My Ranking Of Every Mario RPG

​One of my favorite games growing up was the original Super Mario RPG on the Super Nintendo. It along with Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger inspired a life long love of the genre that remains passionate to this day. Super Mario RPG itself also remains one of my favorite Mario games as it really expanded what Mario and his world could be in a way the platformers often alone could not. While I haven’t missed picking up every Mario RPG since at launch, back when the 3DS rolled around I fell behind keeping up with the Mario RPGs on the system. One in particular, Sticker Star, I just could not get into and my attempts at playthroughs always ended in Wiggler’s woods if not sooner. Back in 2021 though, I finally finished the game and I knew then clearing the other two 3DS games was only a matter of time. Last weekend, I finally finished the last Mario RPG I was behind on, Mario & Luigi Paper Jam, and now that I’m fully caught up, I thought it would be fun to rank every Mario RPG to date. For this blog, I’ll be ranking both versions of Super Mario RPG, all six Paper Mario games, and all five Mario & Luigi games. There are other non-traditional Mario RPGs out there, including some of the Golf and Tennis games and arguably the Mario and Rabbids games, but I’m focusing on the three more traditional JRPG series here. There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get right into it.

13: Paper Mario Sticker Star (2012, 3DS)

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Paper Mario Sticker Star is unquestionably in last place as it took me numerous attempts to get through the abysmal first half of the game. Unlike prior Mario RPGs, Sticker Star ditches regular attacks in favor of one use sticker items, removes unique NPCs from the series in favor of generic Toads throughout, and removes XP and leveling up altogether. For the first half of the game, this all serves to create a dreadful situation where it becomes ideal to run past every encounter and thus skip as much potential gameplay as possible as battles are just resource drains with no benefits. While the first two zones are fairly colorful to walk through, the third zone with Wiggler’s woods, is largely a repetitive poisonous swamp that you are required to run back and forth in filled with annoying encounters. It is so draining to get through that I had two separate playthroughs end there. In my successful playthrough of Sticker Star however, I ruggedly trudged on and thus finally made it across the ocean for the first time. While the core problems remain, Sticker Star thankfully becomes the game it clearly wanted to be in the back  half of the adventure. The fourth and fifth zones in particular are full of exciting set piece levels including a haunted mansion to explore, a mine cart ride, and a river rapids ride in a jungle. These scenarios and better standard levels help indirectly make up for the lack of personality in the NPCs. Thanks to the increased inventory space, more varied sticker items, and the increase in the amount of money you get from encounters and at the end of each level, running into and fighting enemies doesn’t feel like a complete resource drain anymore. The encounters themselves are more complex as well so dipping into your resources to find the best tool for the job regularly proves a more interesting decision to make as well. It’s sort of tragic then Sticker Star is so split in quality, because if the front half of the game were as strong as the back half it easily would rank a little higher overall.

12: Mario & Luigi Dream Team (3DS, 2013)

Dream Team is the first of the two Mario & Luigi games on the 3DS and focuses on Mario and Luigi taking a vacation to Pi’illo Island where they’ll meet a good handful of original characters sort of like the original Superstar Saga. The big gimmick is there is a Dream World that you’ll regularly visit when Mario enters into Luigi’s dreams. In the Dream World, you’ll team up with Dreamy Luigi who can multiply and transform himself to traverse obstacles, execute super moves in battle, and transform into a giant version of himself to take on the biggest bosses. While all of this sounds potentially great on paper, I found Dream Team to be just too dragged out somewhat across the board. Momentum through levels feels slow and having to make regular stops to the Dream World doesn’t help. I also noticed and began to strongly feel that there regularly isn’t a lot of variety between combat encounters as it feels like you are fighting the same enemies too often. Sadly, unlike most of the rest of the Mario RPGs, I strongly feel I wouldn’t be interested in revisiting Dream Team again in the future.

11: Mario & Luigi Partners In Time (DS, 2005)

Partners In Time, the first DS Mario & Luigi game, was one of the harder games on this list to rank as unfortunately I only played it once at launch nearly 20 years ago and barely remember it. Partners in Time features Mario and Luigi traveling back in time to help Baby Mario and Luigi fend off the Shroob alien invasion. The babies of course help out with both overworld traversal and in combat directly. I seem to remember not entirely enjoying the addition of the babies as they didn’t feel like an elegant addition and they are obviously limited as characters. I also remember the level design being a bit more restricted compared to the original Superstar Saga and I don’t believe the main villain and their group either made too much of an impression outside of the alien theming which were some other disappointments. I think if I were to replay it, Partners In Time would end up around here on the rankings so I don’t feel too bad about its placement necessarily. While I’m in no rush to do so, I am potentially interested in revisiting it in the future so I’m going to give it the edge over Dream Team at least.

10: Mario & Luigi Paper Jam (3DS, 2016)

Paper Jam is the final 3DS Mario RPG and while it is my favorite of the bunch as it is quite fun to play, it unfortunately suffers from a generic Mario story and world. Paper Jam most notably brings in Paper Mario as a third character to accompany Mario and Luigi on their journey who excitingly mixes up both traversal and combat. With three characters all running in a line together, the dense level design of the prior Mario & Luigi games is regularly replaced with more open fields to run around in which feels refreshing. You get four different abilities over the course of the game that incorporate Paper Mario to tackle obstacles and navigate challenges and these feel snappier and more enjoyable to execute than Dream Team’s. One more interesting thing about traversal, while there are essentially only six levels you’ll run through, as the game progresses big cardboard pieces are falling from the sky as part of the story and radically shake up how you navigate each area as they open and close pathways and introduce other challenges which is very cool. In combat Paper Mario has a really unique central gimmick where he can make six copies of himself which alters his attack properties, increases his damage immensely, and lets him dodge traditional damage when his copies get hit. Paper Mario’s Trio attacks, as well as the normal Bros Attacks, are all fairly spectacular, fun to use, and all remain useful throughout the full journey which is ideal. Paper Mario then, as well as the new battle card system that lets you activate buffs, recovery, and more without wasting a turn, helps shake up combat throughout the adventure and manages to mostly overcome the super bizarre decision to largely limit enemy encounters to one type / set up per screen (i.e. one screen will have four goomba enemies to encounter and each one will always have the same two goombas plus one koopa troopa in it). If it wasn’t for the paper thin story (“Oh no, Bowser is causing trouble!” is about it) and the lack of any notable characters at all, this would have had a good chance at being a little higher up.

9: Super Mario RPG (Switch, 2023)

I had an excellent time playing the Switch remake of Super Mario RPG, perhaps more so initially than a good few of the games ahead of it, but I think I’m going to put it lower on the rankings as while I feel it is distinct enough as a remix of the original to warrant ranking in the first place, I don’t find it’s terribly essential either despite a few very cool things it does. Right away you’ll notice there’s a new system added that adds buffs to your characters as long as you continue to chain action commands together. It’s very generous to build up as if I remember correctly, you only need to chain five action commands in a row to get the full benefits applied. The issue here, is that the game wasn’t necessarily rebalanced around this new gauge as it, the new super team attacks, and the new reserve party feature, were clearly fine-tuned for the new post game super bosses. Experienced players will thus largely be mowing down enemy mobs and perhaps most disappointingly bosses very quickly as a result. However, there is a very cool new addition that keeps regular combat exciting which is the introduction of random elite enemies. Some of these, especially early on, can really throw you for a loop as they have a generous amount of HP and can deal a lot of damage and trap you with some nasty status effects. While the new graphics and especially the new music were exciting to experience, my favorite part of the remake was certainly the new super bosses which put your skills to the ultimate test and introduce and explore new mechanics not seen in the original game. I’ve always dreamed about experiencing new Super Mario RPG content and while this was really such a tease of the possibilities, it was a wonderful tease I won’t forget.

8: Paper Mario Color Splash (Wii U, 2016)

Color Splash is ostensibly Sticker Star 2, but it transforms all of that game’s weaknesses into strengths. Instead of stickers of varying sizes to manage, you instead have cards which are more straightforward. Thanks to the generous amount of money the game showers you with, you can easily replenish your deck in between levels and while there isn’t traditional XP still you do get hammers from battle that increase your paint supply that powers up your attacks. The generic Toad problem is directly addressed as well by giving every Toad the most punchy, hilarious, and sometimes out there dialog as possible. You’ll want to find every last one of these guys just to see what they’ll say next. Bowser’s minions plus the Koopalings also help add a little personality to your adventure as well. Finally, while the game features distinct, separate levels again like Sticker Star before it, these levels are much more distinct locations that are interesting to explore and are often united by cool overarching themes like a Pirate adventure and a train moving across the world. Before the Switch is fully retired, I hope Nintendo will bring back Color Splash because it would be a shame if the game remains trapped on the Wii U.

7: Paper Mario The Origami King (Switch, 2020)

The Origami King is the fourth distinct take on Paper Mario and I feel it does a better job of more comfortably shifting the series into more of an adventure format than its last attempt. Out in the field, you’ll be throwing confetti around and hitting things with your hammer regularly to find Toads scattered around in the world as you work towards solving the bigger puzzles in the world. While not quite as out there as Color Splash, great humor and sharp writing carry the game hard even when unique NPC designs remain annoyingly off limits. Like Color Splash, The Origami King largely works well within that big restraint though and even manages to sort of bring back partner characters to great effect especially with the standout character of the game Bobby the Bob-omb. My favorite part of the game is definitely the exciting locations you visit including a ninja and movie themed theme park and a big ocean you explore in a way that’s highly reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker. The two new battle systems being puzzle based for both regular battles and the boss battles is an interesting idea that works well enough for the game, though I wouldn’t necessarily want to see it return. Finally, I do want to give a quick shout out to the excellent soundtrack throughout full of peppy songs and big musical numbers. The Mario RPGs in general are blessed with great soundtracks and The Origami King is certainly one of the best.

6: Mario & Luigi Bowser’s Inside Story (GBA, 2009)

I mentioned in my Partners in Time section that it was tricky to rank because I barely remember it, unfortunately Bower’s Inside Story is sort of next in line there as I’ve also only played it once right when it came out, but I do remember really enjoying it. Bowser’s Inside Story is most memorable of course for featuring Bowser as a major playable character throughout the adventure. While he is roaming around the overworld and contending with the awesome return of Fawful from Superstar Saga, Mario and Luigi have been shrunk down and are exploring inside Bowser himself. There’s crossover of course where sometimes Mario and Luigi have to help Bowser from the inside in order to progress the story which is a neat relationship. I remember enjoying both the flow of exploration and combat throughout the game and of course the extra focus on Bowser, who is always a fantastic character in the RPGs, and Fawful, one of the most funny and memorable villains in the whole series. Out of all of the games here, Bowser’s Inside Story is definitely the game I want to currently replay most.

5: Super Paper Mario (Wii, 2007)

I’ve always had a lot of fondness for Super Paper Mario ever since I first played it and I was so pleased to find that it absolutely held up when I fully replayed it two years ago. Super Paper Mario is interesting in that it is essentially an RPG platformer which is a very unusual crossing of genres. The biggest gimmick in the game is perhaps Mario’s ability to shift the perspective from a 2D platformer to a 3D platformer, but I don’t really consider that too central to the experience. What I most remember Super Paper Mario for is the very memorable scenarios and characters you meet on your adventure. There’s an extended sequence for example where a whole world is on the verge of being sucked into a black hole and it ends with Mario being sent to the Under Where (hell) which is just super absurd for a Mario game. There’s so much other bizarre stuff too such as a level where Mario gets unfairly saddled with a big debt and you have to work it off by running on big hamster wheels and ultimately sneaking around the prison he is held in. As for the characters, I really dug getting to adventure alongside Peach, Bowser, and Luigi which is actually a fairly rare team up across the Mario games. I also really dug the villains including Mimi, who can horrifyingly transform from a cute girl to a hideous spider, and Count Bleck, the main tragic villain at the heart of the story. While the story and scenarios steal the show, exploring the levels and conquering the puzzles and challenges within is great fun.

4: Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga (GBA, 2003)

Superstar Saga was the first Mario & Luigi game and, while I don’t believe I knew it at the time, it was created by former developers who worked on Super Mario RPG. That background which informed elements of the design alongside this feeling of confidence the game exudes really drew me to the game when it first came out and it easily remains my favorite of the series. In Superstar Saga, Mario and Luigi travel to the Beanbean Kingdom after Princess Peach’s voice is stolen by the evil witch Cackletta and her very memorable henchman Fawful. Like the two other Mario RPGs before it, Superstar Saga relies on action commands in battle that primarily revolve around Mario and Luigi’s abilities to jump and use hammers and most interestingly often has you manage both brothers at once. Performing well during enemy attacks often leads to counter attacks which keeps you invested in every part of a battle. Superstar Saga, more than the future Mario & Luigi games, has excellent pacing throughout. While it is perhaps a little too skewed towards combat, the dense world is interesting to explore and open up as you unlock new abilities, and there are many fun minigame challenges scattered throughout the adventure to break up the action including wild challenges revolving around jump roping and surfing. I also love there are plenty of interesting characters to meet through the world including the dashing Prince Peasley and the unique residents of the Beanbean Kingdom. Even with its refreshingly short run time, it feels like there is more meaningful adventure here than any of the longer future Mario & Luigi games which is very impressive.

3: Paper Mario (N64, 2001)

I loved the original Paper Mario right from the jump as it presents the Mario world like a dramatic pop up story book which makes encountering both familiar and unfamiliar elements feel fresh. Even as it is grounded in the Mushroom Kingdom, the world Paper Mario depicts feels wonderfully distinct. Toad Town has some great character thanks to the train station and wooden dock areas especially, plus it sits above a complex underground sewer area and right next door is a delightfully gloomy overgrown forest and a haunted mansion filled with Boos. As your journey continues, you’ll journey to a nearly deserted volcanic island, inside the world of a toy box, a frozen palace, and more. My favorite parts of the game and its direct sequel are the partner and badge systems. Over the course of Mario’s journey, he’ll recruit a handful of allies like Goombario, Kooper, and, my favorite, Bombette. These partners are distinct characters who help you out in battle and have distinct abilities in the overworld including revealing information about the area you are in and flying over large gaps. By collecting special blocks hidden in the world, you can upgrade your characters and teach them new abilities to keep them relevant throughout your journey. The badge system is also very cool as you equip them to learn new moves and grant Mario and his partners new abilities. Each badge requires BP to equip and since you can only increase your BP slowly as one of three level up bonuses against HP and FP (magic) choosing what badges to have active is an ever evolving decision and helps personalize your adventure.

2: Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door (Gamecube, 2004)

The Thousand Year Door is one of Mario’s finest adventures of all time as it both regularly and wonderfully takes him out of his element and is backed up by engaging systems and lovable characters. In TTYD, Mario journeys to Rogueport to find the crystal stars and unlock the secret behind a door that hasn’t been opened in one thousand years before the villainous X-Nauts do. Rogueport lives up to its name as crime is rampant in its grimy streets, but it is full of interesting characters you’ll want to get to know. Beyond the city walls lies memorable adventures such as saving a town from a dragon, becoming the champion of a wrestling-like battle arena in the sky called the Glitz Pit, and saving a gloomy town bathed in perpetual twilight whose residents are slowly being transformed into pigs one by one with each stroke of a bell by an evil monster. The Thousand Year Door has my favorite party for Mario in an RPG as it includes characters like Goombella who can personally comment on every area and enemy in the game, a baby Yoshi you help hatch from his egg and get to name, and my favorite character Vivian who originally sides with the Shadow Sirens. Since I’m talking about characters, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Luigi’s unforgettable role in the game where he appears at a local tavern and shares clearly embellished stories of his own wacky adventures in the Waffle Kingdom which further get hilariously muddled by other separate accounts. Combat in TTYD resembles the first Paper Mario game, but now takes place on a stage viewed by audience members. By performing action commands and stylish flourishes the crowd will grow in number and help charge your star power gauge faster that lets you unleash some of your most powerful abilities. As part of battling on a stage, occasionally stage props will collapse onto Mario and his enemies alike and sometimes audience members might try to throw either helpful items or rocks at Mario. In the latter case, you have to be prepared to kick them out first before they can act. At the time I’m posting this blog, we are less than 20 days out of a remake of TTYD which is cool and I’m looking forward to experiencing it, but one day I really hope we can get a new adventure that lives up to the high standard this game set.

1: Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES, 1996)

The original Super Nintendo version of the very first Mario RPG, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, still remains my favorite Mario RPG decades later. As a huge RPG fan, perhaps that isn’t too surprising as unlike the rest of the Mario RPGs it was made by Squaresoft, the creators of Final Fantasy, and its RPG elements remain the strongest in the series with interesting equipment to manage for your five party members and larger health pools for both yourself and enemies to contend with. Battles are turn based, but introduce action commands where well timed button presses that differ in timing between every attack can help you deal more damage and help you better defend against enemy attacks. While fairly breezy for RPG veterans, Super Mario RPG still has a good deal of bite in it that future games don’t always touch (especially when it comes to its memorable hidden bosses, Jinx and Culex). Since I’m talking about combat, I have to mention one of my favorite characters in the game is Geno who is a doll come to life and is an outstanding presence in combat since he can shoot giant energy blasts from his finger tips, throw “destructo discs” like in Dragon Ball Z, rain down energy beams from the sky, and more. He’s unbelievably cool in the context of a Mario game and I still think about him fondly.

The best part of the game though is the excellent pacing as you’ll quickly move through unique scenarios at a rapid pace. My favorite stretch of the game for example is always going to be Moleville through Marrymore as you begin by rescuing kids trapped in a mine, which has its own twists and turns and finishes in an exciting mine cart escape minigame, which is then followed up by teaming up with Bowser to ascend Booster’s Tower (Booster is an odd, Wario-like fellow) which is riddled with traps, puzzles, and enemies, then a race up Booster Hill, and finally it culminates when you crash and rescue Princess Peach from getting married to Booster by fighting a giant wedding cake. Mario RPG is just such a wonderfully goofy and fun game throughout and that’s just one of the bigger zones in the world map. Other memorable moments include falling down a massive water fall which transitions into racing down a river atop a barrel, discovering a pirate ship submerged beneath the ocean, and a trip to a kingdom in the clouds. One other thing that helps Mario RPG stand out is its distinct isometric presentation which sparks the imagination and leads to unique isometric platforming. The mix of challenges and obstacles that revolve around its platforming remains engaging and surprising throughout the game. Like my other favorite games of all time, every time I replay Super Mario RPG I always find new things to appreciate about it and always have a tremendous time. It is without a doubt, my favorite Mario RPG to date.

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Thanks so much for reading my latest blog! I hope you enjoyed it! I’d be curious to know what you thought. If you have played the Mario RPGs, I’d love to hear about your favorites! I’m most easily found on Blue Sky these days @justinmikos.bsky.social , but I am still on Twitter as well @JustinMikos. Until next time!