Summary
- Mario RPGs blend Mario's world with JRPG gameplay, creating gems for over 20 years.
- Paper Jam crossover felt stagnant, and the Color Splash combat system was criticized.
- Bowser's Inside Story remake lacked charm and left fans wishing for a Switch port.
When someone thinks of Super Mario, the RPG genre is far from the first thing that pops into mind. However, not only did the blend work back in the '90s, but it is still a thing to this day with Paper Mario games and the Mario & Luigi RPG franchises, delivering the concept in two unique ways.
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For over twenty years, Mario RPGs have produced gems for Nintendo fans. They balance the cartoonish world of Mario with thoughtful and well-made JRPG gameplay. What are the best, though? What Mario RPGs stand out more than others?
Updated on November 17, 2024, by Melody MacReady: Nintendo has surprised fans by resurrecting a lost RPG franchise under their belt with Mario & Luigi: Brothership. It is the first original game in the spin-off series in almost a decade, with fans excited to see what the plumber brothers are up to. On top of that, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door received a remake that was also released in 2024, with one game appealing to nostalgia while the other is an entirely new adventure with unique visuals and gameplay. It makes fans wonder where they stack up in the surprisingly long line of role-playing games set in the Mario universe.
19 Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
The Ideal Crossover That Could Have Been Better
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
- Released
- January 22, 2016
- Developer(s)
- AlphaDream
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 3DS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
With the Mario & Luigi and Paper Mario series having so many entries, it was a pleasant surprise when a crossover was revealed in the form of Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. With the art styles merged and a unique combat system, it wasn't hard to hook fans into this game to see how the two worlds collided.
It wasn't perfect, though. Fans felt that despite the two distinct visual and storytelling styles, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam felt stagnant in creativity. Since it was merging two franchises together, the game held the player's hand a little too much. Overall, Paper Jam is not the best of either series, but it is still a crossover worth playing for the novelty alone.
18 Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
A Remake That Should Have Been Brought To The Switch
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
- Released
- January 11, 2019
- Developer(s)
- AlphaDream
- Platform(s)
- 3DS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Some remakes can be improvements over the original, but Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser's Jr.'s Journey is not one. It is considered a step-down due to not only a visual style that lacked the same charm, but it also came out when the Switch was already replacing the 3DS, so many wondered why the original game wasn't ported to the new console and polished.
The only significant change in the Bowser's Inside Story remake was the Bowser Jr.'s Journey mode. Even that mode was considered a disappointment, as it was similar to the squad-building mode from the Bowser's Minions side game in the Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga remake, but starring Bowser Jr.
17 Paper Mario: Sticker Star
The Fun Gimmick Left It Feeling Less Like An RPG
Paper Mario: Sticker Star
- Released
- November 11, 2012
- ESRB
- E For Everyone Due To Mild Cartoon Violence
- Developer(s)
- Intelligent Systems
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Platform(s)
- 3DS
- How Long To Beat
- 21 Hours
Paper Mario: Sticker Star is when the series made the jump onto the Nintendo 3DS, albeit to a more mixed reception than usual for the series. It contained many familiar elements (including the stellar writing) that made everybody love the franchise, but it also made the mistake of being rather messy and uneven.
Sticker Star is not considered a bad game by any means, but it is far from the best. Rather than the usual experience-gaining system, the player is forced to collect stickers to get more powerful. Although not coming completely out of nowhere, Sticker Star shifted Paper Mario so far away from the RPG genre in general, to the point that it barely qualifies as one.
16 Paper Mario: Color Splash
The Most Prismatic Entry In The Franchise
Paper Mario: Color Splash
- Released
- October 7, 2016
- Developer(s)
- Intelligent Systems
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Wii U
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
With some of the best visuals in the series, Paper Mario: Color Splash takes a Pleasantville approach to its story and art style. All the color of the Paper Mario world has been drained, and it's up to Mario to save the day. As usual, the writing is top-notch with clever and inventive visuals to keep things from going stale.
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Paper Mario: Color Splash is a step up from Sticker Star and is overall a solid experience. Unfortunately, the combat system tends to be a sticking point with most people, as it is considered to be among the worst in Paper Mario's history, even if it's not terrible. Sadly, being exclusive to the Wii U led to it being one that most fans haven't played.
15 Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
An Unnecessary Remake But A Faithful One
Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
With the original Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga being exclusive to the Game Boy Advance, it made sense that the developers would remake the game for the 3DS during the console's height in popularity. With several quality-of-life improvements, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions was a remake that maintained most of what came before and helped introduce newcomers to the Mario & Luigi games.
The only thing fans didn't appreciate about the remake was the Bowser's Minions mode, which tries to tell chapters of the main story but from the villains' perspective. It was an admirable attempt, but the gameplay loop lacked the variety needed to keep people's attention, but the remastered main story made fans, new and old, happy to consider it a strong entry.
14 Super Paper Mario
A Divisive Threequel That Drifted From The Formula
Super Paper Mario
- Released
- April 9, 2007
- Developer(s)
- Intelligent Systems
- Platform(s)
- Wii
The third Paper Mario game leaped its way onto the Nintendo Wii. As the title of the game may suggest, Super Paper Mario merges the RPG gameplay fans know with the platforming of classic Super Mario games. This resulted in Super Paper Mario becoming the most divisive of the series, as some felt that it lost its Paper Mario identity aside from the visuals.
Over the years, it has become a genuinely appreciated but unorthodox RPG for the Nintendo Wii, especially when it comes to its storytelling and character development. It gave Mario and Luigi more growth than ever before, making Luigi into a villain, which is rare to see in Nintendo's flagship franchise.
13 Paper Mario: The Origami King
Mario Is Folded Into An Ambitious Adventure For The Switch
Paper Mario: The Origami King
- Released
- July 17, 2020
- Developer(s)
- Intelligent Systems
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
By 2020, it had been a few years since the last Paper Mario game, but Nintendo finally brought the series to the Switch with Paper Mario: The Origami King. This time, the visual gimmick is Origami and this leads to arguably the best-looking game in the series with everything in the environment made of folded or foldable paper. Of course, witty writing is back with some hilarious comedy.
The Origami King is a game that shows that Nintendo is not afraid to experiment with new ideas. However, the new ring-based combat system did leave a slightly sour taste in some players' mouths, while others loved it. It was received positively for the most part and left fans hoping for more games in the future.
12 Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
Luigi Is The Heart Of The Story
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
- Released
- August 11, 2013
- Developer(s)
- AlphaDream
- Platform(s)
- 3DS
The Luigi-centric game can best be described as Inception meets Mario. Mario & Luigi: Dream Team was released during The Year Of Luigi and focused heavily on the underrated younger brother. Players control both brothers as they fight off evil inside Luigi's dreams and in the real world, with new worlds and characters to encounter yet again.
As usual with Mario & Luigi titles , Dream Team features some of the best expressions and animations for the plumbers, giving them plenty of personality, with Luigi continuing to be an iconic character. The writing and humor are on point with a fun RPG battle system and a visual style that would become the new standard for the series for a good while.
11 Super Mario RPG
The First Mario RPG Brought Back For The Switch
Super Mario RPG
- Released
- November 17, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Super Mario RPG has made its way to the Nintendo Switch in the form of a remake. The game is very faithful to its SNES predecessor, so it loses some points for originality and creativity. The 1996 classic has also aged well, and while that helps the remake in a way, it also makes it feel slightly unnecessary. That said, Super Mario RPG is still among the best role-playing games on the Nintendo Switch thanks to its simple but addictive gameplay, vibrant and clean visuals, and witty narrative.
Now, while the core experience largely sticks to the original's blueprint, the remake offers a few twists to help justify a revisit. Obviously, the graphics received the biggest upgrade, and Super Mario RPG looks fantastic on the Switch. The gameplay is generally unchanged, although there is a new combo attack that can be executed once a gauge fills up. This system rewards players who time their button presses well during combat, providing a flashy incentive beyond a small boost to the player's performance.
10 Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
The Unlikely Crossover That Proved Everyone Wrong
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
- Released
- August 29, 2017
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Milan, Ubisoft Paris
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Out of nowhere, Nintendo and UbiSoft collaborated to create a crossover between the Mario series and the Rabbids of all things. This concept of Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle immediately sparked concern among gamers as it seemed random and out of place. It had every opportunity to be Nintendo's biggest flop, but it was anything but that.
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To the shock of everybody, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle proved to be an extremely fun spin-off that merged lite-RPG elements with a turn-based strategy game akin to XCOM games. It was unique with lovely visuals for the Nintendo Switch and showcased the potential of Nintendo collaborating with other companies.