Paper Mario was released in Japan 25 years ago today, August 11, 2025. Below, we look back at how the dynamic battle system and an unusual approach to Mario lore influenced the series for years to come.
I would wager that when GameSpot posted its first preview of the original Paper Mario–then known as “Super Mario Adventure” in the US and “Super Mario RPG 2” in Japan–two and a half decades ago, no one expected it would become a beloved sub-series that people would still hold in high regard a quarter-century later.
Yet, here we are, exactly 25 years ago to the day that Paper Mario first hit store shelves in Japan. While the majority of Paper Mario fans dote on Thousand-Year Door as the best game in the long-running series, I’ve always held a special fondness for the original that started it all.
