Paper Mario (series)

Paper Mario is a spinoff of the Mario franchise. The first two installments are cult classic role-playing games, whereas later entries are action-adventure games. All entries blend Japanese role-playing game elements with Mario characters and platforming features. The series uses a papercraft artstyle, and typically has a deeper narrative focus than the main series of platformers.
The series currently has six main games: , , , , . Sources such as the Super Mario Wiki divide these into two formats separated by Super Paper Mario as a one-off. Paper Mario also crossed over with the Mario & Luigi series with .
==Canon games==
===Paper Mario===
Paper Mario is the first game in the series, first released for the Nintendo 64 in 2000. It was originally a direct sequel to , and went through several names during development—the final Japanese name was Mario Story, owing to the greater narrative focus.
The game sees Bowser stealing the Star Rod to make himself invincible and seal its guardians, the , within cards. During a party at Princess Peach's Castle, to which the Mario Bros. were invited, Bowser lifts the castle into space using his own. Bowser and Kammy Koopa cast Mario out of a window and hold Princess Peach hostage within the castle. The Star Spirits use their remaining power to save Mario's life, and his unconscious body is taken in by a family of friendly Goombas.
When Mario comes to, he must rescue the Star Spirits to nullify the Star Rod's power, using the help of partners—original characters based on Mario species—to solve puzzles and do battle.
===Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door===
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is the sequel to Paper Mario, released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2004. The game directly iterates on the mechanics introduced in its predecessor, with a new theater-based battle system where an interactive oversees battles. The game also introduces more original and dark aspects to the Mario universe.
Many fans think of The Thousand-Year Door as the best game in the series, and have instigated notable efforts to have the game rereleased or otherwise return the Paper Mario series to its style of gameplay.
The plot opens on Princess Peach's adventure to the crime-riddled city of ; she hears about , and encourages Mario to find and open it by collecting the seven s spread across the land. Peach is soon kidnapped by the , a mysterious organization bent on releasing the imprisoned demon that is said to lie behind the door. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door takes place entirely within Rogueport and its surrounding territories, with the exception of sequences set in and on the ; and the game's lore expands on the history of Rogueport one thousand years in the past.
===Super Paper Mario===
Super Paper Mario, released for the Wii in 2007, is the first Paper Mario game to deviate from the role-playing game genre, being a primarily 2D platformer with only one instance of turn-based combat. Mario learns the technique to temporarily enter a true 3D version of the world and solve puzzles related to this. Partners are replaced by Pixls and a character system that includes Peach, Bowser, and Luigi. Despite these major discrepancies, the game features innumerable allusions to, and running gags from, the prior entries in the series.
A new villain, Count Bleck, is following the ancient prophecy of the to destroy all of existence. He and his underlings kidnap Princess Peach and Bowser, and force them to marry in order to create , a black hole in the fabric of space that consumes universes. A sprite named Tippi whisks Mario away to , a town between dimensions, and guides him to collect the to defeat Count Bleck. As the story progresses, more is revealed about the civilization that created Flipside, including Bleck's and Tippi's pasts.
One of Super Paper Mario's central themes of the game is love: for instance, the opening cutscene describes the game as "a tale of love"; each of the Pure Hearts represents a different sense of love; and the forced wedding ceremony that creates the , which Princess Peach later describes as a "sham", represents the ultimate perversion of love.
===Paper Mario: Sticker Star===
On the night of the Sticker Fest, the Sticker Comet flies by and is rumoured to make everyones wishes come true. As the comet makes it to the ground, Bowser and his army appear to take the comet for their own. Accidentally breaking the comet into six pieces, with one landing on Bowser's head. Mario searches the land for the five Royal Stickers until he finally faces Bowser for the final piece of the Sticker Comet.
===Paper Mario: Color Splash===
Peach and Toad recieve a letter from Port Prisma.  Upon opening the letter, it is revealed to Mario and the player that this letter was a colorless Toad.  After sailing to Port Prisma, it is shown that the area is practically abandoned, along with various blank spots across the port. A black paint coated Bowser has been sucking life out of the island with the help of his army.  Mario, with the help of a paint can named Huey, find the Big Paint Stars, restore color to the island, and defeat Bowser.
==Fanon games==
===Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door 2===
Main Article: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door 2The X-nauts have been forced under the mind control of the evil Timeblazera and threatening to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario & co set off to defeat them with the eight Excelsiors.
===Paper Princess Peach===
Main article: Paper Princess Peach
Princess Peach and Perry set off on an expedition to discover the secret of a glowing meteor.
===Paper Bleck===
Main article: Paper Bleck
Count Bleck is trying to redeem himself by using a magic medallion to feed starving children. But Dimentio has other plans...
===Paper Luigi===
Main article: Paper LuigiLuigi is off on an adventure of his own! Princess Eclair has been kidnapped... but then the kidnapper gets kidnapped!
===Paper Bros. Wars===
Main article: Paper Bros. Wars 
Mario and Luigi have declaired WAR on the Koopas!
===Super Paper Bros.===
Main article: Super Paper Bros.
In a flash of light, the Sarasaland palace is obliterated and Daisy kidnapped! This sparks an epic adventure that will lead the heroes to the dark fortress of Lord Kala... who will come out alive?
===Super Paper Battalion===
Main article: Super Paper Battalion
Count Bleck is back, just in time to discover an imposter- called Count Bereimul- has been committing dastardly deeds in his name!
===Paper Mario: The Diamonds of Virtue===
Main article: Paper Mario: The Diamonds of Virtue
When an evil plot to rule the universe is uncovered, Mario is forced to find the eighteen Diamonds of Virtue.
===Omega Paper Mario===
Main article: Omega Paper Mario
In which Mario goes to Shy Forest and has to get the seven Rainbow Crystals, for reasons unknown to him...
===Paper Mario: Origami Odyssey===
In this game, Mario gains a new power which is to change into origami objects by Shadoo's dark magic. Mario uses these powers to defeat Shadoo and save the Mushroom Kingeometry from its peril.
=== Paper Mario: Golden Galaxy ===
Main article: Paper Mario Golden Galaxy
Mario sets off on his biggest adventure yet to find Captain Flint's lost treasure and solve the greatest mystery in the galaxy.
===Paper Mario: Tears In Time===
Main article: Paper Mario: Tears In Time
An evil being know as Tearor has teamed up with Bowser to tear up the Paper of Time, destroying the universe rip by rip. So Mario heads off to find to 8 Sealers to stop it!
=== Paper Mario: Weaving Fates ===
Main Article: Paper Mario: Weaving Fates
==Paper Mario: The Final Fold==
See Paper Mario: The Final Fold
== Paper Mario: The Mad Universe ==
See Paper Mario: The Mad Universe
Category:Franchises
Category:Paper Mario (series)
Category:Mario (series)
Category:Mario Spin-offs
Category:Spin-offs
Category:Role-Playing Games
Category:Action Games
Category:Adventure Games
Category:Action Adventure Games
Category:Action Role-Playing Games