That Time Bowser Won (And Why it Rules) | Paper Mario Analysis

[@Dorked]

Thanks for watching! This is my first Mario RPG vid on the channel, but hopefully it won't be my last! However, every like, comment, and sub helps ensure this more experimental content does well in the algorithm. I've also been streaming Paper Mario on twitch at twitch.tv/derpisms, and if you wanna support what I do, check out my patreon at patreon.com/dorked. I do a lot of different work, such as my longterm Undertale webcomic, Inverted Fate: invertedfate.com/chapters, and we recently put out a music video for it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWGkgoqrbZylqas I also do character analysis for games like Undertale/Deltarune and Kingdom Hearts, such as this Asgore analysis: kzbin.info/www/bejne/omeYpoSag9h2ba8 And one on Terra from Birth by Sleep: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKbcZpSPis6dfac

[@skullzans]

IMHO You should cover the one time someone worse than bowser came up and we got to see the truth that It isn't that bowser is incompetent, its that mario is just better than bowser, but absolutely nobody else can truly beat the Koopa King. Ofcourse I mean the legendary Bowsers Inside Story. It's the story that made me respect bowser instead of just seeing him as random villain who has no right to win. Like, Genuinely it feels earned for Bowser to have the domain he does from how he fought in that game.

[@marioluigijam3612]

Plz do more! I love the mario rpgs and they need more people talking about them!!!

[@ramonnavarro8020]

You forgot to mention Browser´s suppressed feelings for Mario, his tragic role as a misunderstood anti-hero who tried to use the Star of Rodin to try and stop the secretly evil Stellarvinden and their plan of starting "The War", and Paul, the favorite of all, using Mario as a puppet.

[@Dorked]

You're reminding me that I really need to sit down and watch the full thing of Book of Mario. I've only seen highlights from Stryder7x's channel. xD

[@ramonnavarro8020]

​@@Dorked Seriously though, an official Mario RPG game unironically going THERE and subverting the usual hero/villain formula, with Mario slowly becoming the final boss (like Oersted in Live a Live) to Bowser´s story would be HARD STUFF.

[@Oceane1803]

​@@ramonnavarro8020 That would be interesting, and there would be ways to do this. In Super Mario Bros, we learn that the Goombas used to be allies of the Mushroom Kingdom but joined forces with the Koopas. And in Mario 64, the Whomps say that they build houses and stuff but always get stepped on, so they join Bowser's army for revenge. A game where, as the story goes, we slowly learn that the Mushroom Kingdom, and by extension Peach, did all of these other species dirty, including the Koopas, and in a world where Bowser doesn't love Peach (which used to be the case), they all teamed up to take the throne from her and rule the Kingdom better. Though Mario wouldn't be evil, he just wouldn't know better, and as the story goes, we realize at the same time as him that we're not on the good side, and in the end we would have the choice to side with either Peach or Bowser, leading to two different happy endings for Mario, but not for the people you didn't side with.

[@cellina.starfire]

_KAAAAAA! Paul is the favorite of all!_

[@creeptrap3104]

You should see Fatguy's playthrough, (He's the creator) him and his stream chat were coming up with a ton of theories on the lore of the strangely consistent translations Also there's a wiki

[@Yuti640]

Bowser winning at first makes it so much more epic and gratifying when you finally battle and take him down at the end, plus, Bowser was made into a genuinely amazing and menacing villain while still retaining his personality I love it

[@Dorked]

YEAH, exactly! They made Bowser threatening, but also made him funny without jeopardizing how great his win was. It's why I'd love to do a more in-depth video once I finish my replay.

[@SemiHypercube]

forced losses like that one can be really cool to show just how powerful your enemy is (if done right of course)

[@Dorked]

Yeah, some people groan about forced losses, but when they're done WELL, they can hit really hard. This is one of my favorite examples, especially since it comes full circle later.

[@greyscaleadaven]

I remember spending 3 hours straight repeating the same set of actions over and over again to try and defeat the Dark Elf in FF4, keeping myself alive while battering with magic on my first try. Then I realized I couldn't win and gave up lmao one of my favorite RPG moments I've had. I just did something like this in my DnD campaign where while the players had a chance to win by fighting, the best possible outcome was likely to run. I did have a contingency if they decided to fight (which they did) and it really helped to increase the impact of both characters involved. Getting happened upon and trampled in the middle of another villain arc was fun to mess around with too. I use that kind of thing very very sparsely though, because if you do it too much the players will get discouraged from lack of agency and losing so often. If it's used correctly though, it's a great method of increasing stakes.

[@versebuchanan512]

Never forget that Bowser mounted an invasion of Heaven and fucking won

[@DrMechano]

Another thing I loved about Paper Mario is that it taught me to expect the unexpected with Bowser in the RPGs. SMRPG had another villain, forcing Mario and Bowser to team up. Part of me expected a similar "greater scope villain" when Paper Mario had yet to be released, but no - Mario's classic arch-nemesis was the big bad for the whole game, and did a *phenomenal* job at it. It just showed that Bowser in the RPGs was a malleable enough character to be anything from a reluctant ally to the main villain to the simultaneous protagonist of his own concurrent story to Mario and Luigi's, depending on the game. And I loved it; Bowser was always the "wild card" of the RPGs, and he could play any role and be perfectly in-character no matter what it was.

[@Dorked]

Yeah, that's another interesting thing, too. After SMRPG, I feel like people who had played it prior would find a Bowser antagonist story a step back or disappointing when before he was in the party, but then PM64 comes in and says, hey, actually, Bowser CAN be a cool villain and you CAN do new things with the tried and true Mario formula. Then subsequent PM games iterated in their own ways, which was super neat.

[@invaderxim9893]

I’ll openly admit that I’ve never really had much interest in Mario, but if it’s a Dorked video you better believe I’m jumping onboard the ship!

[@Dorked]

Eyy, thanks! I appreciate it. xD Honestly, most of my Mario interest comes from the RPGs, and this game is a huge part of that.

[@cyberpupplays]

It sucks that this video is underperforming so badly, this is a great analysis about a great game!

[@Cloudeefella]

Can’t believe this video underperformed, this describes everything I love about this game. Kudos

[@TheAdvertisement]

Bowser really pulled the meta play of fighting the hero at the start before he could level up lol.

[@dylanzlol7293]

Dorked being a mario rpg fan is incredibly based

[@midnightpingu7551]

When trying to put yourself in the shoes of a PM player in 2001, you gotta admit that the opening was just mindblowing. "Bowser defeats Mario for once? He kidnaps both Peach and the castle up to space? Mario enemies with personality and quirks? WHAT?!"

[@Dorked]

Yes, exactly! My only Mario games at that point were Super Mario World, a bit of the NES games/All Stars, the occasional Mario Kart and Mario Party, and SM64. I think I mighta rented SMRPG once as a small child and not known what I was doing at all because I couldn't read yet, but PM64 came out at just the right time for me and was awesome.

[@Jesus-hu4lq]

I remember how prepared kammy and bowser were as they knew mario was still alive or the star spirited would go to him for help by sending their bosses and troops to stop mario and even then they still had a back up plan if mario saved all 7 stars. Shows how much of a threat these 2 are and they know how much of a threat mario can be.

[@Dorked]

Yeah, like, even when juxtaposed with comedic moments like the quiz show and Kammy asking for Mario's weaknesses (and being able to cheese it), they still end up having some pretty solid backup plans.

[@Jesus-hu4lq]

@@Dorked I'd say this bowser is the most threatening while the second place would be galaxy bowser

[@dragovidd]

Bowser: I am the Chaos King of Super Mario.

[@HEHEHE_I_AM_A_SUPAHSTAR_WARRIA]

10:00 I feel this is a trend that Mario RPGs like to dabble in a lot with your end goal being the area you start the game in. Super Mario RPG does this with Bowser's Castle as your end goal, granted it's only a few rooms but it's a groundwork for what Paper Mario greatly expanded on. Both Partners in Time and Bowser's Inside Story do it with Peach's Castle being both the opening area and the final dungeon. BIS does it closer to Super Mario RPG while PIT does it closer to Paper Mario 64 I feel. The first scene of PIT is in the past castle with the invasion immediately after the Baby Bowser fight, and then the present castle serves as your hubworld with your end goal being retaking the past castle. Said past castle being a corrupted version of the hubworld you spend the whole game in. Even games where the opening area and final area aren't the same like TTYD and SPM do retain the element of the final dungeon being a goal that's built up with the intermissions to TEC and Castle Bleck. (And SPM does have the opening scene and ending both take place in the same wedding hall even if it's purely a cutscene room). It's an effective trope so I see why they repeated this in so many forms

[@Dorked]

That's actually a really good point. In SMRPG, you have to go back to Bowser's Castle to GET to the Factory and to Smithy. xD I can't believe I didn't mention that in the video. HINDSIGHT!

[@penitente3337]

Definitely unexpected, at first I thought you were going to talk more about the part where Bowser wins (I myself really like twists of that sort, Dragon Quest XI is an incredible example if you'd like to check it out), but it was nice either way. Looking forward for more, as I honestly feel this could be turned into a series of some sort, as it did feel kind of short.

[@Dorked]

I think the main goal was to cover its impact, but also not have too much padding? I think the whole beginning is just... really well crafted, though. The intro sequence where it shows him and kammy stealing the Star Rod juxtaposed with the relatively peaceful party that can make you forget what happened in the intro with how pleasant it is, if you're not anxiously waiting for the other shoe to drop, plus actually showing the win rather than having textboxes be like "Oh yeah Bowser is up to his old tricks again." xD

[@nightenobsidian825]

I always loved Paper Mario 64 as a kid and still do. the characters and the writing are amazing. I always loved when Bowser got serious like in galaxy and inside story. It shows how strong and how much of a threat bowser can be as well caring for his minions and helping the entire mushroom kingdom from fawful and the dark star. personaly enjoy the story and ganeplay over thousand year door but i havent played it yet but planning to. Anyway, amazing video Dorked. Love to see videos on Fawful and Count Bleck in the future.

[@Dorked]

Thanks! I'd love to do more Mario RPG stuff. Just gotta figure out where to fit it into the upload schedule, since KZbin isn't treating this video very kindly in the algorithm. It seems to REALLY only want me to do UTDR stuff. Gah.

[@clutchbridge]

I love Paper Mario! If you're making videos on these games, I'll definitely be watching them! ❤

[@Koopedup]

This game is one of my favorites of all time, so seeing a video from you about it was a pleasant surprise. This game is just so charming.

[@moonknightproductions]

I would LOVE to see you talk about how the partner system works and how they enhance the story (and why modern single partners like Kersti, Huey, and Olivia don’t exactly have the same charm despite basically taking on the role of every other partner). I’d also like to see a Dream Deam-specific video if you’re up for it, as it’s my favorite M&L game. Again, this is merely a suggestion, so feel free to disregard it.

[@Moondust_Maedae]

nice to see more of what creators want to share instead of what they’re inclined to for once

[@thewhomp14]

It definitely goes to show you after losing enough times to Mario, Bowser decides to form a plan that's more focused on beating Mario before going further with his plan

[@Dorked]

Yeah, seeing someone as Goofy as Bowser still craft an effective plan... in my mind, I like to think SMRPG inspired him because after everything that went down, he was like, "wait... world of the stars. Wishes... WAIT A SEC." Alas, no direct references to SMRPG outside of some minor things. xD

[@thegingerheed]

Gonna just leave a small comment for the algorithm. Awesome to see you branch out into new series! Hopefully this performs better than the Yen Sid Analysis. Great stuff as always!

[@Dorked]

Yeah, we'll see! It's a slow start, but I'm hoping that the overlap with UT/DR fans and Mario RPG fans will give this a bit of an edge.

[@gretchling5012]

never played the first two paper mario games, but i loved super paper mario growing up, and it's cool to see how much of the groundwork for that game's storytelling was laid here (and in super mario rpg). good stuff! would like to see more of this going forward :)

[@phictionofgrandeur2387]

I'm hoping you cover the shadow queen from TTYD one day! She's one of my favorite JRPG villains.

[@fizzybee423]

I've never had the chance to play this game, but this gives me all the more reason to seek it out! fantastic analysis. I've always loved how paper mario games aren't afraid to break the mold and lean into the darker or stranger side of its universe. it gives the characters a chance to be *characters* in a fun and captivating story. I'd love to see more!

[@Dorked]

It makes me happy to see people inspired to try the game! :) Means I did my job well, haha. But yeah, Paper Mario really was a fantastic twist on the Mario world, giving it a sense of scale and life that really was generally unheard of at the time. SMRPG was similar in that regard, and each succeeds in its own way, as SMRPG is a bit more "out there" with its threats and characters, whereas PM64 grounds itself more in the familiar Mario vs Bowser conflict and builds from there. Both are great ways to reimagine the Mario world!

[@elise2920]

super paper mario was my absolute most favorite game growing up! :’) i’m so excited to learn a bit more about its predecessor! bowser is a good guy in that game too and i’m sure it was one of the reasons i was a major peach/bowser shipper as a child and to this day.. LOL

[@atiredcliche]

Super Paper Mario remains the best Mario RPG.

[@jaccrabtree5019]

It was interesting that you mentioned super mario RPG because I heard that Paper mario was originally planned as some sort of sequel to that game but apparently there was some issue with Square holding partial rights that prevented that.

[@Dorked]

It was! One of these days I'd love to do a video talking about how SMRPG's presence is still felt in the Paper Mario RPGs and Mario and Luigi, but first I gotta replay it so I can take note of things. I know there's a lot, though. FP, syrups as healing FP, the hammer as the iconic Mario weapon, and a lot of little things like how Merlon looks very similar to an enemy/NPC type from SMRPG.

[@dylanzlol7293]

​@@Dorked idk if you are familiar with the final fantasy games, but, what do you think about the FF feel that smrpg had?

[@PikachuX2073]

I know this my seem a bit outlandish(?) But I thought it'd be at the very least an interesting conversation. In Kingdom Hearts we know of the Heartless, Nobodies, Unversed, Bugblox (which might just be a subspecies of Heartless as far as the series implies), and of course, Nightmare and Spirit Dream Eaters. But these just seem like examples of nonhuman or at the very least supernatural entities in the series. Means of explaining what's not a character from Disney or Enix. But what does that mean for those parties? Are Mickey, Donald and Goofy "Toons" like in ToonTown? DisneyTown is basically a Disney Land/World version of ToonTown. Are being like Bahamut, Shiva, Ifrit, and so forth still considered as Aeons? Do they exist in the Kingdom Hearts universe? Honestly, I don't think this fixes much, but since the series doesn't really address the difference between "humans" like Sora or "Toons" like Mickey, Donald and Goofy, or different cases like the Beast, Moogles, or object based beings like the toys of ToyBox, Pinocchio, (maybe Beast's staff but I dunno since they were cursed to be that way opposed to being born that way), and replicas like Xion and Rikuplica/Repliku, I've been entertaining the idea of using Lightners and Darkners as umbrella terms for some of these cases. Lightners would be anyone from the realm of Light, regardless of being human, Toon, Chocobo, Ronso/Hrothgar, Moogle, doesn't matter. Darkners are a little bit more difficult to fully justify, I proposed that ToyBox toys, Pinocchio, Rikuplica/Repliku and Xion would be Darkners due to how they are all living objects who gained a heart, but that's as far as I can go with what lines up. Honestly I'm not surprised if Enix purposely avoid using Aeons, Monsters/Fiends and nonhuman races like Ronso/Hrothgar to avoid questions like these. I mean, the only time we've seen a Chocobo is the keychain on the Metal Chocobo keyblade. But what do think? Is this a conversation worth sharing?

[@choboy46]

I think a part of the story which is often overlooked is the fact that Mario almost straight up dies and has to be saved by what this world considers to be deities.

[@Dorked]

YEAH, like... this is one of the most dire Mario moments. xD

[@Flightkitten]

I love this channel because it's the exact opposite of those channels who just rip apart games and characters instead of actually complimenting the game and understanding the flaws and accepting them. That's really something I can respect.

[@Corpsey.doesart25]

I would absolutely adore to see more videos about paper Mario from you. this video was so entertaining!

[@Joost8910]

I'd love to see more videos on the Mario RPGs in the future, especially with the Mario & Luigi series!

[@jackalope_kracken1856]

I love this video! Paper Mario is such a delightful game. The opening moments of any story are crucial to setting the tone, and you explained why Paper Mario does this wonderfully. I'm looking forward to any future Mario RPG content you may make!

[@JinRupeeland]

What a beautiful love letter to my favorite game ever !

[@Dorked]

Aww, thanks a bunch! :D I'm so happy people seem to like it so far.

[@louckykoneko]

Paper Mario is a very aesthetically and narratively pleasing game, and you absolutely nail it with this analysis! Bowser is a great villain in this game, Kammy is an even greater villain, and I just adore how silly and yet powerful this intro is. something a lot of series could learn from. take notes, RPG genre!

[@Dorked]

Kammy really is a lot better than people remember. xD It'd be fun to talk about her at a later date, because she definitely has a cool part to play in PM64.

[@acclaimedbanana2895]

There’s a series of interactive KZbin games called malediction chapter 1 and 2. I recommend trying them out and maybe doing a video about them? The story really intrigues me and it’s something really interesting you don’t see too often. I honestly love it (plus it’s made by a 17 yo all on his own, which I found impressive)

[@tariqdotpng546]

I gotta say though it doesn’t get as many views as your Undertale and Deltarune content i’m really glad that you’re making other types of videos about other things. The only issue is that they seem to never pop up in my notifs or in my sub box so i usually end up watching them after you post another UT vid. But great job as always!

[@squirreltastrophe]

yeah same here! the notif doesn't show up half the time :/

[@Bimgusthebased]

Great paper Mario video! Honestly, I really hope to see more of it in the future. (I hope this performs well, I can see that alot of effort went into it.) Also, pretty crazy coincidence that this was posted on my birthday. So that's cool.

[@Dorked]

Oh, happy belated birthday! I'm pretty bummed that this IS underperforming, but I suppose time will tell if that improves over time.

[@ConvoBreaker]

Ah, yes. I too watched Chuggaaconroy's Paper Mario LP and realized this was basically the best Mario game in the series

[@Dorked]

Yeah, tbh, the LP was a big motivator for me revisiting this old gem.

[@Jessica_Schweser]

@@Dorked Heck yes Chugga W

[@GDRhythmic]

It really sucks that this video didn't get as many views as your Undertale videos. At first I didn't even watch it because... I dunno, I was picky I guess. 🤷‍♀️ Video was on point. Great job! I hope your future not Undertale videos are able to do better. :3

[@phictionofgrandeur2387]

Could you cover the pure hearts from SPM and how they may have been the inspiration for the human souls from Undertale?

[@emasti_]

it really is wonderful to see you delve into other media that i am invested in!! i truly love this game and your analysis was wonderful. thank you so much for this video!!! would absolutely love to see more mario content from you, for obvious reasons

[@Dorked]

Hehe, glad to have pleased the resident Mario enthusiast. x) This series means a lot to me, and it's just not one I've talked about as much due to the UTDR brainrot, haha.

[@LogiEspacio]

I crave for more Mario RPGs content.

[@creeptrap3104]

It's so jarring for me to be watching your Undertale Analysis videos, which go into the pretty complex and nuanced characters, to the really simplistic cast of the Mario series, even with a somewhat more fleshed out story than the typical plots they use Still, I really enjoyed this and hope to see more content on the Mario RPGs!

[@Dorked]

Haha, that's an interesting point! I would say the RPGs do go to some pretty neat places in certain games, but I think it's still true that PM64's got a mixed bag of character complexity. For every Bowser and Peach there's a Crystal King who's just kinda a cool boss.

[@Bugaboo8]

Honestly after watching a lot of your videos I'm starting to get envious of your voice, it sounds so pleasant.

[@Dorked]

Ah, thanks. :) I can be pretty self-conscious about it, admittedly.

[@countjoelcula]

As a Mario fan, this is a treat and I would love to see more analysis vids like this in the future! I like how you talked a bit about your own experience with the game and how the intro left a strong first impression on ya, taking the tried-and-true Mario formula and turning it on its head. And on a side note, I like how unlike a lot of youtubers, you save the self-promotion and patreon plugs for the outro, which helps with the video's pacing by getting straight to the juicy stuff from the get-go.

[@Dorked]

Yeah, I prefer to leave that stuff to the end so not to interrupt the flow of the video. xD But I can see the benefits of an early or mid-video mention in terms of making sure people see it, haha.

[@iooog1]

epic video! love your anailisis!

[@tennacity]

I'm hoping you get the chance to do more analysis videos on the Mario series!

[@souptaels]

Just as I get invested, the video ends NOOOOOO. You gotta do another video 🥺🥺 Also, would be a lovely day for some soup!! :)

[@Dorked]

I definitely plan to talk about PM64 more sometime! I just need to.... play more first. xD My replay right now is only at the end of chapter 1. Might stream a bit later today, haha.

[@tariqdotpng546]

11:00 I gotta say watching Chuggaconroy playing through the game was honestly surprising how much lore there was to a lot of characters and areas in this game. Very excited for the next Mario RPG video and a Sonic video is always something to be excited about

[@Jessica_Schweser]

I was going to play along with his LP, but that ended up going nowhere

[@cheesy_cookie]

I'd love to see more Paper Mario content!

[@Dorked]

Rad! Hope the video performs better as far as metrics, but the positive reception is certainly encouraging. c: And it is my first real Mario vid on the channel, so it's less established in the algorithm, haha.

[@NuggetExistsBTW]

Cool video 👍

[@PTp1ranha]

There's something really cool about coming back to fight Bowser at the end of the game- same room, same music, same atmosphere- but now you're all leveled up with stars of your own, a posse of partners, and better equipment. And winning. Of course, that makes Kammy even more impressive for foreseeing this and coming up with that power platform as a contingency. Also I remember thinking Bowser literally killed Mario, when I was a kid.

[@anorak2370]

Seeing Bowser so effortlessly win was really shocking when I first played, thanks for the great analysis!

[@Dorked]

Eyy, no prob! :) Glad you're enjoying.

[@SereKabii]

i hope you do more of these! analyses of the mario RPGs are rare quality content and i love them oh so goddamn much they deserve all the love

[@Krishavoc14]

I have a very similar experience falling in love with rpg games but with the thousand year door

[@PrivateDaisy]

Great that out of all people that could explain to me some Mario lore in form of a KZbin video, it was you. You don't have much of a visual presentention going on, but listening to your analitical talk is always nice. Hope alghorythm will appreciate you this time

[@Dorked]

Yeah, my editing tends to be pretty basic- clips to demonstrate the points I discuss, etc. Maybe someday I'll build more fancy editing skills. xD

[@PrivateDaisy]

@@Dorked I don't mind it personally, visuals are usually just icing on the cake.

[@Oceane1803]

I've started playing Paper Mario 64 a little while ago, and I'm currently at Shy Guy's Toybox. I stopped for a while because my saves got messed up and I lost a little bit of my progress. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make me not want to do it again. But you made me want to keep going again now. Thus far, my favorite characters are the Koopas Bros. They're cool, fun, and their theme is so great (Though there's this one super long note in their theme that annoys me). I've played it before, but before, I sucked at RPGs and couldn't get past the Koopa Bros (and couldn't get past the big Piranha Plant in Superstar Saga). But now I finished Superstar Saga and started Partners in time, and I finished Super Paper Mario a second time. Greatest story ever. I wish I could play Thousand Year Door (Vivian is just like me, a shy trans girl with toxic reiatives, I love her if my pfp didn't make it clear enough), but it's super expensive nowadays and my tablet's too old to handle Dolphin Emulator. But back to Paper Mario, I think that she has one of the best depiction. I like Peach being able to stand of herself, but I think it doesn't make sense with what we know of her character in mainline games. Though, Peach not being able to free herself on her own but still not idly waiting for Mario to come save her and providing crucial information to him, information that he needs to save the Star Spirits and that, if he didn't have it, he wouldn't be able to progress at all, is a super smart idea.

[@Dorked]

I'm glad that I could inspire you to pick it back up! Losing save data is never a fun experience, so I totally get that. x_x It's definitely made me hesitant to resume some games in the past. I hope you can enjoy the rest of the game!

[@Oceane1803]

@@Dorked Thanks, I definitly will ^^ (Oh yeah Tubba Blubba's battle theme is a banger too ^^) The mainline games should really take notes because at this point, every single spin off has at least a better story, or better writing, or more unique character designs, or animations with more movement and charm, or a more unique style... some even have several or even all of these things !

[@Isactuallyabear]

Awesome analysis as always. As a kid I started with Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door back when they were new. I already loved RPGs and Superstar Saga was lots of fun, but The Thousand-Year Door really blew me away. The characters, the game mechanics, the music, the lovingly crafted world... it all felt so alive and bright. Then I played Super Paper Mario and the first Paper Mario years afterwards and loved them almost just as much. I truly appreciate the depth given to characters like Princess Peach, Bowser, Luigi, the other party members, and even some of the NPCs. To this day the first three Paper Mario games hold a special place in my heart.

[@Dorked]

I imagine it was interesting going in reverse order with the Paper Mario series, since PM64 lacks some features TYD has, like partners having unique HP bars. xD

[@Isactuallyabear]

@@Dorked Haha yeah, I was really confused by that at first. The first game plays a bit different, but was still very fun and replayable. I didn't even play Super Mario RPG until I bought it off the Wii virtual console after I already finished Paper Mario on it. It was interesting to see Super Mario RPG resemble more traditional JRPGs like the Final Fantasy series with the battle mechanics. I'm a big fan of the recurring star motif in the Mario RPGs (besides the Mario & Luigi series).

[@kumaranrvn5716]

I love Bowser in the Mario RPG games. He has so much personality. My favorite version has to be him in Super Paper Mario or Bowser’s Inside Story. It sucks that some of the modern games don’t give him any dialogue.

[@Dorked]

At least Sticker Star was the outlier. I THINK he had dialogue in Color Splash? And he definitely did in TOK.

[@lordspagetti9261]

@@Dorked in color splash he at least had some dialogue like referencing mario kart and he still had some personality like starting up the plot only because he wanted a new design for a shell. but yeah we don't talk about the game that shall not be named for it has stained upon the great legacy that is bowser's personality in both the rpg series.

[@phictionofgrandeur2387]

I wouldn't be surprised if Toby Fox was inspired by this game. (Among other games) I know I was. I'm still working on my own RPG.

[@HaileyLove-sg9ww]

Great video! I would love to see you make more videos on Paper Mario! 😄

[@Dorked]

Eyy, thanks! I'll see what sorta ideas I get as I play through more of the game.

[@lukers9819]

My wife just finished beating this game and she absolutely loved it! It was her first RPG ever! And I think that it is an excellent starting RPG for anyone who has not ever played one before or has not played many. And hey, even if I am an RPG veteran, this game is still super charming and fun! Glad to see a writing analysis on this game, especially now that is so readily available to so many on the NSO pass!

[@Dorked]

Yeah, I think one benefit Paper Mario has is that it's very easy to learn, but still offers a wide array of strategies and customizations to challenge more seasoned players. Danger/peril strats immediately come to mind!

[@lukers9819]

@@Dorked I fully agree. The badges give the game a lot depth for those who want to explore it, but you never really need to use them to great effect if strategy isn't really your thing or if you are new to it. Also Dorked, you do not need to feel any pressure to play this game ever, but I would highly recommend Bug Fables to you if you like Paper Mario a lot. It takes what makes Paper Mario's battle system good and then just adds even more depth. And one of the great things about Paper Mario is its accessibility for newcomers, but if you ARE an RPG veteran that likes a challenge, then you can play the game on Hard mode, which gives the player more EXP and more unique badges. I feel the story and writing was also really well done as well, especially the character writing. It was one of the first indie games that I considered every bit as good as a triple A game. Like I said, just a recommendation and no pressure at all to you or anyone else who reads this comment!

[@Cyfin]

I would love to see you do a character analysis of Bowser. He always has such a charming, lovable personality in the RPG games.

[@Lividowly]

I know I've never played Paper Mario well outside of Super Paper Mario when I was 5, this video makes me want to hop right in to the game. Even though I came from your work from Inverted Fate, I very much enjoyed this video and It would be interesting to see you do a character analysis on Bowser and Peach. It's also my first non UT/DT video I've watched from you and this is a good first impression on your unrelated works on UT/DT

[@Dorked]

:D That's awesome to hear! And yeah, definitely check out Paper Mario 64 if you can. It's on NSO with expansion pass, or you can always emulate, I suppose. Either way, it's a really fun experience, even if prologue is a bit of a slow start with the combat mechanics (action commands make the battles way more fun).

[@epik-bruh]

my favorite moment in paper mario is when bowser says "it's bowserin' time" and bowsers all over mario

[@va6899]

I hope you can make more of these. Criminally underrated vid.

[@TG2513.]

Great vid. I’ve genuinely never felt more excited to play a game than Bowser kicking Mario’s ass

[@Dorked]

Yeah, there's just something weirdly cathartic about it in hindsight? HE FINALLY DID IT... xD But I'm a big Bowser fan, haha.

[@TG2513.]

@@Dorked same. This my 2nd favourite showing of bowser after Inside Story. Pretty much every time he’s on screen he steals the show (besides the middle of the game but I can forgive it since the start and end are so strong)

[@Yorrow]

Leaving this here as a little support. I've never played paper mario rpgs but I will check it out.

[@silviaflowers9475]

I would LOVE more paper mario videos!! I just continued my thousand year door playthrough a few days ago and ive been craving more paper mario stuff 😭

[@taylorwright7428]

As somebody whose first free-roam Mario game (and probably most beloved...or at the very least, the one I made the most memories with) was the original Galaxy, I gotta say, the premise here reminds me a lot of it! The rotating zooming shot you showed looks like a cutscene that could be put in Galaxy, and nobody would bat an eye if the story lined up. And it kinda does, with Mario being launched into space in the introduction of the story in each game! This kinda makes sense, though, since a blue mustachioed star that looked a lot like the Star Spirits shown here was found in the files for Super Mario Galaxy! Maybe one of them was planned to be Rosalina's right hand man instead of Polari, and the stories would've have more of a connection? (Edit: And Peach finds the Baby/Apricot Luma and takes it in a little before Galaxy, which kinda reminds me of Twink, but that's probably a coincidence.)

[@KingofLalaland]

Paper Mario is such a good RPG. It was one of the first times we got to see a more unique version of the Mushroom kingdom. The comedy in this game was also hilarious.

[@Pixelarity64]

I like this video, and I would watch more videos on the Mario RPGs from you!

[@morpheus0675]

I'll be honest, this was probably the first game from the Paper Mario series I played. I was fairly intrigued about the beginning. Bowser, the guy whom we as Mario have beaten uncountable times, beating us in a single strike? I had just begun the game, but I already knew it was gonna be awesome, and it didn't disappoint. I enjoyed seeing Bowser and Peach get some more depth to them as well (maybe that's what I liked the most? Not sure). Anyways, I really liked this analysis you made. I'd be glad to see some more videos like this one.

[@Dorked]

:D Thanks for the kind words! The warm reception is definitely encouraging so far, as well as how much fun I've been having replaying the game lately. xD Hoping to stream more of it soon, depending on how things go.

[@morpheus0675]

@@Dorked You know, I might as well get into that Twitch stream if I have the time. Gotta start somewhere, right?

[@sagacious03]

Okay analysis video! Thanks for uploading!

[@skeletonlover3214]

The King of the Koopas. Also a cool dad.

[@Luna-fn2nv]

Yesss!!! More mario content!! I personally would love to see something about the mario & luigi series

[@Bowser6495]

If your taking suggestions for Paper Mario what about something involving Jr. Troopa?

[@fandomfollower5247]

I know this video got absolutely recked by the algorithm, but please make more Paper Mario videos!

[@cornypal9880]

Mario RPGs in general are surprisingly great, but Paper Mario, TTYD, and Superstar Saga are in the top three, for me! Thanks for making a cool video that reminded me about how effective the storytelling in this game is.

[@Quinhala11]

9:52 Isn't it actually.. uh.. *clears throat... Twink?

[@Dorked]

Yeah, it is jkhjkh. HOW DID I MISS THAT... I musta had Peter Pan on the brain. xD

[@kanalzumkommentieren2169]

This is a pretty good video (and this comment is for the algorithm)

[@DPStation]

Really like this vid /gen I'd love to see more mario stuff in the future

[@jadethenidoran]

I'd love to see your takes on the partners!

[@Dorked]

Oh, the partners are fun! I really need to look up which scenes have alt dialogue for each partner, as I imagine there's some missable characterization there.

[@frusual2735]

Def do more paper mario content, I loved this!

[@jeremyberner5164]

Great video !

[@starshiny3399]

I love this video. These takes are really interesting.

[@Rodrigo-kq3js]

background music kinda loud good video

[@XavierTheFallenHuman]

Yooo I LOVE this game! The majority of the stuff you said about the game is stuff I completely share the same thoughts (grammar am I right)

[@egg8404]

Going to comment some more and say, i love it when a villian wins against the hero for a change. There is ways to screw it up, (like with sonic forces, i swear that game is the example on what to avoid with a story ) but games like these do it right by giving us a taste of the bad guy's power from the jump and really feeling the power bowser posses. More games should have something like this once in a while to be sprinkled in bettween all the winning that the heroes do.

[@cherrytree3400]

sorry it took me so long to get around to watching this super cool video about paper mario's super cool intro

[@phiory_is_me]

I was like oh cool paper mario content.... then I heard your voice! Didn't expect you'd make a video on paper mario

[@Dorked]

NO ONE EXPECTS THE DORK INQUISITION... or something. xD But yeah, Paper Mario is actually a very important game to me in terms of shaping my love of story-based video games.

[@joshuabowman4702]

I’m sad this video isn’t getting much recognition.

[@ClaireDeLoon]

Id love to see more mario videos here!

[@Faitorrr]

this video is awesome. its so sad that this video is underrated just because its not related to undertale/deltarune, but its understandable. still, i loved this video, i was always such a good fan of paper mario 64 and it was a very nice suprise seeing a video of you about this game. im looking forward for more of this content!!!

[@henryentertainmentsystem9923]

This game pulls off Bowser as the main villain spectacularly, much more so than the later Paper Mario and Mario and Luigi games. Here's to more Mario RPG videos!

[@Dorked]

It'd be fun to look at how Dream Team compares, because I actually liked the way Bowser took charge near the end there. ...but that means having to replay Dream Team and getting through all those tutorials. xD Perhaps one day.

[@egg8404]

Banger video from dorked. (I really wanna see the SATAM analisis ngl ;w;)

[@LintLicker625]

Can’t wait to see more!

[@Dorked]

Eyy, thanks! Hopefully the video will perform well.

[@LintLicker625]

I hope so!

[@SwerveStarEx]

I love Undertale and Deltarune, but Paper Mario, Sonic, and Kingdon Hearts are some of my favorite things to hear people nerd out about. If you had Pokemon in there too you'd be perfect for me to quench my fixations, haha. XD Either way though, you have earned my sub. ^^