Other games like Paper Mario?

I've been playing through Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door with my kids and we've been loving it. We're at the end of the game and just have the last boss to beat (we didn't on our first try.) In fact I think I have to consider it an all time favorite game. I'd never played RPG's of any sort before as I found them boring, but PM:TTYD is incredibly fun and I want more like it. There's obviously the n64 Paper Mario and I've picked that up (it's to be a gift for my son's birthday, which I'll of course just have to play with him , but I'd like to know if there are any other games out there like it. That is, RPG with action mixed in, you see enemies as you move about and there are no "random battles" and ideally with a similarly whimsical sense of humor. Is there anything else out there that is like Paper Mario, for Gamecube, DS, GBA, GBC, GB, Nintendo 64, PS1 or PS2?

Paper Mario 1 and you already got that.

Get Mario and Luigi on GBA and the sequel on DS. The games are just like Paper Mario with the same humor.

There's Super Paper Mario on the Wii.

I agree though that Paper Mario and the like are a unique brand of RPGs: you aren't terribly concerned about leveling and items and it plays more like a regular Mario platformer.

Yeah I really enjoyed Paper Mario when I played it back a long time ago. It really was a great game with real character. Even though it was a really easy play for me (I don't think I ever died, or if I did, it was only once when fighting the final boss) but nevertheless it was just really enjoyable. I'd HIGHLY recommend this game to anyone who likes RPGs and played nintendo when they were little. the characters and dialogue, story are just great. Like you I consider this one of my all-time favorites, and one of my most valued games in my GC collection.

Like mentioned before, there is the super paper mario on the Wii, Paper Mario64 for the N64 (is this available on virtual console?). Those are the direct relatives to Paper Mario.

then there are the Mario+Luigi games. I think the original is again Super Mario RPG on the SNES (available on Wii VC?). Then there is Mario+Luigi Superstar Saga on GBA, and finally Mario+Luigiartners in Time on the DS. I enjoyed Paper Mario:TTYD so much that picked up the GBA and DS games although have not played them yet. From what I hear they aren't quite up to the polish of the Paper Mario games (especially the older ones the SNES and GBA games) but are still among the highest reviewed games on their respective systems.

Ruahrc

Though the OP has it, Paper Mario (N64) is on the Wii's VC. Super Mario RPG (SNES) is not.

Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga is pretty fun. Pick up a Gameboy Player (cheapest I've seen is Gamestop used) and then you can play it on your gamecube too. It was a lot of fun. I haven't gotten around to the DS sequel.

Chrono Trigger you see the enemies most of the time, there's not too much action though, it's turn based combat. I'm currently playing it, so I can't give too many details. It was on SNES originally, and was re-released as in Final Fantasy Chronicles for PS1.

While it is not really RPGish, consider The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. The graphics are cel shaded (which some dislike, but I love), and cartoony. Also, if you have/get a GBA and gamecube link cable, you can use the "tingle tuner" which allows another person to have a map and help out a little bit.

I will agree with the lovers of the Mario & Luigi games as they will be even more fun for you & your kids if you play the GBA game thru a Gameboy Player on your Gamecube. Other games that I would recommend for you would be;

Super Mario RPG-SNES classic surely headed to the virtual console on the Wii this year

Kingdom Hearts is a fun action rpg series on the PS2 as well that eschews random battles for a zelda-ish style of you see an enemy you decide if you kill them or just run past them. The classic Square Enix characters mixed with awesomely animated Disney characters will appeal to the younger set as well.

Great suggestions folks! I didn't realize that PS2 series Kingdom Hearts was a bit like Paper Mario in that you can always see the enemies and can avoid them, etc. That's one of the (many) things I really like about Paper Mario, so that's definitely a huge plus. Not seeing the enemies and random battles are annoying. I will have to pick those up. Does anyone know what warrants the E10+ on KH2? I'm presuming it's no big deal, but I'd like to know why it got that higher rating just to be sure (fyi, my kids are 5 and 6.9).

I failed to mention that I do have a copy of Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga (GBA) and a Gameboy Player, neither of which have been given to the kids yet. That might wait until next xmas, or maybe I'll break it out earlier. I picked that over the DS version largely because it could be played on the Gamecube via the GBPlayer - much better for us to play together that way. Playing such a game on the DS would be akward, trying to crowd around the tiny screen.

EDIT: FYI, we don't have a Wii, so no Super Paper Mario for us. At least not for a while....

If you are looking for action advanture games you can look into the zelda games. As for KH2, i dont think it is any worst than typical disney stuff.

I love the Zelda games, and we've got several on our plate (next up is Ocarina of Time, n64 version, on an n64), but they aren't like Paper Mario. I was really surprised at how much I loved Paper Mario, as I was figuring that I wouldn't care for the RPG elements of it. I ended up loving the meshing of action and RPG that was done in the game.

There's not a lot out there like Paper Mario, I've found. I just finished up the original via the VC. Superstar Saga's a really fun game -- a lot of fun, quirky humor like the Paper Mario series. Not really sure what else I can add to this except -- glad you're having fun.

I need to get back to playing TTYD...stopped for a while when I picked up the VC Paper Mario.

[quote name='crunchewy']I've been playing through Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door with my kids and we've been loving it. ... I'd like to know if there are any other games out there like it. That is, RPG with action mixed in, you see enemies as you move about and there are no "random battles" and ideally with a similarly whimsical sense of humor. Is there anything else out there that is like Paper Mario, for Gamecube, DS, GBA, GBC, GB, Nintendo 64, PS1 or PS2?[/quote]

Hi. I'm the one who suggested SH:Covenant in the other thread. I didn't know you were looking for a whimsical game to play with the kids. Based on this new info, I wouldn't recommend SH afterall.

I can't think of any whimsical kid-friendly RPGs off-hand.

Possibly, you might look into Tales of Symphonia for the Gamecube. You can see the enemies in that one and avoid them. Also it can be multiplayer so the kid could play too. The battle system is real time -- you sort of hack and slash the enemies with swords and magic. It has some humor in it. I'm not quite sure I would call it whimsical though.

If you have enough GBAs in your house, you could try Zelda Four Swords Adventures Its not an RPG, but it is fun for kids. You and the kids would all be playinig together solving puzzles and hacking and slashing enemies.

Actually I'm looking for games both for me and my kids and games just for me, so Shadow Hearts is still something I'll look at, just not for my kids.

yeah I think that wind waker with a GBA tingle tuner would be a great combo, if yot havent thought of it already. I keep forgetting that WW has GBA connectivity.