In the thirteenth episode, we present our top picks for Paper Mario, a popular role-playing game on the N64.

Paper Mario was long in development, starting shortly after the release of Super Mario RPG. At that time, the game was actually titled “Super Mario RPG 2”. It was to be a direct sequel with Square, the original developer, once again at the helm. However, not long into development, Square and Nintendo ended their partnership. Later, Nintendo’s internal team (Intelligent Systems) became responsible for the game. At one point, Nintendo intended for Paper Mario to be released on the N64DD, but with the N64DD’s commercial failure, development was once again pushed back for a regular console release. Despite these setbacks, Paper Mario did eventually see the light. It was one of Nintendo’s last major releases for the N64. Nonetheless, Paper Mario went on to enjoy huge success and later, its own series.

Composer Yuka Tsujiyoko stated that she had a difficult time writing music, due to the trial and error aspects of development. The design of the game, scenario, and graphics all changed numerous times before release. However, the end result of her work is both memorable and very enjoyable to listen to. Tsujiyoko says she was inspired by Koji Kondo’s cheerful and lively style and reflected that with her own personality to create simple and comical pieces.