Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, known in Europe and Australia as Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros., is a 2015 role-playing video game developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS console. It is the fifth installment in the Mario & Luigi series, and serves as a crossover between the Mario & Luigi and Paper Mario series, the latter being a cross-genre series developed by Intelligent Systems. In Paper Jam, Luigi accidentally opens a book containing the Paper Mario universe and all of its containments spread into the Mushroom Kingdom; Mario and Luigi, with the help of the befriended Paper Mario, venture to save both Princess Peach universe variants from Bowser, who has teamed up with his paper counterpart as well. In the game, the player controls the trio simultaneously through an overworld to reach Bowser's Castle, and fights enemies in turn-based combat along the way.
Paper Jam was developed by AlphaDream while Intelligent Systems oversaw production. The concept of a crossover came to be when AlphaDream conceptualized a third character for the player to control in-game to help shake up the traditional gameplay of the series. They considered the combination to work well due to the two series having shared gameplay features as well as opportunities to use the Paper Mario series for new gameplay options. The game was announced at E3 2015 and launched ahead of schedule, released internationally in December 2015 and in North America the following month.
Reception of the game was generally positive, receiving praise for the introduction of Paper Mario elements and combat, mixed opinions for its writing and failure to use the Paper Mario series to its fullest, and criticism for usage of worldbuilding and minigames. Paper Jam was the final original Mario & Luigi installment, followed by two remakes of previous titles in the series, before AlphaDream filed for bankruptcy in 2019.
Gameplay
Paper Jam is a role-playing game that follows a similar format of previous games in the Mario & Luigi series, with some additional reliance on elements from the Paper Mario series as well. The player simultaneously controls Mario, Luigi, and Paper Mario from his respective series, and travels the Mushroom Kingdom overworld to reach Bowser's Castle to save both Princess Peach variants from both Bowser variants from their respective universes. Each of the three uses a different button to control them. In the overworld, the player can talk to non-player characters (NPCs) and solve puzzles, some of which are required to be solved in order to progress. Some puzzles involve using character-specific actions; for example, Paper Mario can use his paper-thin body to squeeze through small gaps to reach areas inaccessible by Mario and Luigi. In other cases, the three learn additional special moves as the main storyline continues, which can be used in the overworld to solve puzzles that hinder progression or other secret areas.
Some of the involved puzzles are minigame sessions that break up traditional gameplay. In certain boss battles, the trio rides a large-scale paper-craft version of a character or enemy from the Mario franchise and fight another enemy—also on a papercraft—in an open arena with the goal of destroying the enemies papercraft. In another, the player is tasked by a Lakitu to return to previously explored segments to find hidden Paper Toads, who in return offer rewards and advice for further progression.
When the player comes in contact with an enemy in the overworld, a battle-sequence will commence. Combat in Paper Jam is turn-based; they can select one of the various methods to attack the enemies present as each of the three characters, and vary from dealing damage to healing lost health using an item. To attack, the player must press buttons in a timed fashion to maximize how much damage is dealt. Attack methods of the trio can be combined to involve more than one of the three, to deal even further damage. Similarly, when the enemy attacks, buttons need to be pressed in anticipation of the attack so the trio takes less damage. As the game progresses, the player is given access to "Battle Cards", which can be used by the player in combat for additional perks, such as increasing the amount of damage given to certain enemies. Certain Mario Amiibo can be used for further bonuses.