Paper Mario
Overview
Paper Mario is a 2000 role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems for the Nintendo 64. The player takes control of Mario on his quest to rescue Princess Peach and save the Mushroom Kingdom from Bowser, who has stolen the mythical Star Rod of Star Haven and used its wish-granting powers to make himself invincible.
To stop Bowser, Mario and his ever-growing party of allies must save the seven Star Spirits — magical beings sealed inside cards by Bowser, the only entities whose power can nullify the Star Rod.
Paper Mario blends traditional Japanese RPG mechanics with Super Mario-style platforming — Mario can jump in both the overworld and in battle, and jumping remains one of the most important actions throughout. The title refers to the game's arts-and-crafts aesthetic; nearly every character is drawn as a flat 2D sprite that reveals itself as paper-thin when turning around, and many environmental elements are also depicted as 2D sprites.
Originally in development for the 64DD as a sequel to Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars — initially titled Super Mario RPG 2, then briefly Mario RPG 64. Concept art posted by Super Mario RPG artist Kazuyuki Kurashima in 2019 reveals that Samus Aran and Link were originally planned to appear alongside the regular Super Mario cast. Imagine that.
Paper Mario became the first installment of the eponymous franchise and inspired six direct sequels: The Thousand-Year Door (GCN), Super Paper Mario (Wii), Sticker Star (3DS), Color Splash (Wii U), The Origami King (Switch), plus the 2024 TTYD remake.
Story · Opening
The story opens with Star Haven — a place that lies far beyond the sky and far above the clouds. Within its sanctuary sits the Star Rod, an artifact that can grant any and all wishes. The seven Star Spirits use this object to watch over and protect the Mushroom Kingdom — until the day Bowser and Kammy Koopa appear in the sanctuary, shatter the protective seal, and steal the rod. Kammy Koopa then traps the Star Spirits inside cards and scatters them across the world.
Mario and Luigi receive an invitation to a party from Princess Peach. Upon arriving at the castle — full of guests from all over the Mushroom Kingdom — Mario proceeds to meet the Princess. Their meeting is interrupted when Bowser's Castle rises from the earth beneath Peach's Castle, lifting both buildings into space.
Bowser and Kammy appear to kidnap the Princess. Mario attempts to fight off Bowser, but finds himself outmatched when Bowser produces the Star Rod and uses it to become invincible. Mario is cast out of a castle window and plummets back toward the ground, allowing Bowser to kidnap Peach unimpeded.
Prologue · A Plea from the Stars
A Plea from the Stars
The seven Star Spirits manifest over Mario's broken body and use their remaining power to save his life. He's found unconscious by a family of friendly Goombas who carry him back to their village.
While knocked out, Mario receives a vision from Eldstar, who urges him to journey to Shooting Star Summit. After waking, Mario meets the family who saved him — including Goombario, the family's son and Mario's self-proclaimed biggest fan. Kammy Koopa confirms Mario is still alive and blocks the village exit with a Yellow Block.
After Mario retrieves a hammer from grandfather Goompa and defeats local nuisance Jr. Troopa (the first of six battles with him), Goompa breaks the block and Goombario joins as Mario's first party member.
On Goomba Road, the duo are confronted by the Goomba King and his lackeys, the Red & Blue Goomba Bros. Defeating them clears the way to Toad Town and onward to Shooting Star Summit, where the Star Spirits explain Bowser's plan and the location of the captured spirits across the Mushroom Kingdom. Releasing all seven will grant Mario the Star Beam — the only force that can negate the Star Rod's invincibility.
Chapter 1 · Storming Koopa Bros. Fortress
Storming Koopa Bros. Fortress
After leaving town, Mario follows Pleasant Path but finds the way to the Koopa Bros. Fortress inaccessible. He detours to Koopa Village and arrives to see local Koopa Troopas being harassed by Fuzzies stealing their shells. One of the victims is Kooper, who asks Mario for help recovering his shell. Once returned, Kooper is so grateful he joins Mario's party.
With Kooper's special shell-launch ability, Mario reaches the Koopa Bros. Fortress. During his assault he triggers a trapdoor and falls into a prison cell full of Bob-ombs. One of them — Bombette — explains that they had been working for the Koopa Bros. but were locked up for revolting against them. She blows up a crack in the cell wall, freeing the group, and joins Mario.
At the top of the fortress, the Koopa Bros. try to scare Mario off with a fake Bowser suit. When the bluff fails, they fight directly. After their defeat, they're knocked off the arena into the same prison cell from earlier. Eldstar is freed and grants Mario the ability to use Focus (free SP refill) as well as the special move Refresh (1 SP — restores 5 HP/FP and cures status).
Chapter 2 · The Mystery of Dry, Dry Ruins
The Mystery of Dry, Dry Ruins
Mario's group heads to the Toad Town train station. After Bombette blasts the boulder blocking the railroad, they ride the Dry Dry Railroad aboard the K64 to Mt. Rugged, the mountain beyond which the desert lies.
At Mt. Rugged, Mario meets Parakarry, a distressed mailman who's dropped letters all over the area. After helping find them all, Parakarry joins out of gratitude. His ability lets him carry Mario across gaps too wide to jump.
After crossing Dry Dry Desert, Mario reaches Dry Dry Outpost. After exchanging items for information, he meets town leader Moustafa, who hands him the Pulse Stone and tells him to let it guide him to Dry Dry Ruins. Following the stone's signal through the desert, Mario finds a pedestal — the ruins rise out of the sand before his eyes.
Inside, a ghostly wail warns Mario against continuing. He presses on regardless and finds Tutankoopa — the source of the voice and the Star Spirit's guardian. Defeated in battle, Tutankoopa is chased out by his own Chomp, allowing Mario to free Mamar.
Chapter 3 · The “Invincible” Tubba Blubba
The “Invincible” Tubba Blubba
Mario meets Bootler, a servant of Lady Bow, who invites him to Boo's Mansion in the heart of Forever Forest. After overcoming the mansion's puzzles, Mario meets the aristocratic Lady Bow. She tells him about Tubba Blubba, the threat he poses, and the secret rumoured to be his weakness.
Bow then blackmails Mario into helping — she'll only release the Star Spirit Skolar (who her Boos caught) if Mario defeats Tubba Blubba. She joins his party because she's tired of seeing fellow Boos suffer (and because Mario can't reach Tubba's Castle without her intangibility ability).
The group leaves Forever Forest and heads to Gusty Gulch, where they witness Tubba Blubba attacking a ghost village and devouring a Boo named Stanley. They follow Tubba to his castle and sneak up to the master bedroom. In a chest beside the bed, Mario finds Yakkey — a talkative key who is the literal key to Tubba Blubba's secret inside Windy Mill. Yakkey concludes that Mario must be a thief and alerts Tubba Blubba, who chases the group down to the mill. Mario unlocks the mill with Yakkey.
Inside Windy Mill, Tubba Blubba's secret is revealed: his heart has been controlling his body remotely. After defeating the heart, it tries to escape outside — only to be intercepted by Tubba's body. The two reunite, but with the heart now back inside, Tubba is vulnerable. Defeated, he releases all the Boos he had eaten and reveals he's actually a sensitive guy who hates being scared by the Boos. Lady Bow keeps her word and frees Skolar.
Chapter 4 · Trials in the Toy Box
Trials in the Toy Box
Inside the toy box, Mario runs into obstacles he can't overcome alone: a railway with no train, Gourmet Guy blocking the way. He has to fight Shy Guys, retrieve items they've stolen from Toad Town citizens, and return them to their owners. At certain points, Kammy Koopa shows up and tries to execute Bowser's plan by summoning obstacles based on the “weaknesses” Peach gave (which were lies).
Eventually Mario reaches Red Station, where he battles the Big Lantern Ghost and frees Watt — a Li'l Sparky who was captured by the Shy Guys and used as a light source. Watt joins, granting Mario the ability to illuminate dark areas and reveal hidden blocks.
Mario then locates the Shy Guys' central base of operations and meets their leader, General Guy. The General rallies his men and sends wave after wave of Shy Guy infantry against Mario, who dispatches them one after another. General Guy finally fights Mario directly atop his tank — once defeated, he and his troops flee, and Mario rescues Muskular, the fourth Star Spirit.
Mario heads to the Toad Town harbour, where he meets Kolorado the archaeologist and a whale. The whale offers to ferry Mario over the ocean — but only if Mario climbs inside his belly first and cures his bellyache. Inside, Mario finds Fuzzipede irritating the whale's insides. After defeating Fuzzipede, the whale ferries Mario and Kolorado to Lavalava Island.
Chapter 5 · Hot, Hot Times on Lavalava Island
Hot, Hot Times on Lavalava Island
On Lavalava Island, Mario and Kolorado find the entrance to Mt. Lavalava blocked by a lava river. They head to nearby Yoshi's Village — but the village is in a state of panic because its kids have gone missing in Jade Jungle.
Mario heads into the jungle and finds the kids' caretaker, Sushie, stuck in a tree. Freed, she joins Mario and helps locate all the missing Yoshi children. With the kids returned, the Village Leader suggests seeking out Raphael the Raven atop a large tree (accessible only with the Jade Raven). Raphael summons his Raven followers to construct a set of ropeways across the lava.
Inside Mt. Lavalava, Mario does most of the work while Kolorado suffers various injuries trying to be useful. Deep inside the volcano, they reach the Lava Piranha — the Star Spirit's guardian. Mario defeats it (in two phases: first the regular form, then a flaming form with higher attack) and releases Misstar — but the volcano starts to erupt.
As they flee, Kolorado spots a treasure chest he presumes contains his long-sought treasure. Before the lava reaches them, Misstar grabs Mario's group along with Kolorado and escapes through the caldera. The treasure chest blasts out of Mt. Lavalava and lands in Jade Jungle.
Twink informs Mario that the sixth Star Spirit is in Flower Fields. To reach it, Mario must find four Magical Seeds from the Bub-ulbs scattered across the world. Kolorado has found one and trades it for the Mt. Lavalava treasure (the Volcano Vase). Planting all four Magical Seeds in the Toad Town garden creates the doorway to Flower Fields.
Chapter 6 · Dark Days in Flower Fields
Dark Days in Flower Fields
When Mario enters Flower Fields, the place is shrouded in clouds. The Wise Wisterwood tells him the clouds are produced by Huff N. Puff's Puff Puff Machine, blocking the Sun from rising. To destroy the machine and reach Huff N. Puff atop the Cloudy Climb, Mario needs three items from the local flowers: a Magical Bean, Miracle Water, and Fertile Soil. Together they grow a beanstalk to the sky.
Along the way Mario meets a strange Lakitu who insists his name is Michael, then Spike. He's actually Lakilester, fighting Mario under Huff N. Puff's orders. After losing — and after some convincing from his girlfriend Lakilulu — he switches sides and joins. He then fights a group of Lakitus, destroys the Puff Puff Machine, and plants the Magical Bean.
With the beanstalk grown, Mario heads to Cloudy Climb and defeats Huff N. Puff for the sixth Star Spirit, Klevar.
In Toad Town, a Ninji waiting at Merlon's house tells Mario that Merle of Starborn Valley urgently wants to see him. Mario finds a Warp Pipe to Shiver City in the Toad Town Tunnels.
Chapter 7 · A Star Spirit on Ice
A Star Spirit on Ice
In Shiver City, Mario discovers he can't reach Starborn Valley without the Mayor's permission — but finds the Mayor unconscious on the floor, and is suspected of his “murder”. With the help of novelist Herringway, the truth comes out: the Mayor was knocked out by a falling delivery package — a gift for Herringway himself. Mystery solved, the Mayor grants Mario passage.
On the way to Starborn Valley, Mario faces Jr. Troopa again (5th encounter) plus a miniboss called Monstar in Shiver Snowfield.
In Starborn Valley, Merle directs Mario to the Crystal Palace where the seventh Star Spirit is held. He gives Mario a scarf, instructing him to use it “on something special”, and tells Mario to ask Mayor Penguin for a bucket. Mario finds two snowmen between Shiver City and Starborn Valley — one missing a scarf, one missing a hat (bucket). Once outfitted, they thank Mario and open the path to the Crystal Palace.
Along the way, Mario meets the spirit of Madam Merlar, who gives him the Star Stone required to reach the palace. At the back of the palace Mario defeats the Crystal King for the final Star Spirit, Kalmar.
Chapter 8 · A Star-Powered Showdown!
A Star-Powered Showdown!
After going through Bowser's Castle — falling for traps, solving puzzles, and getting attacked by Jr. Troopa one last time (the 6th and final battle) — Mario and his team find Princess Peach and Bowser in the same place where Mario first encountered Bowser at the start of the game.
The Star Beam lets Mario negate Bowser's invincibility and beat him — but Bowser shrugs the loss off as a warm-up and flees with Peach to the castle roof. Kammy activates her creation, the Power Platform, to pump Bowser up in both power and size. When he powers up with the Star Rod, Mario finds the Star Beam is now ineffective.
Meanwhile, Twink frees Peach and the two battle Kammy. As Peach uses Focus, Twink slowly becomes stronger to the point where he becomes immune to Kammy's attacks. Kammy realises — too late — that Stars get their power from the wishes of ordinary people.
Twink urges Peach to make a wish for everyone in the Mushroom Kingdom while he goes to help Mario. Peach's wish fills the Star Spirits with more power; as Mario recovers, the Spirits upgrade the Star Beam to Peach Beam, which cuts through Bowser's enhanced power.
After a lengthy battle with Bowser, the Koopa King is finally defeated. Mario returns the Star Rod to the Star Spirits. The Power Platform and Bowser's Castle begin to self-destruct — but the Star Spirits protect Peach's Castle from the explosion and restore it to its spot in the ground.
Several days later, Peach throws another party, attended by Mario, his partners, and many others. After a speech where she thanks everyone for restoring peace, the credits roll over a parade with nearly the entire cast. At the very end, Mario and Peach walk to Mario's House and watch a fireworks display that continues until the player turns off the console.
Party Members
Throughout his journey, Mario befriends eight residents of the Mushroom Kingdom who join him on his quest. Every party member has an overworld ability (used by pressing the down C button) that helps traverse the landscape, plus battle moves — up to four at Ultra Rank.
Ranking-Up Party Members
Each party member joins at their basic rank with 2 moves. Finding a Super Block (16 in total across the game) lets the player upgrade one party member to Super Rank, increasing damage and granting a new move. To reach Ultra Rank, Mario also needs the Ultra Stone (found in Jade Jungle). At Ultra Rank a party member has all four moves — enough Super Blocks exist to upgrade every member fully.
Goombario
Kooper
Bombette
Parakarry
Lady Bow
Watt
Sushie
Lakilester
Star Spirits & Special Moves
The seven Star Spirits live in Star Haven as guardians of the Star Rod. Paper Mario's story begins with their fall — Bowser and Kammy attack Star Haven, steal the Star Rod, and capture the Spirits, sealing them in cards distributed across the Mushroom Kingdom.
Rescuing all seven is Mario's primary objective. Each chapter boss is guarding one. Every Star Spirit freed adds +1 Star Power to Mario and teaches him a new Special Move. Once all seven are saved, Mario gains the Star Beam — the one power that can negate the Star Rod — and access to the Star Ship for the journey to Bowser's Castle.
Regular Powers (one per chapter)
| Portrait | Star Spirit | Chapter | Boss Freed From | SP | Move & Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Eldstar | Ch 1 | Koopa Bros. | 1 SP | Refresh — +5 HP/FP & cure status |
 |
Mamar | Ch 2 | Tutankoopa | 1 SP | Lullaby — sleep all enemies |
 |
Skolar | Ch 3 | Tubba Blubba | 2 SP | Star Storm — 7 dmg all, ignores DEF |
 |
Muskular | Ch 4 | General Guy | 2 SP | Chill Out — -3 ATK on all enemies |
|
Misstar | Ch 5 | Lava Piranha | 3 SP | Smooch — +20 HP to Mario |
 |
Klevar | Ch 6 | Huff N. Puff | 2 SP | Time Out — immobilize enemies |
 |
Kalmar | Ch 7 | Crystal King | 2 SP | Up and Away — remove enemies as stars (no bosses) |
Special Case Powers (no SP cost)
| Move | Source | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Eldstar (Ch 1) | Refill SP at a faster rate — the “free” default action. |
| Star Beam | All 7 Star Spirits (Star Haven) | Removes all status buffs on enemies and negates the Star Rod after Bowser uses it. |
| Peach Beam | All 7 Spirits + Twink | Upgraded form of Star Beam — only obtained after Twink defeats Kammy Koopa. Negates the combined effects of the Star Rod and Power Platform. |
Battle System & Gameplay
Paper Mario uses a turn-based side-view battle system. Enemies are visible on the overworld; making contact initiates a battle. The way contact is made matters — hit an enemy on the overworld first and Mario gets a first strike; get hit and the enemy gets a free turn before the battle starts.
On the battle screen, Mario and one chosen party member occupy the left side, with the enemy group on the right. Mario's attacks all fall into jump or hammer categories — hammer hits only the front ground-bound enemy, jump can reach past enemies or hit flying targets but is dangerous against spiked foes.
Stats
| Stat | Initial | Max | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level | 1 | 27 | Each level-up: increase HP, FP, or BP |
| Heart Points (HP) | 10 | 50 | Health. Zero = Game Over (unless holding a Life Shroom). |
| Flower Points (FP) | 5 | 50 | Fuel for special attacks — shared between Mario & party. |
| Badge Points (BP) | 3 | 30 | How many Badges Mario can equip simultaneously. |
| Star Energy (SP) | 0 | 7 | Unlocked Special Move fuel. +1 per Star Spirit rescued. |
| Star Points | 0 | 100 | 100 Star Points = level up. |
| Coins | 0 | 999 | Currency for shops & services. |
| Star Pieces | 0 | 160 | Total in game. Exchanged with Merlow for Badges. |
Upgrades
Mario's boots and hammer upgrade twice across the journey:
- Boots → Super Boots (Boo's Mansion — adds Spin Jump) → Ultra Boots (Toad Town Tunnels — adds Tornado Jump)
- Hammer (Goomba Village) → Super Hammer (Dry Dry Ruins — breaks Stone Blocks) → Ultra Hammer (Mt. Lavalava — breaks Metal Blocks)
- Ultra Stone (Jade Jungle) — enables Super Block upgrades to Ultra Rank
Action Commands
After Mario receives the Lucky Star from Twink, every attack — Mario's and his party's — gets an Action Command prompt. Time the input correctly and the attack deals bonus damage or gets extra effects. The same applies to defence: pressing A just before an enemy attack lands guards, reducing damage by 1 and cancelling status effects.
Enemy Attack
Peril State
Level Up
Status Effects
Common status effects include Dizzy, Frozen, Immobilized, Paralyzed, Sleepy, Electrified, Invisible, Poison, and Tiny. Mario-only states include Cloud Nine (random enemy misses), Danger (HP ≤ 5), Peril (HP = 1), and Stone (impervious but can't move). Status effects only apply in battle and wear off in the overworld.
Bosses & Enemies
Chapter Bosses
| Boss | HP | ATK | DEF | Location | Chapter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bowser (1) | 10 | 1 | 0 | Peach's Castle | Pre-prologue |
|
Goomba King (Goomboss) | 10 | 1 | 0 | Goomba Road | Prologue |
|
Bowser??? (fake suit) | 10 | 1 | 1 | Koopa Bros. Fortress | Ch 1 |
|
Koopa Bros (each) | 5 | 1 | 1 | Koopa Bros. Fortress | Ch 1 |
|
Tutankoopa | 30 | 3 | 0 | Dry Dry Ruins | Ch 2 |
|
Tubba's Heart | 50 | 6/12 | 0 | Windy Mill | Ch 3 |
|
Tubba Blubba | 10 | 4 | 0 | Gusty Gulch | Ch 3 |
|
General Guy (Tank) | 30 | 4 | 2 | Shy Guy's Toy Box | Ch 4 |
|
Lava Piranha (P1) | 40 | 5 | 0 | Mt. Lavalava | Ch 5 |
|
Lava Piranha (P2) | 40 | 7 | 0 | Mt. Lavalava | Ch 5 |
|
Huff N. Puff | 60 | 5 | 0 | Cloudy Climb | Ch 6 |
|
Crystal King | 70 | 6 | 2 | Crystal Palace | Ch 7 |
|
Bowser (2) | 50 | 6 | 1 | Peach's Castle | Ch 8 |
 |
Kammy Koopa | 10 | 4 | 0 | Power Platform | Ch 8 |
|
Bowser (Big, Final) | 99 | 8 | 2 | Power Platform | Ch 8 |
Jr. Troopa — the Game's Most Recurring Pest
Jr. Troopa has his own theme music and subplot. He keeps coming back stronger:
Jr. Troopa (1)
Jr. Troopa (2)
Jr. Troopa (3)
Jr. Troopa (4)
Jr. Troopa (5)
Jr. Troopa (6)
Toad Town Dojo — the Superboss
Located on the second story of the Shroom Grocery, the Dojo opens after Mario gets the Lucky Star. Five fights total — first Chan and Lee, then The Master for three escalating forms. The Master acts as Paper Mario's superboss — far stronger than the final boss, with his own battle theme. The third-form Master at HP 99 / ATK 10 / DEF 1 is the strongest enemy in the game. Beat all five and Mario earns the Diploma.
Chan
Lee
Master (1)
Master (2)
Master (3)
Regular Enemies
Across the eight chapters, Mario faces dozens of enemy types — familiar Mario regulars like Goomba, Koopa, Paratroopa, Bob-omb, Bullet Bill, Fuzzy, Pokey, Bandit, Buzzy Beetle, Piranha Plant, Lakitu, Spiny, Dry Bones, Hammer Bro, plus Paper Mario originals like Cleft, Hyper Cleft, Crazee Dayzee, Amazy Dayzee, Clubba, White Clubba, Bzzap!, Putrid Piranha, Frost Piranha, Lava Bubble, Ember, Gloomba, Spiky Gloomba, Ruff Puff, Bony Beetle, Koopatrol, Magikoopa, Bombshell Bill, Duplighost, and Magikoopa variants in white, red, green, yellow and grey — each with different magic specialities. Two unused enemies, Albino Dino and Dark Paratroopa, exist in the game files but were cut from the final release.
Items, Key Items & Badges
Regular Items (80+ types)
Items in Paper Mario are healing goodies, attack tools, or status modifiers. Mario can carry up to 10 at a time, with 32 more stored in the shop check system. Notable categories:
Healing
- Mushroom (5 HP), Super Shroom (10), Ultra Shroom (50)
- Honey/Maple/Jelly Syrup family (5/10/50 FP)
- Life Shroom — auto-revive at 10 HP
- Whacka Bump (25/25) — the controversial morality test
- Healthy Juice (40 FP), Jammin' Jelly (50)
Attack
- Fire Flower (3 fire all), Snowman Doll (4 ice all)
- Shooting Star (6 all, ignores DEF)
- Thunder Bolt (5 electric), Thunder Rage (5 all)
- POW Block (2 all + flip shelled enemies)
- Egg Missile (6 explosion), Coconut (3 ignore DEF)
Status
- Sleepy Sheep, Dizzy Dial, Fright Jar, Stop Watch
- Repel Gel (invisible 3 turns)
- Volt Shroom (electrified 4 turns)
- Stone Cap (impervious 3 turns)
- Tasty Tonic (cure status)
Tayce T. Recipes
- 50+ recipes total — one ingredient initially
- After Cookbook (Ch 4) — two-ingredient cooking unlocked
- Many recipes are NPC quest-completion rewards
- Mistakes (1 HP/FP) when ingredients clash
Flower Field Berries
- Red Berry — opens red flower gate
- Blue Berry — opens blue flower gate
- Yellow Berry — opens yellow flower gate
- Bubble Berry — activates Bubble Plant
Cookbook Cake
- Mario's only Chapter 4 Cake recipe
- Required to pass Gourmet Guy in Toy Box
- Peach also bakes one in the castle interlude
- Recipe: Flour + Cake Mix + Egg + Butter + Strawberry + others
Key Items
Story-critical items kept separately from regular inventory (no carrying limit):
- Lucky Star — from Twink. Enables Action Commands.
- Pulse Stone — Moustafa's gift. Reveals Dry Dry Ruins entrance.
- Star Stone — from Madam Merlar. Opens path to Crystal Palace.
- Ultra Stone — from Jade Jungle. Enables Ultra Rank party upgrades.
- Sneaky Parasol — Peach's 64th Trivia Quiz-Off prize.
- Frying Pan + Cookbook — recovered Tayce T. items.
- Yakkey / Mystical Key — the talking key to Windy Mill.
- Jade Raven — statue key in Jade Jungle.
- 4 Magical Seeds — from Bub-ulbs scattered worldwide.
- Volcano Vase — Mt. Lavalava treasure (Kolorado trade).
- Magical Bean / Miracle Water / Fertile Soil — grow the Flower Fields beanstalk.
- Scarf + Bucket — for the path-blocking snowmen.
- Red/Blue/Palace Keys — Crystal Palace puzzle.
- Diamond/Lunar/Pyramid Stones — Tutankoopa's chamber.
- Boo's Portrait / Weight / Record — Boo's Mansion sequence.
- Crystal Berry / Water Stone — Flower Fields side flow.
- Lyrics + Melody — Pop Diva side quest.
- Dolly — Goombaria's missing toy.
- Various keys — Castle Keys (3), Fortress Key, Ruins Key, Storeroom Key, Warehouse Key, Prison Key, Odd Key
- Diploma / Cards — Toad Town Dojo certifications.
Badges (60+)
Badges give Mario active or passive bonuses when equipped, consuming Badge Points (BP) equal to their rating. Mario starts with 3 BP and gains 3 more per BP level-up. Badges are found in red ? Blocks, treasure chests, in dungeons, sold by Rowf's Badge Shop, traded by Merlow for Star Pieces, or earned as quest rewards.
Notable badges include Power Bounce (multi-jump), Power Plus / FP Plus / HP Plus (stat boosts), Multibounce, Power Jump, Mega Jump / Mega Smash / Mega Quake / Mega Rush, Pretty Lucky / Lucky Day, Quick Change (free party-swap), Zap Tap (counter contact damage), Triple Dip (3 items in one turn), Last Stand / Close Call / Mega Rush (Peril-state bonuses), Attack FX A-E (cosmetic sound changes), Spike Shield, Fire Shield, Ice Power, Flower Saver / Heart Finder / Flower Finder, Speedy Spin / Spin Attack, D-Down Jump / D-Down Pound, Dodge Master, I Spy (hidden Star Piece detector), Money Money, Pay-Off / Refund / Runaway Pay, and many more.
Locations
Paper Mario takes place across the Mushroom Kingdom, spanning multiple regions around Princess Peach's Castle. Toad Town serves as the central hub Mario returns to after every chapter.
Settlements
- Mario's House (Luigi lives here)
- Toad Town (Club 64, Harry's Shop, Playroom, Post Office, Shroom Grocery)
- Goomba Village
- Koopa Village (Koopa's Shop)
- Dry Dry Outpost (Little Mouser's Shop)
- Boo's Mansion (Boo's Shop)
- Yoshi's Village (Yoshi's Cabana)
- Shiver City (Shiver Shop)
- Starborn Valley
- Star Haven (Star Haven Shop)
Transitional Areas
- Goomba Road (Goomba King's Fortress)
- Shooting Star Summit
- Pleasant Path
- Mt. Rugged
- Dry Dry Desert (Dry Dry Railroad)
- Forever Forest
- Gusty Gulch
- Lavalava Island (Jade Jungle)
- Flower Fields (Sun Tower)
- Toad Town Tunnels
- Shiver Region (Shiver Mountain, Shiver Snowfield)
- Star Way
Dungeons & Boss Arenas
- Peach's Castle (Peach's Bedroom)
- Koopa Bros. Fortress
- Dry Dry Ruins
- Tubba Blubba's Castle
- Windy Mill
- Shy Guy's Toy Box
- Mt. Lavalava
- Cloudy Climb
- Crystal Palace
- Bowser's Castle (Storehouse)
Services
Toad Town and other settlements host a wide range of NPCs offering services for coins. Most are essential to optimal play.
Item Shops
Merlon's House
Merluvlee's Place
Toad Town Post Office
Rowf's Badge Shop
Li'l Oink Farm
Merlee's Tent
Tayce T. Kitchen
Toad Town Dojo
Other Services
- Toad Houses — Free rest in every settlement (recognisable by the Toad-head sign). Restores HP, FP, AND Star Power — the only thing that does the last one. Star Haven's Toad House is run by a Star.
- Chet Rippo (Toad Town residential) — 39 coins. Re-adjusts Mario's stats: increase one by 2 stages, drop the other two by 1. Useful for fixing level-up regret.
- Rip Cheato (under the blue house next to Tayce T., reached via Toad Town Tunnels) — 64 coins per item. Sells one mystery item at a time. After 10 unique purchases, only Dried Shrooms.
Side Activities
160 Star Pieces
Golden octahedral fragments hidden across the world. 160 total. Some lie in the overworld behind objects; some are buried under floor panels needing the Spin Jump or Ultra Hammer. Trade them with Merlow at Shooting Star Summit for Badges.
Chuck Quizmo's 64 Quizzes
Chuck Quizmo and his assistant Vanna T. randomly appear in towns. 64 trivia questions about the game total. Right answer = one Star Piece. Wrong answer = he leaves; track him down again.
Koopa Koot's Favors
An elderly Koopa Troopa in Koopa Village, infamous for asking favours. After resolving the Fuzzy problem, he'll start asking Mario for specific items. Rewards are usually one coin, but occasionally three Star Pieces in bulk, or items that unlock new Toad Town Playroom minigames (the Silver and Gold Credits).
Letter Delivery
Throughout the world, Mario finds letters that Parakarry has dropped. With Parakarry as the active party member, deliver them to their intended recipients. Rewards include Star Pieces, more letters, or other items. Bonus: meeting Kolorado for the first time happens via a Parakarry letter delivery.
Toad Town Dojo Diploma
Defeat all five Dojo opponents (Chan, Lee, Master x3) for the Diploma. The final-form Master is the strongest enemy in the game, harder than the final boss.
Virtual Console Differences
Wii Virtual Console
More framerate drops than the N64 original, but loads more quickly between areas. Special effects were altered to reduce seizure risk: brightness of Super Block light effects reduced, screen dims during explosions, fire/explosion effects become solid colours, and magic/transformation wave effects no longer flash white & yellow — they're now solid purple/pink waves. Installation footprint: 270 blocks (34.5 MB).
Wii U Virtual Console
The whole game is noticeably darker, but framerate is smoother — closer to the N64 original. Fire/explosion effects match the original (darker tint aside), but the magic wave effects are altered differently than the Wii version. Light effects are malformed and have a black glow. Installation: 101 MB.
N64 NSO (10 December 2021)
All regions on the same day. Part of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack's N64 library. Closest emulation to original behaviour, with rewind and save-state features added.
Glitches & Trivia
Herringway Glitch
In Chapter 7, the murder-mystery sequence in Shiver City can softlock if dialogue is triggered in an unexpected order around the unconscious Mayor — Herringway can become unreachable, blocking story progress. The standard fix is reload the last save.
Development & History
- Originally Super Mario RPG 2 for the 64DD — later renamed Super Mario Adventure for legal reasons (Square owned Super Mario RPG's IP after Squaresoft split with Nintendo), then finally Paper Mario to emphasise the unique paper aesthetic.
- Concept art posted by Super Mario RPG artist Kazuyuki Kurashima in 2019 reveals Samus Aran (Metroid) and Link (Zelda) were planned as guest party members.
- As with Super Mario RPG, Bowser is the very first boss fought (echoing how Exor crashes into Bowser's Keep to kick off SMRPG).
- The Paper Mario logo appears similarly to how the Super Mario RPG logo (sans subtitle) is displayed after Mario's defeat — a direct nod to the predecessor.
- Paper Mario was the first installment of the Paper Mario series, which has now spanned 7 games across N64, GCN, Wii, 3DS, Wii U, and Switch.
- The Tubba Blubba arc is widely considered one of the franchise's most memorable storylines — especially the reveal of Tubba's sensitive personality after the heart-body reunion.
- The Toad Town Dojo's Master (third form) at HP 99/ATK 10/DEF 1 is generally harder than the final Bowser fight, making him an unofficial superboss.
- The Whacka Bump item has become a long-running franchise joke about player morality — bonking the friendly creature gives a powerful 25/25 healing item, but Whacka eventually leaves forever, making it a permanent missable.
- Paper Mario's soundtrack was composed by Yuka Tsujiyoko — the FE/Advance Wars/Famicom Wars composer.
- The game pre-dates GameCube's The Thousand-Year Door (2004) by four years.
Video
Paper Mario (Nintendo 64) gameplay video.