Anniversary: Paper Mario First Unfolded On N64 25 Years Ago
By A full quarter-century has passed since Mario unfolded onto the scene on the 11th of August.
This moment marks the birthday celebration of the N64’s turn-based role-player, Paper Mario — a milestone that also grants the entire franchise its 25-year ribbon. Does the passage of time sting yet?
Early sketches had Square at the wheel, fresh off their alliance with Nintendo to craft Super Mario RPG on SNES. Ultimately, Intelligent Systems took over, shaping the inaugural papery quest for the plumber — one that, to countless fans, remains the (or sits alongside Thousand-Year Door) crown jewel.
Borrowing from the plumber’s prior RPG adventure, this entry retains timed-action battles but trims the party down so that Mario shares the stage with a single ally, both on the battlefield and while roaming.
Across the journey, a rotating roster of partners joins the fight, each representative of a familiar Mario enemy tribe — beloved Lady Bow, a Boo, is joined by Sushie, a Cheep Cheep, among others.
Their talents reach beyond skirmishes: every companion offers Mario an exploration power. Goombario dishes out trivia about your surroundings, Parakarry the Paratroopa ferries you over wide chasms, and Sushie lets you paddle across water.
The installment also debuted Badges, wearable trinkets that pass along stat boosts, special effects, and occasionally fresh attacks.
Let’s not overlook that spectacular magazine promo that ran before launch:
While The Thousand-Year Door on GameCube — later remastered for Switch in 2024 — preserves much of the N64 game’s soul and abilities, later sequels steadily peeled away from classic turn-based systems, dabbling in mechanics that stray from RPG orthodoxy.
Still, there would be no franchise without the endearing N64 pioneer, now accessible through the Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics library (Expansion Pack required). The most recent chapter was 2020’s The Origami King on Switch — fingers crossed for a future Switch 2 boost!
So, polishing off another playthrough right now? Yearning for a brand-new release? Cast your votes in the polls below and let the celebration unfold in the comments.