Super Paper Mario changes the usual Paper Mario formula by blending RPG and platformer. Mario can switch between 2D paper and 3D to solve puzzles, special Pixl abilities (fairy companions). Four playable characters: Mario, Peach, Bowser, Luigi with unique abilities. More mature and emotional scenario than usual Paper Marios, brilliant writing. Sublime paper art direction. Underrated Wii gem.
Your verdict
Category
RPG1 player3+
Description
Platform RPG developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo, Europe September 2007. Mario and allies must traverse eight chapters of a magical book to save two kingdoms and recover the Pure Hearts. Hybrid gameplay switching from 2D to 3D with a button press, transformation-ability Pixls, humorous meta textual narration and spectacular bosses. Unique blend of platforming and RPG with distinctive visual style.
Super Paper Mario review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Between the flatness of paper and a sudden flip into depth, the game invents a hybrid visual grammar, full of mischief. Cut-out characters, bold colours and retro nods compose a world as funny as it is elegant. This graphic idea, bold and playful, has lost none of its singularity.
Inventive and eclectic, the music strings together retro chiptune, elegant waltzes and strange themes that embrace the game's offbeat universe. Each dimension has its sonic colour, from the most laughing to the most solemn. This melodic creativity, surprising and endearing, remains one of the most original in the Paper Mario series.
Super Paper Mario, an Intelligent Systems oddity blending action-platforming and role-playing in a paper world, marked by its 2D-to-3D flipping and unexpected writing. Still common, its collector interest rests on this originality within the Paper Mario line and a niche demand rather than scarcity. A valued piece for those collecting the series, accessible boxed on the console.
Is Super Paper Mario still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2007 on Wii, Intelligent Systems' project takes the series in a new direction by trading the turn based RPG for a platforming adventure, while staying faithful to the paper aesthetic and the witty writing of Paper Mario. The master idea, switching at will between two and three dimensions to reveal hidden passages, founds an exploration system as clever as it is surprising. The offbeat humour, the endearing characters and a surprisingly touching narration carry the whole. The sometimes talky pace divides. A singular and inventive platformer, recommended for fans of original adventure and of flavourful writing.
