# List of Mario role-playing games
The Mario role-playing games are a family of turn-based and action role-playing titles set in the [Super Mario](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-mario) universe, beginning with *Super Mario RPG* in 1996 and continuing through the *Paper Mario* and *Mario & Luigi* series into the 2020s.[1](https://egmnow.com/magazines/PDFs/Geek014.pdf) Nintendo Life counts every Mario RPG released from 1996 to 2024 in its reader-ranked overview of the subseries.[2](https://www.nintendolife.com/guides/best-mario-rpgs-of-all-time)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First entry | *Super Mario RPG* (1996, Super Famicom/SNES), developed with Square; copyright Nintendo/Square Enix[3](https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clvs/soft/mario_rpg.html) |
| Main series branches | *Paper Mario* (Intelligent Systems) and *Mario & Luigi* (AlphaDream), both descended from *Super Mario RPG*[1](https://egmnow.com/magazines/PDFs/Geek014.pdf) |
| Signature mechanic | Action Commands, timed button presses that boost attacks or defenses, introduced in *Super Mario RPG* and carried into the *Paper Mario* games[4](https://www.mariowiki.com/Paper_Mario_Series) |
| *Mario & Luigi* genre label | Nintendo calls the series "Brother Action RPG," built on Mario and Luigi working together[5](https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/ask-the-developer-vol-15-mario-and-luigi-brothership-part-1/) |
| Crossover | *Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam* (Nintendo 3DS, December 2015) joins Mario and Luigi with Paper Mario[5](https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/ask-the-developer-vol-15-mario-and-luigi-brothership-part-1/) |
| Series revival | *Mario & Luigi: Brothership* (Nintendo Switch, November 7, 2024), the first new title in nine years, developed with Acquire[5](https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/ask-the-developer-vol-15-mario-and-luigi-brothership-part-1/) |
## Super Mario RPG
*Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars*, originally released in 1996, set [Mario](https://www.edgepedia.org/mario), Peach, and other familiar characters on an adventure that incorporated gameplay elements of the *Final Fantasy* series, with [Square](https://www.edgepedia.org/square-video-game-company) as Nintendo's development partner.[1](https://egmnow.com/magazines/PDFs/Geek014.pdf) The game is a turn-based RPG whose battle system uses timed button presses for attacks and defense, a design that became the family's defining trait.[6](https://manuals.plus/m/f9c9f5c5c6da18f9ded1cdac9e71d94a5c371316b9fab380c88812af1be5cadc.pdf) Nintendo later reissued the original on the Super Famicom Classic Edition.[3](https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clvs/soft/mario_rpg.html)
A modern remake on [Nintendo Switch](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo-switch) upgraded the graphics and sound, added an "easy" mode, and applied modern improvements to the turn-based combat.[1](https://egmnow.com/magazines/PDFs/Geek014.pdf) The remake's success was noted in French coverage of the series' revival.[7](https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2024/11/04/on-a-teste-mario-luigi-l-epopee-fraternelle-la-bonne-prise-au-vent-des-deux-plombiers_6375524_4408996.html)
## Paper Mario series
**Origins.** The *Paper Mario* series was developed by [Intelligent Systems](https://www.edgepedia.org/intelligent-systems), the studio also known for the Wars and [Fire Emblem](https://www.edgepedia.org/fire-emblem) series.[4](https://www.mariowiki.com/Paper_Mario_Series) Producer Kensuke Kawade joined the team as an advisor when the *Super Mario RPG* staff first started development of the new game. The team tried polygonal graphics but rejected them for overlapping with the N64 *Zelda* games, and ultimately reused Super Famicom-era tools to create the paper-style graphics; the final look grew from a concept image by artist Naohiko Aoyama.[8](https://shmuplations.com/papermario/)
**Gameplay.** Battles in the *Paper Mario* games borrow elements from *Super Mario RPG* and traditional role-playing titles: a turn-based system in which players select an attack, defense, or item from a menu, plus an Action Commands mechanic that grants substantial attack or defense bonuses for correctly timed button presses.[4](https://www.mariowiki.com/Paper_Mario_Series) The series also crossed over with the *Mario & Luigi* series in *[Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam](https://www.edgepedia.org/mario-and-luigi-paper-jam)*.[4](https://www.mariowiki.com/Paper_Mario_Series)
**Super Paper Mario.** The third entry, *Super Paper Mario* (Wii, 2007), departed from the series' turn-based formula. Chief director Ryota Kawade proposed switching between 2D and 3D perspectives, and found that traditional Mario-style action battles worked better with that system; producer Kensuke Tanabe approved dropping RPG-style battles while keeping the RPG-like storyline.[9](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/News/2007/Interview-Super-Paper-Mario-249673.html) [Game Informer](https://www.edgepedia.org/game-informer) describes the game as Intelligent Systems toying with the core mechanics of the Mario RPG formula.[10](https://gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2016/01/22/taking-turns-mario-s-rpg-history)
**Later entries.** *Paper Mario: Sticker Star* is described by Nintendo Life as often funny and charming but a touch too familiar and unwilling to take large risks.[2](https://www.nintendolife.com/guides/best-mario-rpgs-of-all-time) *Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door* returned in a Switch remake that GameSpot calls an incredible turn-based RPG, with defense Action Commands that follow the single-button timing of *Super Mario RPG* while Mario's and his partner's moves extend well beyond it.[11](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/paper-mario-the-thousand-year-door-review-step-inside-the-plumber-rpgs-back/1900-6418230/)
## Mario & Luigi series
The first *Mario & Luigi* game was released in 2003 for [Game Boy Advance](https://www.edgepedia.org/game-boy-advance). Nintendo characterizes the games as Action RPGs in which Mario and Luigi work together to progress, a formula the developers call "Brother Action RPG," balancing action, puzzles, story, and character reactions.[5](https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/ask-the-developer-vol-15-mario-and-luigi-brothership-part-1/)
Unlike the *Paper Mario* games, the *Mario & Luigi* series does not use Action Commands to block attacks; instead, gameplay revolves around avoiding enemy attacks.[12](https://www.mariowiki.com/RPG)
**Brothership.** After *Paper Jam* in 2015, Nintendo considered giving up on the series before reaching out to Acquire, the studio behind the *Octopath Traveler* series and *Tenchu*, chosen for its combined RPG and action-game experience. Former AlphaDream staff joined the project, and the team moved the series into 3D so that in-game visuals would match the packaging artwork. *Mario & Luigi: Brothership* launched on Nintendo Switch on November 7, 2024, set in the world of Concordia, where Mario and Luigi sail between drifting islands from the base of Shipshape Island.[5](https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/ask-the-developer-vol-15-mario-and-luigi-brothership-part-1/) Review coverage highlights the series' action commands, in which every attack can be dodged or countered with well-timed jumps or hammer strikes, and a new "plug" system that grants combat advantages and unpredictable synergies; the French review estimated a playthrough of roughly 30 to 40 hours.[7](https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2024/11/04/on-a-teste-mario-luigi-l-epopee-fraternelle-la-bonne-prise-au-vent-des-deux-plombiers_6375524_4408996.html)
## Shared design traits
The Mario RPGs are known for making turn-based combat interactive. The timed-press approach that began with *Super Mario RPG* spread through the family: *Paper Mario* retained menu-driven turns with Action Commands, *Mario & Luigi* built battles around dodging and countering, and *Super Paper Mario* moved the formula into action gameplay.[4](https://www.mariowiki.com/Paper_Mario_Series) • [9](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/News/2007/Interview-Super-Paper-Mario-249673.html) • [12](https://www.mariowiki.com/RPG) A comparative analysis of RPG battle systems describes *Mario RPG*'s turn-based combat as more innovative and rewarding than earlier menu-driven systems such as *Dragon Quest*.[13](https://yozga.weebly.com/uploads/1/4/8/6/148699050/researching_rpg_mechanics__1_.pdf) The Switch era brought a resurgence of the family, with remakes, remasters, a strategy spinoff in *Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope*, and the new *Brothership*.[2](https://www.nintendolife.com/guides/best-mario-rpgs-of-all-time)
## References
1. [EGM: Super Mario RPG remake coverage](https://egmnow.com/magazines/PDFs/Geek014.pdf)
2. [Best Mario RPGs Of All Time, Nintendo Life](https://www.nintendolife.com/guides/best-mario-rpgs-of-all-time)
3. [スーパーマリオＲＰＧ, Nintendo Classic Mini Super Famicom software page](https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clvs/soft/mario_rpg.html)
4. [Paper Mario (series), Super Mario Wiki](https://www.mariowiki.com/Paper_Mario_Series)
5. [Ask the Developer Vol. 15, Mario & Luigi: Brothership, Part 1, Nintendo](https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/ask-the-developer-vol-15-mario-and-luigi-brothership-part-1/)
6. [GamePro Issue 082, May 1996](https://manuals.plus/m/f9c9f5c5c6da18f9ded1cdac9e71d94a5c371316b9fab380c88812af1be5cadc.pdf)
7. [On a testé… « Mario & Luigi : l'épopée fraternelle », Le Monde (2024)](https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2024/11/04/on-a-teste-mario-luigi-l-epopee-fraternelle-la-bonne-prise-au-vent-des-deux-plombiers_6375524_4408996.html)
8. [Paper Mario – 2000 Developer Interviews, shmuplations](https://shmuplations.com/papermario/)
9. [Interview: Super Paper Mario, Nintendo UK (2007)](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/News/2007/Interview-Super-Paper-Mario-249673.html)
10. [Taking Turns: Mario's RPG History, Game Informer (2016)](https://gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2016/01/22/taking-turns-mario-s-rpg-history)
11. [Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Review, GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/paper-mario-the-thousand-year-door-review-step-inside-the-plumber-rpgs-back/1900-6418230/)
12. [Genre, Super Mario Wiki](https://www.mariowiki.com/RPG)
13. [Researching RPG mechanics: Mario RPG battle techniques](https://yozga.weebly.com/uploads/1/4/8/6/148699050/researching_rpg_mechanics__1_.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Franchises and series › Nintendo-owned franchises › Advance Wars, Paper Mario, Rhythm Heaven, and other strategy/RPG/casual series*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license