed my life and perspective on the genre and gaming in general and I've played this game so many times across my life.
This is my "Super Mario RPG". and even though it doesn't have as good gameplay as Thousand Year Door, as over-the-top and wacky characters as Super Paper Mario or as funny writing as either of those games. Even though it has clear first game syndrome and was outdone by most in the series after it in many ways. I'll always have that nostalgic soft-spot for the game in my heart because it helped define such a core part of my personality and tastes.
In its own right, it is also still a super creative and charming adventure despite its simplistic narrative which is basically just a typical Mario plot in RPG form (However Bowser legit feels like an actual threat in this game unlike in most), it makes up for it with great world-building, an incredible artistic sense of style and a truly magical and iconic soundtrack that has lived rent free in my head for the past 23 years.