Favorite and least favorite Mario characters

[Jackie Frost]

Weren't both those quotes recent?
Eh I probably do do this a bit much but you know how strongly I feel about it

 

[Mcmadness]

If by recent you mean from a 2 year old topic that hadn't been posted in 2 years :P

 

[Jackie Frost]

Objection

 

[Mcmadness]

Rebuttal, still 2 year old posts ya quoted.

 

[Jackie Frost]

I don't remember doing that, please direct me to this

 

[Koops]

I'm pretty sure that the posts Miracle quoted are recent. Mine is, anyway, at the very least.

 

[Mcmadness]

It's early morning.

 

[Guy Rocketram]

Looking back on it Super Paper Mario was very very UNMario. I'm not sure what it is? I don't think it was the darker story which made me feel this way. It's more likely just the art style and aesthetics.

 

[YoshiFlutterJump]

Looking back on it Super Paper Mario was very very UNMario. I'm not sure what it is? I don't think it was the darker story which made me feel this way. It's more likely just the art style and aesthetics.

It's the fact that the only actual Mario characters in the game are the main four. Everyone else suffers from a classic case of OC Overflow. There's also the wacky jump physics, the setting, and yes, the art style. Nothing about the game feels even remotely Mario as a result and that's my biggest beef with the game.

Anyway since this was bumped I might as well say that I definitely overreacted to a very minor character from a single game (although I still don't like Jojora). My least favorite character at this point is Daisy and that wasn't even hard.

 

[Ten]

I don't believe i replied to this thread but if I did forgive me lel

Anyway all of the main male bois (Mario, Luigi/Mr. L, Wario, and Waluigi) are my favorite. I really can't hate them. My least favorite? Rosalina. Very good concept trashed by over reactive fanboys and that baby.

 

[Koops]

I just realized my actual most hated character in the series is actually Grodus.

Boring character, simply wants to conquer the world, is an asshole in general, and his design is dumb. Like at least Dimentio has this Harlequin look to him which I kinda like, that and unlike Grodus he's actually not that big an idiot. No one even knew his shtick, meanwhile the other guy just blatantly is like "Guh-huh-huh look I'm the bad guy!"

His boss fight's ok tho.

 

[Guy Rocketram]

It's the fact that the only actual Mario characters in the game are the main four. Everyone else suffers from a classic case of OC Overflow. There's also the wacky jump physics, the setting, and yes, the art style. Nothing about the game feels even remotely Mario as a result and that's my biggest beef with the game.

i don't think that's it either. Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario64 both felt Mario-like despite their new concepts and characters. also it not feeling Mario isn't really a bad thing, since the game itself is still good, in my opinion (then again I haven't played this game in years, so maybe i was just an idiot back then .)

 

[YoshiFlutterJump]

i don't think that's it either. Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario64 both felt Mario-like despite their new concepts and characters. also it not feeling Mario isn't really a bad thing, since the game itself is still good, in my opinion (then again I haven't played this game in years, so maybe i was just an idiot back then .)

SMRPG and PM64 were good with OCs, making them fit naturally with the good amount of pre-established characters they also had. SPM just goes overboard in every way.

Eh, to each their own. I wasn't a big fan of it, personally. The gameplay felt incredibly monotonous even without all the un-Mario elements.

 

[Jackie Frost]

If you ask me the un-mario-ness is one of the biggest reasons I love SPM. I've always loved it when Nintendo goes outside of the box especially when most of the franchise is extremely monotonous with story, characters, worlds, etc. The first two PM games also felt positively unique particularly TTYD and SPM just seems to fit in nicely with them. Paper Mario has always been about being Mario whilst not really being Mario, and SPM is pretty much the best execution of this concept and the devs even said this intention themselves. It was always meant to feel even more unique than the previous two and I'm glad to say they completely nailed the out of this world atmosphere that they had intended. But it still has the charm that I want from all Mario games. It still has the heroes. It has references to other Mario games including previous Paper Mario games. It has the mega star. It has ? blocks. It has goombas and koopa troopas and magikoopas. It has the great dialogue you want from a Mario RPG game. It truly does feel like not only a Mario game, but a TRUE Paper Mario game.

I haven't done a full on review of that game on this website yet but subjectively it's my favourite game of all time.

@Rinka Hayami He might not have been my favourite villain but I prefer him to a silent Bowser.

 

[Toka Hebizuka]

if you love the fact that SPM isn't Mario so much, why don't you play non-Mario games

 

[Vivian]

My four tied favorites are Mario, Yoshi, Daisy, Wario.

Mario is literally my role model.

I actually do find Yoshi to be genuinely cute, I held this opinion from SNES's SMW. Originally I wished I could have a pet Yoshi of my own, I love their design and the way they function in SMW, and the music that plays when riding them. Then falling in love with him all over again in Yoshi Island as he developed a voice that I found adorable af, (to be fair I fall in love with most nonhuman mario species voices), it's cute and silly.
Then I got Yoshi Story and fell in love with him for a third time, learning that not only do they randomly have hyper-empathy saving baby Mario, but they're also ridiculous hippies obsessed with happiness bordering mania. I find it hilarious. Then the rpg writers decided they're also total derps who love food and praise and/or get confused by the smallest things. Idk I kinda relate to their entire being.

Daisy I find to be a lot like Mario, just minus the heroism and more competitive. But they both share the strong desire to play and to give everyone a fun time. I actually like her way more than Peach, maybe it's because she's a tomboy.

Wario I admittingly find oddly charming. It might be his ego, or his style of fashion. His mustache is wicked and his color scheme is pleasant.
Anyone else notice Wario and Waluigi wear more fashionable pants as opposed to M&L's work jeans? Also like Yoshi's existence, he's hilariously stupid, just in a very different way. I think Wario Land needs to come back. If there's anything I know is people like playing the villain sometimes so yeah.

Least favorite: characters too boring for me to be able to recall. Or I guess I could say Geno, but that would just be out of spite as I couldn't find the charm in Mario RPG and find the persitent requests for him to be in Smash annoying. Like the paper species overcrowding SPM, Geno doesn't fit the style of the Marioverse.

 

[YoshiFlutterJump]

Least favorite: characters too boring for me to be able to recall. Or I guess I could say Geno, but that would just be out of spite as I couldn't find the charm in Mario RPG and find the persitent requests for him to be in Smash annoying. Like the paper species overcrowding SPM, Geno doesn't fit the style of the Marioverse.

Can't say I'm the biggest fan of Geno either. I mean, I thought he was somewhat cool when I played Super Mario RPG, but the constant Smash requests for him are kind of annoying, and I always liked Mallow better anyway.

As for the game itself, I thought it had a good amount of charm and personality. My issue with it is just how horribly the gameplay has aged.

 

[LeftyGreenMario]

It's the fact that the only actual Mario characters in the game are the main four. Everyone else suffers from a classic case of OC Overflow. There's also the wacky jump physics, the setting, and yes, the art style. Nothing about the game feels even remotely Mario as a result and that's my biggest beef with the game.

Anyway since this was bumped I might as well say that I definitely overreacted to a very minor character from a single game (although I still don't like Jojora). My least favorite character at this point is Daisy and that wasn't even hard.

i don't think that's it either. Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario64 both felt Mario-like despite their new concepts and characters. also it not feeling Mario isn't really a bad thing, since the game itself is still good, in my opinion (then again I haven't played this game in years, so maybe i was just an idiot back then .)

I'd say that Luigi's Mansion games and Super Mario Odyssey had far more original characters than recurring Mario characters, so it's not just the lack of recurring characters, but a completely different art style, clashing character and environment design in tandem with the context (being the story with Mario characters decidedly taking a backseat to it and the derivative gameplay). While I can't say much for Super Mario RPG, Paper Mario 64 has a setting that reflects the Mario aesthetic and is populated with both old Mario characters (both enemy and friendly NPCS) and varieties of existing Mario characters or at least enemies that can pass as Mario enemies (Cleft, Buzzar, Fuzzipede). Super Paper Mario has significantly new enemies based on existing Mario characters than any of that (aside from those Koopa soccer players and Underchomp? and perhaps some cute references via Sammer Guy), and while Paper Mario has partners that are clearly based on Mario enemies, Super Paper Mario's partners are just little wireframes.

If you ask me the un-mario-ness is one of the biggest reasons I love SPM. I've always loved it when Nintendo goes outside of the box especially when most of the franchise is extremely monotonous with story, characters, worlds, etc. The first two PM games also felt positively unique particularly TTYD and SPM just seems to fit in nicely with them. Paper Mario has always been about being Mario whilst not really being Mario, and SPM is pretty much the best execution of this concept and the devs even said this intention themselves. It was always meant to feel even more unique than the previous two and I'm glad to say they completely nailed the out of this world atmosphere that they had intended. But it still has the charm that I want from all Mario games. It still has the heroes. It has references to other Mario games including previous Paper Mario games. It has the mega star. It has ? blocks. It has goombas and koopa troopas and magikoopas. It has the great dialogue you want from a Mario RPG game. It truly does feel like not only a Mario game, but a TRUE Paper Mario game.

I haven't done a full on review of that game on this website yet but subjectively it's my favourite game of all time.

I'm not sure what you mean by "Paper Mario has been about Mario without being Mario." Perhaps you meant that it's a derivative Mario game from the Mario franchise. But can't this really apply to any spinoff as long as there's a Mario game that doesn't toe the standards of what "Mario" is (I assume what makes something "Mario" would be the 2D main platformers and games that heavily use assets from them)? Paper Mario has also always retained aspects of the Mario franchise, simplicity of character design, simplicity of gameplay, easy one-sided plots, etc. too.

Look at Luigi's Mansion. The story may be simple, but everything about it is different from Mario, from the star to the villain to the environment to the gameplay to the amount of original characters versus recurring characters. The first game even had an atmosphere that Mario games typically don't have.. Mario + Rabbids is also ridiculously derivative from Mario (arguably more so than Super Paper Mario as Super Paper Mario is still an action-based platformer, with what Mario is known for), being a shooting grid-based strategy game which in gameplay, is nothing how other Marios play. It's about Mario without being Mario too, isn't it?

And in terms of plot, Partners in Time is very derivative from the formula, (white text are plot details) where aliens from a dying planet harvest Toad souls (and you can even see the souls being sent to generators and all); it's arguably as dark as Super Paper Mario's story and comes with its own plot twists and all. Its gameplay also isn't a platformer either. I guess the enemies are generally derived from Mario characters mostly, however, but I don't know if you dislike that or not.

if you love the fact that SPM isn't Mario so much, why don't you play non-Mario games

I think what MiracleDinner likes is a Mario game that's adequately Mario (like a very limited amount of characters, while the environments, objects, and enemies are not recognizably Mario) while other aspects take the reigns. At this point, though, dunno if modding Mario characters in another game with heavy plot elements will achieve the same effect. Maybe that'll be too much on the "not Mario" side.

 

[Jackie Frost]

I'd say that Luigi's Mansion games and Super Mario Odyssey had far more original characters than recurring Mario characters, so it's not just the lack of recurring characters, but a completely different art style, clashing character and environment design in tandem with the context (being the story with Mario characters decidedly taking a backseat to it and the derivative gameplay). While I can't say much for Super Mario RPG, Paper Mario 64 has a setting that reflects the Mario aesthetic and is populated with both old Mario characters (both enemy and friendly NPCS) and varieties of existing Mario characters or at least enemies that can pass as Mario enemies (Cleft, Buzzar, Fuzzipede). Super Paper Mario has significantly new enemies based on existing Mario characters than any of that (aside from those Koopa soccer players and Underchomp? and perhaps some cute references via Sammer Guy), and while Paper Mario has partners that are clearly based on Mario enemies, Super Paper Mario's partners are just little wireframes.

Haven't played Odyssey or any of the LM games. I definitely agree with you on how many characters in the first two PMs were based of pre-existing species, but in terms of actual characters that were reused I can't think of too many.

I said earlier, the pixls barring Tippi are NOT your real partners [in Super Paper Mario] , Peach Bowser Tippi and Luigi ARE. I always found these partners much more relatable, emotional, and charming than those in TTYD, and better suited to the game's plotline. I especially praise Tippi's development as she regains her memory and

Spoiler: SPM

finds herself in a very difficult emotional dilemma surrounding Blumiere, but eventually forgives him for all his evil and still holds him dear to her in her heart. Also the sacrifices that Peach, Bowser, and Luigi make over the course of Chapter 8 finally to be ended by Bowser yelling "You never give up this easy when you attack MY castle!"

It was very humorous also to see Bowser set aside his differences and voluntarily work with Mario, Luigi, and Peach, the last of which he still calls his wife. Also this is in a relative minority of Mario games which places Peach in an active role, as well as the only Paper Mario game to do so I believe.

At the very least I am almost certain it is better than Sticker Star, which although i haven't played, I know from several internet sources that it only has one partner, Kersti, whom most people seem to hate.

I'm not sure what you mean by "Paper Mario has been about Mario without being Mario." Perhaps you meant that it's a derivative Mario game from the Mario franchise. But can't this really apply to any spinoff as long as there's a Mario game that doesn't toe the standards of what "Mario" is (I assume what makes something "Mario" would be the 2D main platformers and games that heavily use assets from them)? Paper Mario has also always retained aspects of the Mario franchise, simplicity of character design, simplicity of gameplay, easy one-sided plots, etc. too.

I guess maybe it helps to think of it like this. NSMBW feels like a great Mario game, really familiar with everything and feels like it belongs to my favourite VG franchise. But it's also too generic, it doesn't feel like it's special or it goes out of the box in any way. Then look at Zelda. It feels fantastical and mythical, nothing I've ever seen before from playing Mario, not even the RPGs. But it doesn't have the sense of familiarity and comfort I get when I play Mario games. I said this in "Why do you like Mario" but there's just some charm I get out of almost every Mario game, even my least favourite ones, which I can't get out of anything else. Imo, first 3 Paper Mario games balanced these two perfectly. They gave me all the Mario charm I could wish for whilst at the same time feeling really creative and unique. They felt like Mario whilst simultaneously not feeling like Mario and I have never come across another game that has balanced the two as beautifully.

And in terms of plot, Partners in Time is very derivative from the formula, where aliens from a dying planet harvest Toad souls (and you can even see the souls being sent to generators and all); it's arguably as dark as Super Paper Mario's story and comes with its own plot twists and all. Its gameplay also isn't a platformer either. I guess the enemies are generally derived from Mario characters mostly, however, but I don't know if you dislike that or not.

I haven't played Partners in Time yet... spoiler tags please.
For future reference you can see all the Mario games I've played here https://www.mariowiki.com/User:MiracleDinner#Mario_games_I_own

I think what MiracleDinner likes is a Mario game that's adequately Mario (like a very limited amount of characters, while the environments, objects, and enemies are not recognizably Mario) while other aspects take the reigns. At this point, though, dunno if modding Mario characters in another game with heavy plot elements will achieve the same effect. Maybe that'll be too much on the "not Mario" side.

As amusing as it is to mod Mario's model over Link's, sadly no, I don't feel it would achieve the same effect for me.

 

[LeftyGreenMario]

Haven't played Odyssey or any of the LM games. I definitely agree with you on how many characters in the first two PMs were based of pre-existing species, but in terms of actual characters that were reused I can't think of too many.

So to put into perspective, Luigi's Mansion 3 has Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toads, E. Gadd, Polterpup, King Boo. But the rest are completely new to Mario, Odyssey has more Mario characters: Mario, Luigi, Toads, Toadette, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Poochy, Goomba, Yoshi, Koopa, Dorrie, Piranha Plants, Cheep Cheeps, Bullet Bill, Chain Chomp, Chargin' Chuck, Hammer Bros., Maw-Ray, Unagi, Ty-foo, but it also introduces a fine mix of new characters; the new friendly NPCs per region are prominent in this one, and all the bosses are completely new barring Bowser. One of the co-stars of the game, Cappy, is an entirely original character too.

I guess maybe it helps to think of it like this. NSMBW feels like a great Mario game, really familiar with everything and feels like it belongs to my favourite VG franchise. But it's also too generic, it doesn't feel like it's special or it goes out of the box in any way. Then look at Zelda. It feels fantastical and mythical, nothing I've ever seen before from playing Mario, not even the RPGs. But it doesn't have the sense of familiarity and comfort I get when I play Mario games. I said this in "Why do you like Mario" but there's just some charm I get out of almost every Mario game, even my least favourite ones, which I can't get out of anything else. Imo, first 3 Paper Mario games balanced these two perfectly. They gave me all the Mario charm I could wish for whilst at the same time feeling really creative and unique. They felt like Mario whilst simultaneously not feeling like Mario and I have never come across another game that has balanced the two as beautifully.

I see.

I haven't played Partners in Time yet... spoiler tags please.

Apologies. It's discovered pretty early in the game so I just assumed it's not a spoiler. Additionally, what I mentioned is an overlooked scenery detail seen early in the game, so I also assumed that it's not spoilers.

As amusing as it is to mod Mario's model over Link's, sadly no, I don't feel it would achieve the same effect for me.

probably not but I would imagine if a graphical overhaul replacing more characters and changing more scenery, changing the dialogue... I wonder if it'll feel more like a derivative Mario game....

 

[The Orca]

Favorites? I don't have a definitive favorite, but I would say Luigi and Yoshi, since Luigi was the "sidekick" and Yoshi just so happened to be a dinosaur. (And also because Luigi was taken when I was playing Mario Party 3 with two other people). I also obviously like Mario as well as Daisy, Peach, Bowser, Bowser Jr, and the Koopalings.

Least favorites? Out of the main cast, I honestly don't have one. Or at least I can't decide on a least favorite.

 

[FirePuppy]

My 3 favorites are Mario, Peach, and Luigi.

Least favorite: Tough decision, but it's Birdo.

 

[JBX9001]

Favorite: As if ya have to ask!

Most Disliked: Pink Gold Peach

 

[Fawfulthegreat64]

Honestly, while I have replied to this thread years ago to say Fawful is my favorite character, while he still is I wanted to give mentions to other characters I like just as much. Because to be honest, I don't really want to give that status to just one character when there are so many I love. Dimentio is another obvious notable one, my current theme and basically he's the Fawful of Paper Mario to me. Really wish he got more credit after his one appearance, even if not by physically returning from the dead but just some acknowledgement. Count Bleck is also a masterfully written character, one that I've found personal relatability with, and I love that he's the only main antagonist to have motivation other than greed/power/lust. His personality traits were a genuine treat to see in a Mario game and I hope Paper Mario goes back to having original villains so we can see more characters on his level. And Vivian, the best partner character in TTYD imo, and probably the most fleshed out, with her own history of first working with the villains but defecting to Mario when he treated her with the respect her own sisters never gave her. And, I've related to her even more now that I have begun transitioning, since she is a trans woman in the Japanese version (albeit the way it's written definitely needs to be updated if the game is ever remade, since as it stands she's described in a transphobic way by other characters in general, not just her bullying sisters). I'm seriously considering adding Vivian to my name if/when I ever legally change it. Other characters I love include Cackletta, Antasma, Doopliss, Mr. L & Mimi. And out of the main cast, my favorites are the Mario Bros., Peach, Bowser, Wario & Waluigi.

And yeah my least favorite is still the same. Fuck Toad.

 

[Mcmadness]

Don't hate Toads, they are just victims of the system!