History YMMV / SuperPaperMario

** At the end of the game, Mimi vows to turn over a new leaf and start up her own cafe. Seems she was very successful, as "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimi's_Cafe Mimi's Cafe]]" is a chain of restaurants in America.

%%** The finale requires the hero(es) to [[spoiler:wish to rainbow-colored heart-shaped objects to take away the true FinalBoss's invincibility after he upstaged the AntiVillain supposed final boss]]. [[VideoGame/{{Undertale}} Sound familiar?]] [[https://www.reddit.com/r/Undertale/comments/3wyh9t/i_just_noticed_something/ This has not gone unnoticed]].

** Turns out that if Bowser and Peach were to marry, the universe DOES implode. To add to the hilarity, ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey's'' main plot invovlves ''another'' arranged marriage between the two.

* RonTheDeathEater: [[Machinima/Supermarioglitchy4sSuperMario64Bloopers SMG4]] turned Francis from an awkward nerd who just wanted friends to a mass-kidnapper of [[Franchise/{{Splatoon}} Inklings]] [[ItMakesSenseInContext so he could use their ink to power a device that can create real life anime characters so it could make an island full of them]].

* UnderusedGameMechanic: The second phase of the boss fight with Mr. L in Chapter 4 returns to space, meaning you use Squirps to shoot, but it also throws in unique arcade-style powerups like increased speed, missiles, and clones that mimic the original Squirps. This boss battle is the only time these powerups ever appear.
** The Underchomp battle in Chapter 7 also falls under this. It is the only time that the game switches from a platformer with RPG elements to a full-on turn-based RPG (albeit more reminiscent of Earthbound and Dragon Quest instead of previous Paper Mario games). As neat as the fight is, once the Underchomps are defeated, there are no more battles like it for the rest of the game, even in the extra side-content.

* ToughActToFollow: Coming off of the much-loved ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'', this game already had an uphill battle ahead of it with its sudden shift to action RPG rather than the usual turn-based battle. That said, in light of how much worse off ''[[VideoGame/PaperMarioStickerStar Sticker Star]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/PaperMarioColorSplash Color Splash]]'' fared, ''Super Paper Mario'' itself became this in light of those two installments, having been VindicatedByHistory for at least keeping the spirit, if not necessarily the gameplay, of the first two, rather than the direction the later two entries took. It also raised the standards for future ''Paper Mario'' [=RPG=] stories to be much higher than the standard "Peach gets kidnapped" plot in regular ''Mario'' games.

** Though it still didn't get as bad as later games, which started ditching even the most basic RPG elements like levelling and customization while this one could still fit as an ActionRPG styled as a 2D Mario platformer, more or less the opposite of the first two games (traditional role-playing games styled as a 3D Mario platformer).

** '''"BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP. [[VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink I AM ERROR.]] PRESS ANY KEY TO RESUME. SYSTEM NOT FOUND. INSERT INSTALL DISC. DISC NOT FOUND. PLEASE CONFIRM DISC COVER IS CLOSED. READ ERROR. INSERT BOOT DISC AND PRESS ENTER. NO RESPONSE. SYSTEM MAY BE BUSY OR MELTING INTO SLAG. APPLICATION ERROR. SAVE YOUR WORK AND QUIT. YOU LOST EVERYTHING. WAY TO GO. GENIUS. WAITING FOR PROCESSORS. "404 computer hamsters not found." THREAT LEVEL UPGRADED TO JELLY ROLL 1. DETONATION IMMINENT."''' '''''[[UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows CTRL ALT DELETE]]!"''''' [[labelnote:Explanation]]The first boss you fight in the game was ''going'' to give you his PlotCoupon without a fight, but then he gets his circuits fried by TheDragon. The preceding [literal] BSOD ensues.[[/labelnote]]
** '''Mr. L! Green Thunder!''' [[labelnote:Explanation]]Luigi's BrainwashedAndCrazy alter-ego in ''Super Paper Mario''.[[/labelnote]]
*** Who is Mr L? [[labelnote:Explanation]]Given that Mr. L is obviously Luigi and no one knew his secret identity until Dimentio said that Luigi is Mr L, people joked that they never revealed who he is.[[/labelnote]]
** DOOFUSES!!! [[labelnote:Explanation]]For all of her BodyHorror, Mimi, a recurring bad guy in ''Super Paper Mario'', has some [[BigStupidDoodooHead pretty childish insults.]][[/labelnote]]
** [[ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontWatch "I love going on message boards and complaining about video games I've never played!"]] [[labelnote:Explanation]]One of the questions you answer "Yes" to, in a quiz in ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario''; it may also be a direct reference to the trope.[[/labelnote]]
*** By that extent, "My first love was an anime character!" [[labelnote:Explanation]]Another question in the quiz. Often used to mock Waifu fans.[[/labelnote]]
** '''GREEEEEEN!''' [[labelnote:Explanation]]The very first thing the final boss of ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' does upon assuming his form is say this. It's completely out of place and random.[[/labelnote]]

** Dimentio has a VillainousCrush on Luigi. [[labelnote:Explanation]]Due to the HoYay aspects of the game, Dimentio's interest in Luigi is [[{{Flanderization}} Flanderized]] UpToEleven in the Japanese fandom, turning him into a MemeticMolester.[[/labelnote]]

* BaseBreakingCharacter: For some people, Francis is this, as he spends a good part straddling the line between a parody of hardcore nerds/geeks/otakus and insult, and sometimes he jumps over into "insult" territory. Or worse, a reminder of actual fellow nerds they'd rather not have met. For others, Francis is incredibly fun and even [[TakeThatAudience cathartic]] to watch for the same reasons.

* BestLevelEver: Chapter 3, with its pixel-like art design, getting a lot of useful Pixls, and ''especially'' Francis and using him to poke fun at {{Otaku}} people.

** [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Chapter 8]] as well, thanks to its amazing atmosphere, being one of the more challenging parts of the game, the DuelBoss fights at the end of each part, and of course, the [[FinalBoss final battle]] against [[BigBad Count Bleck]], [[spoiler:which is then followed by [[BestBossEver Super Dimentio]]]].

** The story of the game. It's either beloved for all the dramatic and darker than normal for a Mario game aspects or disliked for those exact same reasons. It's not uncommon to find either view points.

* ContestedSequel: As mentioned under BrokenBase and VindicatedByHistory, this game is this. While most people agree that the story is good, the removal of turn-based combat didn't sit well with a lot of fans, and there are ''lot'' of arguments about whether or not the gameplay is good. Many ''Paper Mario'' fans have warmed up to it since then, especially after ''Sticker Star'' came out, but there's still quite a number of people who aren't so receptive, especially those who simply can’t get behind some of the games more awkward ideas and obtuse puzzles.

** It's widely speculated that Mimi is [[spoiler:the Pixl Queen, the flawed original attempt at creating a Pixl that turned out evil]]. And also that [[spoiler:she's the result of a witch's experiments to try and create a potion that allows the drinker to shapeshift]].
*** Another likely contender for that role is [[spoiler:Shadoo, Bonus Boss at the bottom of the Flopside Pit of 100 Trials, who plans on killing and replacing the Four Heroes and using their Pixls to take revenge on the Ancients]].
** A theory on Dimentio is that he wrote the Dark Prognosticus (which would make him [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld pretty damn old]]). There's also the question as to why Tippi recognizes him the first time she sees him. He's also [[spoiler:possibly the son of the guy who first created the Pixls, with his daughter being the one who, outraged at his treatment of the Pixls, became the Pixl Queen and led the Pixls to war against the Ancients. The son vanished as a result of this debacle]]. If all of the above is true, [[spoiler:''that means that Mimi and Dimentio are '''siblings''''']]. Holy crap.
** It's also theorized that Dimentio is [[http://mario.wikia.com/wiki/Merloo Merloo]] (or perhaps his descendant), one of the four sages in the Tribe of Ancients. Both are described as being powerful, dimension-controlling magicians. If Merloo and Dimentio are the same person, this means that Dimentio was a leader of the Tribe of Ancients, and he wrote the Light Prognosticus.
** It's been strongly speculated that Shadoo could possibly be the Pixl Queen, claiming many key details match up. As Carson states, the Pixl Queen was created by the Ancients, and tried to overthrow the Ancients with a Pixl Army after developing a grudge against them, like how Shadoo loathed the Ancients and was planning to use the clones of the 4 Heroes to save the multiverse from destruction in their place and use the Pixls to enact revenge in the process. Also, the Pixl Queen's fate was unrevealed, and she was never explicitly stated to have been killed, just beaten, implying she survived the fight (and proceed to hide down in the Flopside pit to wait thousands of years for the heroes to come for revenge). The Pixl Queen was also said to have "powers of illusion", which she used to obstruct herself, similar to how Shadoo hid the clones, the Warp Pipe, and even... Shadoo.

** Dimentio too, thanks to his [[LaughablyEvil hilarious personality]] and [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative skills]].

** Bowser and Thudley isn't half bad, either, since their damage bonuses stack. With the two of them together, even major bosses (up to and including the FinalBoss) go down like chumps. (See AnticlimaxBoss for more details)
** There's also Peach using her umbrella as a helmet when crouching, which makes her entirely immune to damage.

* GoddamnedBoss: Francis. His attacks are pretty easy to avoid, but the small window of time he's visible and vulnerable, combined with the fact that you can only tell where he is while invisible by flipping and can't see to the left while in 3D mode, means you may be fighting him for quite a while.

* LoveToHate: [[spoiler:Dimentio is widely regarded to be one of the most evil and depraved characters in the Mario franchise, but his [[FauxAffablyEvil charming personality]] is what makes him so memorable to fans, with many wanting him to return in a future Mario title.]]

* RonTheDeathEater: [[Machinima/Supermarioglitchy4sSuperMario64Bloopers SMG4]] turned Francis from an awkward nerd who just wanted friends to a mass-kidnapper of [[VideoGame/{{Splatoon}} Inklings]] [[ItMakesSenseInContext so he could use their ink to power a device that can create real life anime characters so it could make an island full of them]].

* ThatOnePuzzle: [[{{Prehistoria}} Chapter 5-1's]] block puzzle. You run into a series of blank blocks. You're meant to head back to the village and ask one of the citizens for the password. [[{{Padding}} He will only give it to you after you manually type "please"]] [[{{Padding}} ''five times'']]. To add insult to injury, the password itself is ''incredibly'' long, often requiring it to be written down. To say you're better off looking up the password online is an understatement.

* ThatOnePuzzle: [[{{Prehistoria}} Chapter 5-1's]] block puzzle. You run into a series of blank blocks. You're meant to head back to the village and ask one of the citizens for the password. [[{{Padding}} He makes the process go on for longer than it has any right to be]]. The second password itself is ''incredibly'' long, often requiring it to be written down.

** Turns out that if Bowser and Peach were to marry, the universe DOES implode.
*** To add to the hilarity, ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey's'' main plot invovlves ''another'' arranged marriage between the two. Either Bowser [[AesopAmnesia completely forgot about the incident]], or the ''Paper Mario'' series really is [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPaperJam a separate continuity]].

** It's also theorized that Dimentio is [[http://mario.wikia.com/wiki/Merloo Merloo]] (or perhaps his descendant), one of the four sages in the Tribe of Ancients. Both are described as being powerful, dimension-controlling magicians. If Merloo and Dimentio are the same person, this means that Dimentio was a leader of the Tribe of Ancients, and he wrote both the Dark and Light Prognosticus.

* UncertainAudience: One reason for the game's divisive reception on release was its conflicting appeal. On one hand, among the franchise's many spin-offs, it resembles the mainline ''Super Mario'' games the most in terms of gameplay, being a platformer with many of the 2D games' elements such as blocks with items, collectible coins, and the GoombaStomp as your primary method of combat. On the other hand, it resembles the mainline ''Mario'' games the least in terms of story and presentation, as the game does not take place in the ''Mario'' universe in a literal sense and the usual ''Mario'' characters and enemies largely take a backseat to the game's original characters and elements. The conflicting appeal of these two elements means that fans of the ''Mario'' platformers can be turned away from the lack of focus on the established ''Mario'' universe, while players otherwise uninterested in the ''Mario'' universe are turned away from the gameplay closely resembling the main platformers. As for dedicated ''Mario'' RPG fans, they wouldn't be fond of this game taking on a platformer-with-RPG-elements approach as opposed to a straight RPG. Over time, ''Paper Mario'' fans have grown to be more appreciative of the [[EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame story by its lonesome]], though some feel that the game takes a "compensating with extremes" approach rather than explore different corners of Mario's world as done in other ''Mario'' [=RPG=]s. A few more extreme fans even consider ''Super Paper Mario''[='=]s story to go in the complete opposite extreme of the subsequent ''Paper Mario'' titles.

* HoYay: In the finale, Dimentio tells Luigi [[IHaveYouNowMyPretty he has him now]] and [[spoiler:seemingly]] takes him with him. He takes it further by [[spoiler:his FusionDance with him]]. Doubles as FoeYay.

** Chapter 7 is well liked due to its depiction of the Greek Underworld and biblical Heaven, as well as just about every chapter having a memorable moment: 7-1 has you go through the River Twygz to find [[spoiler:Luigi]], 7-2 contains a boss fight that's a ShoutOut to ''VideoGame/EarthBound'', 7-3 has the different-colored apples and their varying effects on Princess Peach, and 7-4 has [[spoiler:an all-out brawl between the Nimbis of the Overthere and the Skellobits contained in the Underwhere, as well as one of the saddest "AlasPoorScrappy" moments in existence]], even if [[spoiler:that last one is undone in the postgame]].

* CompleteMonster: [[spoiler:[[MonsterClown Dimentio]] masquerades as a [[LaughablyEvil humorous henchman]] under Count Bleck's employ, while [[TheManInFrontOfTheMan secretly harboring more sinister designs]]. Dimentio [[TheChessmaster manipulates every faction towards his ultimate goal]] to use the Chaos Heart to obliterate reality so that he could create a new one under his control. To this end, Dimentio brainwashes Fracktail and sends him out to be killed by Mario, experiments on his own subordinates with the brain-jacking Floro Sprouts, seemingly murders Mario and his friends by sending them to the Underwhere, and secretly implants a Floro Sprout within Luigi's mind as to revert him back to Mr. L. After Count Bleck is defeated, Dimentio attempts to kill him, seemingly murdering Nastasia in the process. Dimentio seizes Luigi as his host in the final battle and, after his defeat, uses the Chaos Heart to [[SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum try to destroy reality]] as an act of spite.]]

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Bonechill has a great setup to be an EnsembleDarkhorse ThatOneBoss -- being a ShownTheirWork SatanicArchetype, invoking a HellInvadesHeaven NearVillainVictory, and following in the footsteps of [[VideoGame/PaperMario64 the Crystal King]] and [[VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor Magnus von Grapple 2.0 (Lord Crump)]]. Instead, he's an AntiClimaxBoss who's all but forgotten right-after his defeat. Granted, The Void is far more pressing at the moment, but it still feels like a waste of a potential VillainOfAnotherStory.

%%** The finale requires the hero(es) to [[spoiler:wish to rainbow-colored heart-shaped objects to take away the true FinalBoss's invincibility after he upstaged the AntiVillain supposed final boss]].
** A while ago there was a Anti-Drug PSA of Mario telling people not to take drugs or they would “go to hell before they died”, cut to 2007 and [[spoiler: Mario actually gets sent to a equivalent of hell before he dies.]]
[[VideoGame/{{Undertale}} Sound familiar?]] [[https://www.reddit.com/r/Undertale/comments/3wyh9t/i_just_noticed_something/ This has not gone unnoticed]].
** In the Sammer Kingdom, each samurai that the player faces has a bizarre, borderline nonsensical name. The ninth opponent is named “Screaming Mantis”. The very next year, ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'' would release, and name its QuirkyMinibossSquad leader "Screaming Mantis".

** The finale requires the hero(es) to [[spoiler:wish to rainbow-colored heart-shaped objects to take away the true FinalBoss's invincibility after he upstaged the AntiVillain supposed final boss]].
* A while ago there was a Anti-Drug PSA of Mario telling people not to take drugs or they would “go to hell before they died”, cut to 2007 and [[spoiler: Mario actually gets sent to a equivalent of hell before he dies.]]

** The finale requires the hero(es) to [[spoiler:wish to rainbow-colored heart-shaped objects to take away the true FinalBoss's invincibility after he upstaged the AntiVillain supposed final boss]]. [[VideoGame/{{Undertale}} Sound familiar?]] [[https://www.reddit.com/r/Undertale/comments/3wyh9t/i_just_noticed_something/ This has not gone unnoticed]].

** Through a simple set-up, its possible to reach level 99 before you even ''begin the second chapter''. By saving a Squig, you can continuously jump on top of its projectiles, racking up points that grow ''exponentially'' with each stomp. The rest of the game is completely invalidated.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: The story involves stopping the destruction of reality, one villain who is a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds and another who is the ''Mario'' equivalent of ComicBook/TheJoker. There are also a surprising number of {{Disney Death}}s.