NSO is rather notorious for how slow its drip-feed can be, only adding a handful of NES and SNES titles every few weeks - thus far not including some highly requested cult-classics likeEarthbound. It isn’t clear how long it will take for the extra N64 games to arrive, and they likely won’t become available all at once. However, including the originalPaper Marioat all is a potentially good sign for fans of the RPG series going forward.
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Paper Mario’s Contentious History
Released in 2000 as a follow-up to Square’sSuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, the firstPaper Mariois a somewhat revolutionary game. The N64 era saw many franchises dipping their toes into 3D for the first time, but while many games likeSuper Mario 64created a then-groundbreaking look for the titular plumber mascot,Paper Mariotried a more unique art style. The fun, papercraft diorama look ofPaper Mariohas arguably aged better than anything else on the console, and its combat that pushedSuper Mario RPG’s action command systemsolidified a formula still replicated by AAA and indie games.
However, 2004’sPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Doorsurpassed its predecessor in nearly every way. It is often considered one of the best titles on the GameCube, and many would argue it to be the best entry in its franchise. There are frequentlycalls for Nintendo to re-releaseThe Thousand-Year Door, largely because its Wii follow-upSuper Paper Marioradically changed things in 2007. Instead of a turn-based RPG with action commands,Super Paper Mariois more of a platformer with RPG elements - though its rich story and world design captures much of what fans love about the game’s predecessors.
From there,Paper Mariofans are well aware of the franchise’s rocky reception.Paper Mario: Sticker Star(2012) on 3DS is decried for returning Mario to a more simplified world with controversial combat mechanics involving limited-use stickers and “Things” based on real-world objects.Paper Mario: Color Splash(2016) on Wii Ucontinued this trend, and whilePaper Mario: The Origami King(2020) on Switch got more love for its grid-based puzzle combat and world design, it is still far from the original games that many fell for.
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Paper Mario: Returning to the ‘Good-Old Days’
Even thoughThe Origami Kingsaw a more favorable reception at launch, there was added controversy surrounding its development. Series producer Kensuke Tanabe saidPaper Mariomay keep moving away from its RPG roots, with comments speaking about interest in trying new mechanics or mandates about not straying as far from the coreSuper Mariocast as earlier titles.
Some fans believed the shift in design philosophy forPaper Mariogames pointed to it being less likely those earlier titles would re-release in any form. After all, with so many demanding to see the classic games they feel are “better” than modern offerings, it may be in Nintendo’s best interest to hide those adventures in favor of things likeThe Origami King.Paper Mariocoming to NSO’s N64 library, whether it’s shortly after launch or not, is evidence to the contrary.
Nintendo is a company built on a legacy of beloved games and seemingly eternal franchises. While it isn’t always great about making that legacy accessible for newcomers,Paper Marioreturning is hopefully a good sign of things to come. It’s unclear whetherGameCube or Wii games will get Switch librariestoo, but even if not there have been re-releases throughSuper Mario 3D All-Starsand remakes likeLink’s Awakeningthat suggest anything is possible.The Thousand-Year Doorand morePaper Mariogames could still have a comeback with NSO’s N64 offerings leading the way.
MORE:All the Rare-Developed Nintendo 64 Games That Could Come to Switch Online
