A commentary on the "Paper Mario Inspired" genre...
In light of the news of another Paper Mario-inspired indie game releasing, I got to thinking about what exactly it is about the PM games that makes them special. What REALLY makes Paper Mario...Paper Mario, and why do some games fall short?
For those who don't know, the new indie game is called "Escape from Ever After" and no I haven't played it yet, so please don't consider this post to be a review! A few other PM-inspired games have dropped in recent years, such as Born of Bread and Bug Fables. Bug Fables was great and definitely became a favorite of mine! But Born of Bread wasn't really for me, and actually left me a little bit disappointed.
So...why? What was the difference?
I think it's because what really makes a Paper Mario game special is its dark aspects. (Contains spoilers for TTYD!)
Paper Mario never strives to take itself too seriously. It presents itself as a fun game, with humor that subverts expectations at just about every turn. And yet! There are times where things happen that you just wouldn't expect from a quirky fun Mario RPG, and those are the moments that stick with you, the player.
When I played my first Paper Mario game (which just so happened to be TTYD), I'll be honest, what I enjoyed at first was simply the gameplay. I was a kid who liked solving puzzles, it made me feel all smart and clever. I actually thought some parts of the story were cheesy at first. Like, did I really need to know about Koops' personal life? Things got better for me in chapter 2, as the antagonists started to grow on me (Lord Crump and his "buh huh huh"s became a staple of my enjoyment). And then chapter 3 happened. A mystery unraveling just out of sight, vague threats from unknown sources, and my own friends disappearing without a trace. What happened to King K actually shocked me, I thought he was legit dead! It made me more personally invested in figuring out just what was going on in the Glitz Pit. Whoever was doing this couldn't just get away with it!
That level of investment carried through all the way to the end. The Shadow Queen. I still remember experiencing that cutscene for the first time and being absolutely blown away. Princess Peach, getting possessed by a DEMON? Up until then I'd always thought Princess Peach was pretty much untouchable. I mean YEAH she's been kidnapped by Bowser tons of times, but she never actually gets harmed, does she? And even more, they would never tarnish her "pure and delicate princess" image, would they? Needless to say I thought the Shadow Queen was the coolest thing ever!
When I see TTYD fans discussing how badly they miss the charm of that game, I know many of them are talking about the gameplay, but for me the gameplay was only ever half of the formula. To me, fun gameplay + compelling writing = Paper Mario. And compelling writing means interesting characters, and a steady mix of quirky humor and dark aspects that continuously subvert your expectations.
The pattern I've noticed though, is that some games that pride themselves on being "Paper Mario inspired" only have that first element, the gameplay. They mirror the frame of a classic Paper Mario game, and don't give that frame enough substance to stand on its own.
In my opinion, Born of Bread was one of those games. The characters were surely endearing to some, but overall the plot and characters didn't have a compelling enough degree of depth to get me truly invested in their story. It felt more like the ghost of a Paper Mario game. Bug Fables, on the other hand, came with a ton of unique world-building and lore, and character backstories that were honestly quite sad. There were lighthearted moments along with dark moments that reminded you of what the stakes were, not just for the player, but for the characters themselves. In essence, Bug Fables was an original story that the creators decided to tell through the medium of Paper Mario. Rather than trying to copy Paper Mario, they borrowed from it and filled the frame with something unique.
I understand that there are people who enjoy games more for their gameplay than their story, and who are of the opinion that the first two Paper Mario games are the only "true" games in the series because of it. I've always felt it's a bit unfair to exclude Super Paper Mario from that, given its story was very much built in the same way as the games before it (what with the chapter interludes, the lore + characters, dark aspects, etc), but I guess yeah, if you believe the early Paper Mario games were only true Paper Mario games because they were built like an RPG, then I guess I can't argue. But at the same time, if the only element that made early Paper Mario titles good was the RPG aspect...why not play any other RPG and say it's just as good? Food for thought.
As a side-note, this "fun gameplay + compelling writing" formula is also why I genuinely believe the Mother games would be enjoyable for Paper Mario fans who enjoy the writing and dark aspects of the series. I started playing Earthbound (and then Mother 3) around the time I was struggling with Born of Bread and found that the quirky humor and the more unsettling (and even tear-jerking) moments scattered throughout stirred within me a similar feeling that some of the Paper Mario games have. Which is why to this day I proclaim that the Mother series is the only series I enjoy as much as I do Paper Mario.
If you've read this whole essay, thank you! And again, I haven't played Escape from Ever After so please don't consider this a commentary on whether or not the game is a worthy spiritual successor to Paper Mario, or whether or not you should play it! These are all just thoughts I had while contemplating for myself whether or not I should pick up the game :)
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Video Games that make you feel like you’re in a Fairytale
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
There will be a LOT of Dragon Quest titles on this list so be prepared. But yeah this is one of the most beloved games in the entire Dragon Quest series. And while it is not my personal favourite (The title goes to Dragon Quest IX) it has UNDENIABLE fairy tale vibes. From the bright and colourful world to the story. This is a must-experience JRPG. The story follows the nameless protagonist who works as a guard at the palace of the Kingdom of Trodain. But one day the former palace jester curses the king and turns him into a troll and his daughter, princess Medea, into a horse and turns everyone inside the palace into plants (except for the hero who manages to barely evade the curse) So now with the help of the headstron mage Jessica, the priest Angelo and the former thief Yangus he travels the lands to find a way to break the curse. With an amazing cast of character and a fantastic love story between the hero and Medea as well as some pretty dark moments scattered throughout, this game gives me the same vibes as an old disney princess movie. Some sweet moments, funny ones, scary ones but in the end you know you will get a happy end.
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the white Witch
A young boy needs to travel to a fantasy world to rescue his mom. Listen this game has been praised to the high heavens by everyone under the sun and for GOOD REASONS! Like i doubt i could add anythin
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Sky
This game means EVERYTHING to me. it was my very first JRPG ever and it came to me during a time of deep mental anguish and a spiritual crisis. You play as an angel (or Celestrian as the game calls them) who has fallen from heaven and has lost his halo and wings and must now travel the world, doing good deeds to find a way back to your home up in the sky. The world, as always in dragon quest is VIBRANT and LIVELY, with amazing characters and is accompanied by Akira Toriyama's (Who created the Monster and Character Art for all Dragon Quest games up until his death last year) art style just gives this game such fantastic vibes.
Dragon Quest V: The Hand of the Heavenly Bride
Me? Obsessed with Dragon Quest? Whatever gave you THAT idea! Jokes aside DQV is widely regarded as the best one in the series and for good reasons. It was highly innovative when it first came out and still holds up rather well. You play as the nameless hero and follow him throughout his life starting as a child, watch him get married, have kids and also having to rescue his wife from the main villain. If you want some classic JRPG goodness, I HIGHLY recommend giving this one a try.
Final Fantasy IX
I know this is a bit of an unusual pick and a lot of people do not like this entry in the franchise as it abandons the Futuristic Technology-Fantasy fusion the franchise is usually known for in favour of a high fantasy adventure alongside a more chibi-style artstyle instead of the usual anime artstyle but regardless of all that, this is my favourite FF game of all time. And the first two acts of the game feel so much like a fairytale retelling. The princess that willingly lets herself get kidnapped by a plucky thief to escape her wicked mother and things spiralling from there. I cannot reccomend this game enough
Fantasy Life (3DS)
Now is the perfect time to get into Fantasy Life with a brand new FL Game having just released this month. It’s peak cozy vibes set in a beautiful fantasy setting and an equally beautiful story to go along with it. I have not yet played the new FL game but if it’s anything like the original on the 3DS i can guarantee it will be worth every penny.
Born of Bread
My favourite Indie Game of all time. I will openly admit that only the first city in the game is a “typical” fairytale style story but even so it’s very much worth it. It’s a Paper Mario inspired Turn Based RPG where you play as Loaf, a little Bread Golum who was accidentally created by Papa Baker. But not long after Loaf’s birth Papa Baker get accused of plotting a crime most foul against the queen of the land (Witchcraft and ruining the Queen’s dinner). So now Loaf, alongside his friends, must travel the lands to prove his father is innocent.
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
Yes, another DQ title but trust me, if the previous DQ Games in this list did not sound like smt you’d enjoy, I can guarantee you WILL fall in love with this one. It’s in my opinion the creme de la creme of a “Hero’s Journey” type plot and has by far my favourite cast of characters in the entire Franchise. You play as the Luminary, the lost prince of a long forgotten kingdom who must journey to rid the world from darkness. However along his journey he is perpetually demonised and faced with persecution. Or to put it simply you play as Gay Jesus and the government wants to see you executed. It is also available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox and PS4/PS5. So it is one of the DQ titles that’s the most easiest to acquire for modern gamers without having to rely on emulation or having to sell a kidney for a physical copy.
Little Goody Two Shoes
I mean if you have been keeping up with the Indie Game Scene at all in the past few years there is NO WAY you haven’t at least stumbled across this game at some point. And like let me tell you, you cannot get more Fairytale core than this. Unfortunately however the fairytale in question is german. You play as Elise, a girl trying to escape her mundane life in a little village but she must face several challenges and monsters in order to do so. Also you can be a lesbian in this game if you so wish. So clearly it’s a 10/10.
So this year I decided to keep a media journal of all the video games I've played. And as is custom from the Internet, I have decided to rank them. So, here they are:
I will also add that these are games that I have finished (or at least games I was done playing). I am currently still mid playing the games Penny Larceny, Justice Sucks, Baladins, and Tavern Talk (and let's not even talk about the games I've bought this year, but haven't gotten around to playing yet).
These are from may 2025, I was really obsessed with Born of Bread, so much so that Sid and Klein consumed my brain - funny enough I also have NSFW with them BUT I doubt I'll be posting this here.
Also @littlebeey asked me to post these, so yeah!! Here ya go!
I very much loved Klein's fight bUT!! YOU ROBBED US!!! OF SID!!!!
So I made a whole ass background story for him and nothing can stop me. He's also Jester's cousin.
We also gave them full names, since I thought they were kind of lacking.
Jester Ember
Sid Scorch
Klein Glut
Io Pyre
Alfie Kindle
Yes, they're all fire related.
My boyfriend even designed Sid's mother and older brother, while I'm still on his other mother's and little brother's design.
Also the reason why I got so attatched to these two is how much Sid shows care for Klein and it absolutely KILLED ME!!
Their ship name is BronzeBull, if you know, you know.
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