Paper Mario Is Wonderful 

Paper Mario is like Chicken Soup. It's warm, cozy, and perfect on the dreary and lonely days. It is in my opinion one of the coziest and heartwarming games ever made.

"I saw snow in this game before I saw snow in real life" As a Canadian, this hit me. It's crazy to me that there are places that don't get snow. Glad this game was able to provide something special for you!

I really like what you said about Mario being chill but still emotive like he's just a more reserved guy here which is so true and I also like that you can see that part of him clearly here

This has become my go-to sleeping video. It's long enough that I'll fall asleep before it's over, short enough that I probably won't wake up until it's over, pleasant enough that I can just happily listen to it, and witty and interesting enough that I don't mind coming back to it again and again. You've got a good thing, here

I think the reason that the Ch2 and Ch3 deserts feel different is because in Ch2 you're exploring the Arabian/Saharan desert, and in Ch3 you're exploring the Mexican desert.

The original Paper Mario really does have a more subdued vibe than any other game in the series. The other games are a lot more jokey, and that's cool, but there's something to be said for Paper Mario 64's more subtle tone.

It's so nice to hear someone else who genuinely loves and appreciated the 'soul' of Super Paper Mario

I'm glad you pointed out the Paper Mario title drop. That moment gives me chills to this day. Nintendo's title drop skills were off the charts for the first Paper Mario (my second favorite title drop is probably Luigi's Mansion purely for the thick synth bass)

I like how symbolic it is Everyone sees you and thinks your a shooting star so they wish for the princess(and shroom cake) Making it feel like its your responsibility and everyone is counting on you to make their wish come true

Ah yes my favorite mario character twink

genuinely no clue how i came across a video essay about a game i havent replayed recently but god am i glad i did

in regards to TTYD, i'm glad you get "that" point of view. the charm in paper mario 64 really is it's strongest quality.

Wow, the nostalgia I felt watching your Chapter 7 overview actually helped unearth a deep memory for me. Specifically when you mentioned that Chapter probably being your favorite, I recalled having written a short novel entirely inspired by the Crystal Palace and Crystal King in my middle school Social Studies class. The requirement was a short fictional story about a Central American country that was at least 3 pages long... I was obviously playing Paper Mario at the time and geeked out over Chapter 7 by writing an *8 page* story about the "Crystal Emperor" and the eternal winter he brings to Nicaragua lol. I got a 103%/A++ on the plagiar-er, paper, hehe. Anyway, so...thank you for bringing a tear to my eye, and also for giving me _shivers_ (see what I did there?) when I realized for the first time that I wrote that story in 7th Grade. _Chills_

Shooting Star Summit(OST) is responsible for 100's of hours of my Spotify playtime.

You asking "how's the video going? Are you having fun?" was somehow the sweetest and coolest thing any of these hour long youtube videos have delivered! I wish this was in every youtube video ever. I love it so much. Makes me feel so warm and fuzzy!

Ah, loved this series, so glad I grew up with Paper Mario 64 😄 Great job on the video

I remember reading that Nintendo no longer wanted "unique" toads and koopas, which is why there's no more of them in the current games.

A hidden gem of a video. I hope the RU-vid algorithm figures out that this a video worth watching... So much effort, humour and passion!

watching videos where someone gushes about a beautiful thing is very calming I think. and you were quite funny for all the self-indulgence you got onto yourself over. very charming

as an Italian mobster, I wish I was inside of Mario

Paper Mario 64 will hold that special place for me always considering it actually taught me a real life lesson. Was the first game I beat & at the time I had a bad habit of starting games but never beating them cause I would get stuck. Was stuck forever on the first chapter where you have to go to the koopa village. I never saw the sign and was always confused what to do next. Started the game over and over many times thinking I missed something important before arriving to that point in the game. Was on the brink of just calling it quits but the clip that plays when you don't push anything on the menu screen kept me going cause the adventure that was awaiting for me that I have only scratched the surface. Then boom! Playing it one day start searching every little corner and then I see the sign that points down to the koopa village. Felt so dumb & relieved at the same time. The rest of the game was phenomenal. This all taught me that regardless of how much I may get stuck or have to start something over to never give up & keep going cause eventually after many tries it will happen. After that summer I beat the game I started 1st grade and was doing pretty bad midway through & was on the brink of getting sent to summer school. Something with this game stuck with me one day & I actually started trying in class. Started getting all high 90s or 100s on my tests, homework turned in, & worked well on classwork. Grades were so good that they told me disregard getting my summer school packet signed cause my grades evened out barely passing. Had a bit of a rough childhood but Nintendo provided many great places of grace that many provided many valuable lessons that life may have not taught us at the time.

i adore videos like these where it's just someone talking about something they're passionate about for an extended period of time, they're always great

Thank you for mixing every correct opinion on the Paper Mario series with a well edited thorough summary of the first game It is very much appreciated and I very much needed that I also find great joy in knowing that I was not the only one to let Goombario deal the finishing blow

I'm glad you threw in that extra bit of love for Super Paper Mario at the beginning. It was my first Paper Mario game (I didn't have thousand year door when I only had the GameCube) and the surrealist nature of the game always stuck with me, and though the first two games don't go quite as far with it, the general "vibe" I guess, is spot-on

Spot on video man. I played TTYD first so I hold it closer to my heart, but I genuinely love this game too! You laid out all the reasons to love this game so eloquently and with passion!

You like the "second desert" level because it avoids all sense of repetition by actually nothing like the first one at all! Down to the setting, it's not a sprawling, arab-ish sandbox(hah) like Dry Dry is, more of a linear plateau inspired by the aridic landscapes of middle-southern spain, as those windmills, (as seen in Don Quixote) and the guitar music imply. See, this is why this game was so great and soulful. They didn't have to put the boos from out of the mansion such a distinct location, and make them all a "tan" shade from the sun but they just did it because it was fun and fresh take on the Mario characters, and that's not even getting into the intrigue with Tubba Blubba and all, it's basically setting a great stage for the main event. It made the Mario world feel the most alive it's ever been. And about General Guy, there's something I find hysterical about him at least: he's such a serious, disciplined and intense leader for the shy guys... which are basically rampaging, chaotic children. The least you'd expect from the leader of the shy guys is to be a controlling, disciplined military guy. And in the middle of all the bright building blocks and toys and all that he comes off as a self important manchild asshole with the biggest Napoleon complex ever. I love him lmao This was a wonderful loveletter to my favorite game by the way. I loved hearing you gush about it in such an entertaining way, special props for not dissing the Toy Box and Flower Fields as padding, in a game that is so full of details to explore, it's not even particularly bad backtracking... tldr I'm really enjoying your videos thanks

I’ve already watched this like 4 times already. Great video dude.

I can see liking 64 more than TTYD in all honesty. The gameplay is paced FARRRRRRR better in 64. TTYD featured a little TOO much back and forth and I often times wanted to fall asleep. Chapter 3, 4, and 7, I found especially had this problem.

We need more content like this. You and Running Shine are doing God's work

Never played the game and thought it would look dated because of the pixelated and rustic sprites, but holy shit the art direction looks stunning. I'm genuinely impressed by how the set pieces look consistently beautiful and perfectly blend the drawn on paper and rendered CG effects. It's not only good but so consistent, thanks for letting me see it, otherwise I probably would have never bothered looking it up

This seriously is one of my favorite videos ive ever watched. Great content, highly entertaining, i really enjoyed it. Thanks :)

I LOVE your video style and humor. It feels like your jokes were made just for me. I can't stop replaying the La Croix sponsor bit

This video is for me kinda the adulthood equivalent of that one movie everyone liked to watch over and over as a kid. Something cozy about this video makes me keep coming back

I think I have watched your videos like a hundred times now. At work it helps me relax and not want to play in traffic. Keep up the great work!

1:21:40 I 100% understand the frustration with Shigeru Miyamoto... The more I read about his involvement in games, the more I feel like he just holds them back... But I still have to acknowledge just how much good he has added to Nintendo...

ttyd and spm will always hold a greater place in my heart for the darker subject matters they delve into and the continued worldbuilding beyond the scope of the first game, but i'm really glad to see that someone loves pm64 as much as i love those two sequels

Glad you made that brief mention of Shooting Star Summit's goated music. It always stuck out to me as a kid, so much so to where I made it a tradition every Christmas Eve to load up a save and let the music play on the pause menu so I could fall asleep. Great video :)

It is not physically possible for one human being to agree with another more than I'm agreeing with you right now.

It was fantastic hearing you explain what it is about this game that makes your heart sing, and about the anecdotes fi playing this game as a child!

Party game: Smoke one heroin needle every time Lute says "or whatever" (I am now deceased)

Thanks a lot, u just made my inner child go back to a place and time when everything could be perfect and joyful. Please, keep being you, this content is beyond great! Greetings form México.

Hey man, your videos are really good! Pacing and humor are on point, narration is top notch; there's also a certain sincerity about your love for these silly bing bong wahoos. Good stuff. I hope you get more recognition now that the algorithn has picked up your Earthbound Zero video! Also like your music taste. Loveless is amazing

One of my favorite things to do when I was a kid was to use all the wrong ingredients in the cake and see the big shy guy's reaction lol. Batter? Nothing but strawberries and water. The icing? Detergent. The topping? Eggs. I always loved that the game just let you do that.

The star spirits are way cooler than the crystal stars.

Nice to see a very well done video essay about the first paper mario game. People usually forget about this one and focus on its sequel

thank u so much for making this video!! i always found so amazing that this game is so sincere in it´s tone, as in " it´s just a storybook about mario!" while being so entertaining to play. i really enjoyed your take on the game and i find do difficult to find people who aprecciate this kind of games! pls do more paper mario videos!!

This is quality, Lute. Paper Mario was the only game my mom ever bought me, and you summarize it so well! The jokes are funny, and the script makes me feel like I'm sitting there with you playing the game. Well done!

every video essay praising a beloved nintendo franchise should have a section explaining how nintendo is a fucking brutal corporate machine. I appreciate that you put that in there.

Your style reminds me of Running Shine, which I appreciate. I also love Paper Mario, one of my top 5 games probably, and you're completely right about TTYD not understanding PM64's aesthetic.

2:35: "they're not bad games" Sticker star most assuredly is.

Paper Mario really is wonderful; I came into it just excited to play a follow-up to the aesthetically stunning Super Mario RPG, and it totally blew me away with places like Shooting Star Summit and Flower Fields. I really thought it was a fluke until they did it again in Thousand Year Door, but I also didn't like that one as much. One thing I love about this first one is that you can collect EVERYTHING; it's so satisfying to collect it all. I also love Super Paper Mario; it's different, but so underrated. I love your content; most anyone else going on for an hour and a half about a game and I'd be borderline resentful, but this makes the time just fly by. Also, you can make yourself basically invincible against the Fuzzy enemies by equipping the Zap Tap badge; they jump on to try to drain you, and instantly get smacked back down.

3:59 is a song called “The Moths Arrive in Black and White” by an artist named Surri. From what I’ve seen on Spotify, they’re very unknown, only having like 70 monthly visitors. The music slaps

Absolute masterpiece of a video. I first played this game when i was 6 watching my brother play it first. Then i have played through it at least 5 or 6 times and im a grown ass man now and still love it. Words cannot describe how much i love this game. I have a kid on the way with the wife and i still have this on my n64 and that kid will also play this game just like i did. The legacy will continue. Again, great video man you touched on pretty much every aspect from start to finish and your takes are on point

This video popped up in my recommendations and I'm so glad it did. This game means so much to me and you perfectly articulated why.

It was really cool to see you mention how the game involves a lot of reading for a kid. Cuz honestly this game taught me how to read better growing up and playing it with my mom. 😊

you're videos are so comfy

"Sobrie-T." I fucking choked xD

Thank you for letting all of us listen and hang out. You really sold it for me. Back when I was an impatient kid, I rented Paper Mario and only played until you get kooper. It didn't stand out to me and at the time I already had TTYD. But now I feel obligated to play Paper Mario. Thank you Lute, your narration is pleasant and casual, it feels exactly to me like how you described how mario feels to you in Paper Mario.

amazing video, paper mario 64 is my favorite game out of all of them. it feels the most... dream-like out of all of them, it's oddly calming and comforting to me, and that's why I love it so much

Your calming voice added to the overall charm of the video. It’s apparent how much you appreciate all the details and personality in each interaction. Definitely makes me want to replay sometime soon

20:41 I can't believe Merlon would say something like that, what an absolute psycho

I got introduced to this channel through the Mother 1 video and I'm liking it so far. The videos are well paced, the jokes are actually funny and idk it's just very cozy, like you're having a conversation with a friend or something

I could listen to you talk about mario for longer than 1:34:03

This is such a lovely video.. ❤ I can really tell you're passionate about this game and it's just comfortable to watch and listen to, it feels like a little slice of an adventure itself as you go through it and explain what you like about each area. It fits the vibe of this game a lot! And your style of editing is cool too, I'm glad you include bits of pauses, even if just for a joke sometimes, to let the video breathe for a bit. It's really nice :) And I think this video has made me appreciate Paper Mario 64 way, way more than I already did, and I already loved this game. One thing that stood out to me as you were talking about TTYD, the "paper" stuff? I dunno, maybe It's just because I've been exposed to the shameless, antithesis of subtlety that is the 3 modern paper mario games where the characters don't ever let you forget they and the world is made of literal paper, but in TTYD I think it's still really subdued.. like, there's some small visual gags but none of the characters ever comment on them or treat them like they're literally in a paper world. In fact, the "worst" offenders are the curses, and I think even they are handled in a clever way. These abilities are not natural things Mario can do simply because he's made of paper. It's a curse, bending the fabric of reality to turn mario into a little boat or airplane. It's just represented in a silly paper way to go along with the art style. I think they're definitely pushing the limits and nothing should go further than that... (Looking at you, SS, CS, and OK...) but I don't think it's as bad as it seems. It's still quite subdued I think, and you may have misinterpreted it(?) Anyways very awesome video, one of my favorites on youtube~! I'd really love to see you talk about Super Paper Mario soon!

I'm only about 20 mins in but I just wanna say thank you for this video, just like Paper Mario it's very cosy Paper Mario was the very first let's play I ever saw on RU-vid as a kid, it opened my eyes to videogames other than DS games because at that time it was the only thing I had access to And it became one of my favourite games of all time. I finally got to play it over a decade later and I was so happy it held up and I finally got to experience the great gameplay for myself I know TTYD is usually the fan favourite, and I adore Super PM for its story and writing, but 64 PM will always have the biggest place in my heart and it's great to have a video going into why it's so good And also pointing out stuff I never noticed, like how Peach could just go into the chest lol. I'll just pretend it can't transport living beings, so it makes sense

the problem sleuth reference has me xploding into bits please make more video

This was the first game I pre-ordered. I sent a check in the mail and the week it came out it showed up in my mailbox and life has never been the same.

Gosh i love this series. I love the charming stories and characters and how the games are able to make people happy that have either never played rpgs or have! Thanks for this vid, i recently found your channel and i really dug just how passionate you sounded lol

I get that this isn't a mario/nintendo channel, but if you have any more stories about ANYTHING in the series like this, I could binge it and be content for a very long time. Would not be opposed to a ttyd and especially an SPM video that's like 17 hours long. Sub beyond earned.

I've only played Thousand Year Door and Super Paper Mario and Duper Mario RPG, so seeing this really makes me want to give this a go. It's high up on the list. Oh, as for the $10, we moved recently, so don't get confused when delivering the money

Im not entirely involved with the "italian mob" but i know some people and from what i can tell they are oddly obsessed with luigi and thats it

The Pikmin 3, Bug Fables and Geek Critique slander! Actually though, this is an amazing video that really captures the magic of why the first paper mario is so good, even better than TTYD despite it being mechanically weaker.

added to my "best videos on this site playlist"

This was a really sweet video! I loved it

the whole segment on Nintendo's issues was really well put, could be its own video. i like how you lay out your complicated feelings towards the company, because like yourself, i also grew up playing these games and being really enthralled in a lot of them, and i don't think I'd be the same person now at 23 without those experiences. but i find everything about this company and their games in the last decade have made me want to distance myself as much as i can. reputation of a lot if the community is also embarrassing which makes me want to be even more distant. but you seem cool and i enjoyed your deep exploration of this game from it's unique mechanics to it's artistic accomplishments through presentation, creating compelling, thoughtful arguments for the contrast of quality between the old iterations and the modern takes. cool video im excited to watch more of them

Thousand Year Door might not be your favorite, but it is absolutely my favorite of the original 3 paper mario games. I think the sections with Bowser are hilarious and I like the party members more. The little yoshi with different hair styles is my favorite thing in the universe and it inspired me to create lots of yoshi OC's when I was a kid. The fact that yoshi can grow hair canonically in the mario universe blew my 8-year-old mind! Not to mention the battle mechanics are hands down the best of the original 3 because of the Stylish commands and the Supergaurd command. The original Paper Mario is my second favorite, and Super Paper Mario is my third favorite. SPM would be so much better without the real-time combat. Trying to jump on enemies always felt really awkward in that game for some reason. But the story in SPM is hands down the best story of all three, with some of the best dialogue in any Paper Mario game. It's the game that made me love Bowser as a person instead of just a cookie cutter villain, and he has a couple really sweet moments with Princess Peach which really fleshed out his character. SPM, despite the headache inducing gameplay, holds a special place in my heart. The ending makes me cry every time.

I think the worst part about modern Paper Mario is that it COULD be better. The fricking mandates that Tanabe mentioned don't exist to the extent that he implies. Look at every other Mario spin-off in the 2010s and the Modern PM games are the only games that weren't allowed to do anything. Mario & Luigi and even the Camelot Sports games introduced brand new characters and modified Mario species. The M&L remakes didn't even get very much altered aside from stuff that was probably just due to budget. It's really telling when Tanabe literally went on record to say that Toads were the only friendly Mario species, and that's why they were the only NPCs in Sticker Star. Miyamoto was a producer for TTYD, so I'm pretty sure he thought TTYD fit fine in Mario's world. SPM went too far outside of Mario's world, so that's probably why he asked Tanabe to try to dial it back a bit. But they went way too far. Tanabe and the PM dev team can definitely do better, but idk if they're willing to. We've seen interviews from AlphaDream and most recently Ubisoft Milan, which suggest that if you push the IP team, you can do what you want. The PM devs probably didn't push that hard if they thought they weren't allowed to do anything. I adore The Origami King, and I'm also really fond of Color Splash and Sticker Star. The modern games do a lot of stuff much better than the originals, but they're too focused on being new and different. Origami King was a massive step in the right direction in many, many ways. With what they were going for, battle system is my only gripe (the boss battles were really engaging). But I know that even outside of the battle system, they can do so much more. I'm really, really hoping that their next project is a remake of Paper Mario 64. It's easily the best Paper Mario game, and the most well-rounded. As said in the video, TTYD is better when it comes to battle gameplay, but overall PM64 is just unmatched in its greatness. And with improvements in a remake, we could get an even better game. PM64 is so full of life and love and charm, and if it's remade it might be able to pave the path for future PM games to be just as good, if not better. Sorry for the big long tangent, but as a fan of all Paper Mario games, I have a lot of thoughts and frustrations. This was an amazing video and I loved all the little jokes and comments along the way. I was originally planning on stopping about halfway through to watch another time, but before I knew it, I was at the last chapter and I had to just get to the end, lol.

Okay but like... I adore your sense of humor. The sound cloud bit fucking killed me.

I know everyone creams their jeans over TTYD, but I haven't played it. I have beaten the original Paper Mario a couple of times now and I agreed with everything you said about it, the game fucking rules and I think it sucks that it doesn't get enough love compared to its sequel. Yeah I am sure TTYD also kicks ass and I'm sure I'll love it too when I finally get around to it, but the original game has so much charm bursting from literally every aspect of it. Great video dude, loving your channel and your strange combo of aggressive wholesomeness.

Just wanted to say your content is amazing! Really personal and well made. Thanks for making this! I came across your channel through your Earthbound video and I'm currently going through the rest of the vids

Finally got around to finishing this video. Thanks for making this video. Paper Mario is my favorite game of all time, it hold such a special place in my heart.

1:00:46 I have never laughed so hard in my life. Masterpiece of a video

Wish you went on a tangent about Twink's farewell and fhe fireworks at the end lol

Loved this video & your narration style. Your rants about Sushi and the bitch flowers were perfect.

15:25 This is why I always feel the need to talk back to people saying "Mario has no personality". Mario has tons of personality. His character and backstory might not be particularly deep, but he reacts and emotes in his very own ways. Very nice to hear someone actually adress this for once. 34:16 You know, I used to firmly be in the camp of people saying that TTYD is my favourite Paper Mario game. Though I'd always tied it with Super Paper Mario, I love that game as well. However, at this stage of my life, I think I'm actually inclined to say that I like Paper Mario 64 even more than these two games. That's just how good these three games are, I can't quite settle for certain.

I really do not regret subbing to you. This is exactly what I want out of youtube stuff right now, so thank you!

God this video was a delight, glad the MBV thumbnail peeked my curiosity enough, really hope you do more of these. Also, I’d love to know more about your opinion of Bug Fables because I really loved that game even though it’s pretty flawed in some aspects

I missed the original Paper Mario. My first was Super Paper Mario, and I think I have the same love for that as you express here. And you're right that later titles lost that soul. I think they still try, but it must be hard without the ability to make original characters, and/or subvert them (my favourite Mario character of all time is Mr. L/Green Lightning) I was also disappointed that the Super Mario Bros Movie Mario actually talked. There's so much comedic potential in mute Mario. And he has so much heart.

My favourite part of super paper Mario is when you warp pipe out of the final area, save over it, and softlock yourself permanently.

Maybe someone said this but the Enix merger really wasn’t what ruined Square’s relationship with Nintendo, it was teaming up with Sony and shitting on Nintendo’s cartridge tech. Funny thing is after square Enix became a thing they actually did more with Nintendo. It’s a weird story. Great vid.

It has been so long since I played Paper Mario even if it was one of the most important games I played as a kid I remember back then I would just replay the final boss segment just for how it made me feel, I guess, but until now I had only a vague recollection of it when you got to the part about twink fighting it all came flooding back, and I remembered the feelings that led to me replaying that section over & over

I'm glad you mentioned the platforming as something that makes the game stand out at the time. I love JRPGs, but the actual traversal usually puts me to sleep. Games like paper Mario, Valkyrie profile and SMTV all have enjoyable traversal and it makes them so much more enjoyable to play outside of battles

I played TTYD first, but there's definitely something special about the original Paper Mario. It has a much more cohesive world and vibe than TTYD, but it never feels stagnant or uninspired. It's also decidedly more "Mario" than TTYD, which is maybe my favorite thing about it. They're both excellent, though, as is SPM! I wanna replay all three now haha.

I would… literally fucking melt if you made a video on Super Paper Mario just like this

Would you ever consider making a Bug Fables review? I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on it - critique of things I enjoy are always super interesting.

Just finished my third playthrough of the game after getting my new switch. Good call on the cute art and funny dialogue. Not sure why but the dialogue of when Kammy catches Peach disguised as spike makes me laugh very hard everytime. Great video dawg! Genuinely hilarious. Id love to see more!

I attribute this game as being 1/3 of the reason I love RPGs as much as I do today (the others being Pokemon Gold/Silver and Tales of Symphonia). It's just a pretty magical experience, and although TTYD is my favorite Mario RPG, this game is right behind it. They're just the pinnacle of what I want my Mario RPGs to be. As a random anecdote, I didn't play Yoshi's Island until way later after this game, so retroactively learning that a lot of designs came from YI just made me like this game even more. Raphael the Raven is the GOAT. Awesome video, keep up the great work.

hell yeaaahh, autechre 🤙good to see another fan in the wild

You deserve much more views, these videos are so good

In defense of Gourmet Guy, Princess Peach literally invites Mario all the way to her castle at the start of 64 cause she baked him one. It's probably fair to assume that she's pretty good at it. Man knows what he wants. A good cake from a good baker. Can't knock a guy for that.