All Paper Mario Games in Release Order & Era Breakdown

Mainline Series

1. Paper Mario (Nintendo 64) – 2000/2001
2. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (GameCube) – 2004
3. Super Paper Mario (Wii) – 2007
4. Paper Mario: Sticker Star (Nintendo 3DS) – 2012
5. Paper Mario: Color Splash (Wii U) – 2016
6. Paper Mario: The Origami King (Nintendo Switch) – 2020

Fan-Categorized Eras

• "Classic" Trilogy (1–3): Turn-based RPG battles, partners, deep story, badge/gear progression, exploration-focused.
• "Modern" Era (4–6): Action-oriented, sticker/card battle systems, no partners, linear levels, puzzle-centric, lighter RPG stats.

Remasters & Ports

• Thousand-Year Door – Switch remake announced for 2024 (visual overhaul, QoL improvements).
• Super Paper Mario – No official port; playable on Wii U eShop (discontinued) or Wii disc via backward compatibility.

Start with the original or Thousand-Year Door (widely considered the peak) to see which era clicks with you.