Games

Best Super Mario RPGs

Published

3 minutes ago

November 17, 2024

Christoph Rediske

split image of paper mario the thousand year door mario and luigi brothership and mario rabbids spar scaled

Key Takeaways

Table of Contents

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

Systems

Released: January 22, 2016
Developer(s): AlphaDream
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

Systems

Released: January 11, 2019
Developer(s): AlphaDream
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

Systems

Released: November 11, 2012
How Long To Beat: 21 Hours
Publisher(s): Nintendo
ESRB: E For Everyone Due To Mild Cartoon Violence

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

Systems

Released: October 7, 2016
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

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

Systems

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

Systems

Released: July 17, 2020
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

Systems

Released: August 11, 2013
Developer(s): AlphaDream

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

Systems

Released: November 17, 2023
Developer(s): Nintendo
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

Systems

Released: August 29, 2017
Developer(s): Ubisoft Milan , Ubisoft Paris
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.

9 Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time

The Cutest Adventure Of Plumbers Through Time And Space

Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time

Systems

Released: November 28, 2005
Developer(s): AlphaDream

This entry uses time travel, which results in a prequel and sequel all in one. Again, showing Nintendo’s love for experimenting, Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time has players controlling both adult and baby versions of Mario via the two screens of the Nintendo DS. Just to make things even crazier, the Plumbers are fending off evil aliens known as Shroobs.

All of this could have led to a disastrous launch that bit off more than it could chew, but Partners In Time proved to be a great RPG. In this game, the Baby Brothers are distinct from their adult counterparts, which leads to some of the cutest interactions, especially with the two different versions of Luigi.

8 Mario + Rabbids: Sparks Of Hope

A Sequel That Added A Galaxy Of New Adventure

Systems

Released: October 20, 2022
Developer(s): Ubisoft Milan , Ubisoft Paris
OpenCritic Rating: Mighty

Kingdom Battle proved to be enough of a success to warrant a sequel. With the concept’s novelty now gone, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope could not risk simply regurgitating its predecessor’s formula verbatim, and that’s something Ubisoft took to heart. Although not as steep of a departure as the Paper Mario sequels, it still adds changes, albeit in ways that emphasize the latter’s strengths rather than reinvent them.

While still a turn-based strategy RPG, Sparks of Hope has quite a lot of exploration and puzzle sections, which act as a nice change of pace from combat. The battle system is also a delight, offering players far more options to contend with. The introduction of Sparks, which can be equipped to characters to provide unique abilities, adds an element of customization absent in Kingdom Battle.

7 Super Mario RPG: Legend Of The Seven Stars

There Wouldn’t Be Mario RPGs Without The SNES Classic

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Systems

Released: May 13, 1996
Developer(s): Square

Before the handheld games came along, the first Mario RPG was developed by SquareSoft: the people behind the Final Fantasy series. Alongside the likes of EarthBound, Final Fantasy VI, and Chrono Trigger,Super Mario RPG: Legend Of The Seven Stars is often labeled as one of the best Nintendo RPGs ever made.

It was a bold move to take a platformer like Mario and attempt to give it story and turn-based combat. SquareSoft (now Square Enix) proved that they were up for the challenge because fans fell in love with Legend Of The Seven Stars, so much so that they begged for a sequel for so many years until it finally got a remake in 2023.

6 Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

Story And Comedy Made The Brothers Feel Like Brothers

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

Systems

Released: November 17, 2003
Developer(s): AlphaDream
Developer: Vanpool

The most amazing thing about Mario‘s RPG franchises is just how different they are from one another. Super Mario RPG, Paper Mario, and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga debuted within 8 years, and while they share similarities, they are still wildly different experiences.

Superstar Saga‘s main selling point was not only that it included both brothers as such expressive protagonists, but also that they are controlled simultaneously. Mario and Luigi have unique abilities that make them individually important while either traversing the world, telling a story straight out of a Mario animated series, or engaging in battles.

5 Paper Mario

Original Characters Made The Nintendo 64 Gem Memorable

Systems

Released: February 5, 2001

Super Mario 64 nearly became the second-highest-rated Mario game on the Nintendo 64. It rightfully deserves that top spot, but it had a stiff competitor in the form of a little experimental title known as Paper Mario, which is a testament to its high quality. The RPG mechanics and writing are sublime; it features everything that all other Paper Mario games attempt to recreate.

Considering how many Paper Mario games have come and gone since the first, it is impressive that only a few have managed to surpass the original game. Even though it sidelines famous characters like Peach and Luigi, the new characters that were added to Mario lore, such as Bombette and Kooper, have become fan favorites.

4 Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2024)

A Good Remake For Those Without The GameCube Version

Systems

Released: May 23, 2024
Developer(s): Nintendo
OpenCritic Rating: Mighty

Since Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is almost unanimously called the best of the Paper Mario franchise, it makes sense that it was the first game to get a remake treatment. However, it is arguably a remaster as it is more or less the same well-made game but with more fetching visuals on the Nintendo Switch.

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There are a few tweaks, but some things were considered worse than the other Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. For example, the new soundtrack was criticized for lacking the same tone and vibe as the original and the remake stutters a lot, while the original on GameCube runs at a smooth 60 frames per second despite twenty years of difference.

3 Mario & Luigi: Brothership

The Brothers Shine More Than Ever In This Comeback

Systems

Released: November 7, 2024
Developer(s): Acquire
OpenCritic Rating: Strong

After the last few Mario & Luigi games led to the spin-off series going into hiatus for almost a decade, fans wondered if it would ever return. However, Mario & Luigi: Brothership put those worries to rest as not only did it bring back the games with a new visual style, but it made several noticeable changes, mixing in a challenging battle system that has already impressed fans.

On top of it all, the story of Mario & Luigi: Brothership focuses on the wholesome relationship between the titular brothers, with many heartwarming moments to make anyone grin. The new 3D visuals, original characters, and comedic moments lead to the outcome of a much-welcome return for the RPG franchise.

2 Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story

A Fantastic Voyage Into The Bowels Of Bowser

Systems

Released: September 15, 2009
Developer(s): AlphaDream

No matter how good they were, it seemed that Nintendo had a difficult title reaching the same heights as the original. That changed with Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story which is often considered the perfect sequel in the spin-off franchise thanks to its. Similar to Partners In Time, players control two parties at once.

Mario and Luigi venture inside Bowser’s body to fight microscopic villains with two buttons, while the other buttons control Bowser himself. The writing was some of the franchise’s best, with Bowser at his funniest, the dual-RPG gameplay was fun, and it did everything just right for a sequel.

1 Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004)

Still An Iconic RPG Over Twenty Years Later

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Systems

OpenCritic: Top Critic Rating:88/100 Critics Recommend:99%

Platform(s): Nintendo GameCube
Released: October 11, 2004
Publisher(s): Nintendo
OpenCritic Rating: Mighty

In the case of Paper Mario games, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door proved to be an equal in-quality follow-up to the original, with many often labeling it to be the best game in the franchise. Its RPG combat is far from difficult, but there are enough layers to it to keep it engaging and entertaining while featuring the signature humor that the series is known for.

The only common complaint it received at launch was the overly long text boxes. Other than that, it was a great new RPG that added more lore, characters, and a new setting to the series. It became another gem for the GameCube library that helped Paper Mario establish its most famous identity, hence why it received a remake.