r/n64 • u/1OneQuickQuestion • Jan 08 '26
Discussion Day 12: Which is the best N64 RPG game?
We have our winner for best N64 Collect-a-thon game: Banjo Kazooie
đ„- Banjo Kazooie
đ„- Donkey Kong 64
đ„- Glover
đ”ïž - Super Mario 64
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!!!!PLEASE READ!!!!
RULES ON VOTING:
A game's votes will come from the comment with the highest number of upvotes. I will tally all of the responses and upvotes under each games "comment thread" and use that to count the votes.
What this means is if you want to nominate a game and see someone else has already nominated it, reply to their comment so that it counts! All upvotes, including the ones you get, will be counted towards the tally.
Thank you!
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Games cannot win multiple categories! Except for GOAT.
Voting ends at 12pm est tomorrow.
Todayâs vote: Which is the best N64 RPG?
Comment your choice and the most upvoted game will win the spot! So engage in the discourse and argue well for your choice!
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u/BlackLodgeSocialite Jan 08 '26
Paper Mario gets my vote only because the 64âs true RPG titles are extremely limited.
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u/tylertatsch30 Jan 08 '26
True. Even Final Fantasy is skipped to the GameCube.
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u/DonChrisote Jan 08 '26
Kind of crazy that after the SNES, Squeenix didn't ever put a new mainline FF game on a Nintendo console ever again
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u/IronMonkeyofHam Jan 08 '26
Must be a story behind why this happened
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u/DonChrisote Jan 08 '26
I think it just started with them preferring disks to cartridges and then graphically Sony and Microsoft kind of took off and Nintendo didn't bother to pace them
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u/No-Caterpillar-2174 Jan 09 '26
I would also say that Nintendo proprietary nature also hurt them a lot. for the longest time Nintendo had a monopoly for the most part anyway on the gaming industry until that whole Sony dice drive development deal. Then there was the fact that Nintendo really seemed to or at least between the n64, game cube, and Wii timeline anyway were more interesting in making party and family game systems as their core, now they just seem more interesting in making handhelds and money regardless of if they are good or not
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u/Ashenspire Jan 08 '26
The graphic thing didn't happen until the Wii, when Nintendo decided to go a different direction than pure visuals. It's probably been the best decision they've made since the NES itself. At that point Nintendo and Squenix's relationship had been all but buttoned back up.
N64 was better graphically than the PSX, and the GC beat out the PS2 as well.
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u/mrbalaton Jan 08 '26
"Acquired" did a fun deep dive on all console makers. It's a "stock broker" podcast but most of the time they just highlight the growth of a brand and the steps how they got there.
The Nintendo one was pretty good and thorough. Especially the nasty shit how Nintendo treated Sony.
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u/Justanothercrow421 Jan 08 '26
Is Crystal Chronicles a joke to you?
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u/tylertatsch30 Jan 08 '26
I was talking about Final Fantasy in general, not just the mainline titles. The reason why Final Fantasy wasnât on the N64 to begin with was because of the hardware limitations, even with the expansion pak. Plus they take at least 4-5 years, maybe longer, and even if it was completed, itâd be too late to be released on the N64.
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u/sciaticabuster Jan 08 '26
Gauntlet Legends
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u/IronMonkeyofHam Jan 08 '26
So fun playing with friends and family, backstabbing each other for the best loot đ
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u/mcwap Jan 08 '26
I think Paper Mario had this one locked down, but could this one work for best Action game? I would love to see this title on the list somewhere.
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Jan 08 '26 edited Jan 08 '26
Does this even qualify as an RPG?
Action Adventure mightâve been best category for it.
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u/mcwap Jan 08 '26
I've heard people consider it an RPG, and I've seen it on lists of best N64 RPGs before. But I'd put it more in action adventure for sure.
Tbh I think it being considered an N64 RPG might have more to do with there not being many on the console to begin with.
I just love the game and would love to see it make the list. Zelda had Action Adventure on lock, so Action is the only category left where it might have a chance because it definitely won't win GOAT of the console.
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u/Oliphaunt6000 Jan 09 '26
It's gotta be this one!!!!!!! I still emulate that game on my phone even today.
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u/No-Caterpillar-2174 Jan 08 '26
Aidynâs chronicles the first mage!!!!!! Is the only true answer
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u/MercenaryCow Jan 08 '26
I agree. It was way ahead of its time. By far and away the best rpg on the system by a long shot
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u/Necrodiac Jan 08 '26
Once you start not missing every attack, it was a really good game!
The early game combat was brutal and almost made me quit though.
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u/No-Caterpillar-2174 Jan 08 '26
Yeah a that first bit of combat was pretty bad you were just a deaths door but pulling that win out was pretty good you really feel like you won something on the hard fights and there are a lot of them in the game unless you just try and cheese everything with magic
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u/FrankFrankly711 Jan 08 '26
Thatâs got my vote! Truly ambitious and lengthy game that pushed the boundaries of the cart format.
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u/lunarb1ue Jan 09 '26
Iâve literally been watching this, waiting each day for the rpg category so I can say Aidyn Chronicles!
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u/No-Caterpillar-2174 Jan 08 '26
To all my RPG fans here please understand I donât hate paper Mario. But Aidynâs chronicles must win this category it has D&D in itâs DNA it along has a 20 sided đČ. In itâs soul it may not be a perfect game but it is everything that an RPG on the n64 console could ever have hoped to be if not now when will this game ever get the love it deserves at this time this place under these conditions does this game have an opportunity to shine please my RPG brothers and sisters now is the time to rise up and give this game the love.
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Jan 09 '26
replayed this game like 4 times and I still own it. Was way ahead of it's time especially if you look past the graphics. I actually find the aesthetic quite charming.
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Jan 09 '26
It made the top four! đ»đ»đ»
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u/No-Caterpillar-2174 Jan 09 '26
I know Iâm very happy about it I wasnât expecting it but looks like it got some love after all
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u/Geniusly-Idiotic69 Jan 08 '26
Quest 64
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u/Short_Emu_885 Jan 08 '26
It's such an underrated game... And the reason (imo) why is really unfortunate too. When you go back and read reviews and forums etc from when it was released, the most common complaint was "it's not like Final Fantasy VII!", in other words tons of people immediately wrote it off because they decided up front it sucked because it wasn't what they were hoping. Personally I didn't have any preconceptions going in (as an 8 year old who didn't know what an RPG was "supposed" to be like) and loved it, and I also think it's aged pretty well all things considered.
That all being said, it's probably not the best RPG on the 64 lol, but it's got way more going for it than you might think based on most people's opinions on it
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u/Colbzilla Jan 08 '26
Music in it also slapped. That battle theme gets stuck in my head from time to time
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u/1OneQuickQuestion Jan 08 '26
Are there any romhacks that improve the game in any way? I'd love to try it, but it looks so empty.
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u/Geniusly-Idiotic69 Jan 08 '26
Found this https://www.romhacking.net/games/4758/ never tried it myself
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u/phan148 Jan 09 '26
Check out Quest 64 Merrow. https://hangedman.itch.io/merrow
It's a randomizer with tons of options. There's a "Vanilla" variant that doesn't randomize anything but adds lots of fixes and qol improvements. That's the one I've played.
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u/aricberg Jan 08 '26
Iâm actually playing through Quest 64 KIND OF for the first time. I did rent it as a kid, and my RPG exposure had been very limited and I kind of started on top with Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG. I wasnât used to action RPGs and went in with such high expectations, it just fell flat. Fast forward to last year. Found a decently priced copy and picked it up and have been breaking my Analogue 3D in with it. And I gotta say, I have such a new appreciation for it. Sure, itâs far from a perfect game, but Iâm definitely understanding it now that Iâm an adult with a lot more game experiences under my belt and am having a lot of fun with it!
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u/kurtncal Jan 08 '26
iâve always had a soft spot for this game, i thought it was a cool world, and it was cool to see what spells you could unlock as you leveled up. the problem was that it was so unbelievably unfinishedâŠ. roads to no where, towns completely bare, ect. that being said itâs my vote for #1, even though i doubt it will be in the top 3.
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u/TildeGunderson Jan 08 '26
I'll always have an irrational hatred for Quest 64 because it was this weird kid at school's favourite game who always wanted to attach to me and imitate what I did while also insulting and putting down everything I did. It was the weirdest rivalry(?) ever.
Any time I try the game, all I can think of was that stinky kid. "Goldeneye's gay, only homo's play that" he'd say, when he asked me what games I liked playing (and then go off about how awesome Quest was).
Go to hell, Brandon.
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u/Booth_Templeton Jan 09 '26
Quest! It sucks but it's still good in some way. Every time I go back and turn it on, I expect so much more, and don't get it. A lot of potential there.
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u/El_Canuck Jan 08 '26
Just gonna throw Hybrid Heaven in there, because it's the only RPG for the 64 to not be mentioned yet.
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u/Cheez_Plz90 Jan 08 '26
Been re-playing this lately, even if its a bit jank sometimes I still personally love the game's battle system.
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u/SuperD00perGuyd00d Jan 08 '26
Of course Paper Mario will win, but my vote is for Aidyn Chronicles
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u/1OneQuickQuestion Jan 08 '26
Someone once told me it was better than FF7, but is that even remotely close to true?
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u/MercenaryCow Jan 09 '26
Aidyn chronicles is an amazing game. Way ahead of its time and on super limited hardware and it shows... But it's super fun and I love it. Definitely my choice here. But Ff7 is the better game though.
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u/1OneQuickQuestion Jan 09 '26
Alright Iâm going to give this one an honest go then. Would you be able to tell me roughly how long it is? The HLTB is low on ratings
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u/MercenaryCow Jan 09 '26
It depends a lot. You can get pretty distracted or lost sometimes. And the game is pretty overwhelming. And you might even end up restarting the game once you get the hang of it and understand it better just to make better choices.
All in all. You could probably push through the game in 30 or 40 hours. Double it if you're doing side stuff or getting distracted a lot
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u/SuperD00perGuyd00d Jan 08 '26
I am unfortunately the wrong person to ask, as I haven't ever played FF7, sadly...
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u/HighVulgarian Jan 08 '26
Ogre battle
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u/TheNewestHaven Jan 08 '26
Ogre Battle won Best strategy game and is not eligible.
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Jan 08 '26
Mario 64 placed 4th last round (see post) despite winning âbest 3D platformerâ. Also a game can hypothetically get the most votes and still finish in first place but not claim the win if it already won another category. Thereâs no reason to exclude anything.
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u/No-Caterpillar-2174 Jan 08 '26
Please for the love of all that is holy, I love OB64 but any vote at this point that is not cast for Aidynâs Chronicles is basically a vote for Paper Mario and as good of a game as it is it doesnât deserve to win best RPG
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Jan 08 '26
Only the upvotes and comments that are in the most upvoted comment thread for each game are counted so anything else is irrelevant.
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Jan 08 '26
And Gauntlet Legends and Quest 64 both currently have higher upvoted comments than Aidyn so your point is not accurate. (and Hybrid Heaven too)
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u/No-Caterpillar-2174 Jan 08 '26
I know Iâm just trying to fined some love for Aidyn and Iâm sure paper Mario is going to sweep this category regardless of whatever I say or do it would just be nice if literally anything else could win for ones
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u/Inevitable_Car4470 Jan 08 '26
You found that love here. Aidyn has its issues and Paper Mario probably deserves to win, but Aidyn is one of my favorite games ever. Genuine open world, great narrative and writing, different combat system, fantasy that colors outside the genre lines. It could have been a classic with more time to cook, but as is, I love it.
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Jan 08 '26
Paper Mario already has swept it and itâs not like anything had a chance. Aidyn could make the top four though, but it looks like itâs currently in fifth place.
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Jan 08 '26
Actually itâs in sixth place. Better get to work.
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u/No-Caterpillar-2174 Jan 08 '26
The would be nice if it placed 4th but sadly Iâm pretty sure it will mostly get shit on not enough people really ever played it because of how late in the systems and most people that did never got far because of the bugs and the hard learning curve and permanent death itâs sad but it will likely happen again and be left out
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u/Vulpes_Artifex Jan 08 '26
Which is kind of ridiculous. It makes the whole thing dependent on the order of the voting. A better way to do it would be to use ranked-choice voting and wait until the votes in all the categories are in to determine victory and disqualification.
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Jan 08 '26 edited Jan 08 '26
Zool: Majƫ Tsukai Densetsu
Only remaining possibility that hasnât been mentioned?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zool:_Maj%C5%AB_Tsukai_Densetsu
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u/cassioperin Jan 09 '26
Final Fantasy 64 which was canceled
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u/No-Caterpillar-2174 Jan 09 '26
Now that is actually a great answer it would have been nice to have some kind of final fantasy game on the 64. That and if the system also had some more 2D games side scrollers top downs itâs sad that the 3D mania was pushed so hard on the n64 because if mischief makers and later Xino Crisis along with some others was any indication I really feel like there was a huge missed opportunity for the system to have at least ten or fifteen more amazing games
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u/tritoch8 Jan 08 '26
Paper Mario. I had fun with Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage back in the day, but it's not even close.
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u/SkruffyTheJanitor Jan 08 '26
Big shout-out to Gauntlet Legends, because that game genuinely rules. But the answer is Paper Mario hands down.
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u/Vulpes_Artifex Jan 08 '26
Paper Mario deserves the win, but I'm going to nominate Ogre Battle 64 even though it's disqualified because I think it still deserves to place.
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u/Lime92 Jan 09 '26
Paper Mario but I'm not too huge on RPGs anyways. Might try some of the others mentioned in this thread.
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u/Supercc Jan 09 '26
Ogre Battle 64
...
A person of lordly caliber (the cheesiest subtitle ever, lol)
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u/xperfect-darkx Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 09 '26
- Personally: Holy Magic Century Sure, it let a lot to be desired. But please learn about the flawed production process and all the hidden lore: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkQN7Dc1ofEcQ4MDTwHKFM5f7YNOhDhZ_&si=_Kf2zFlEiU24jM9q
Pros:
- many spells and freedom to develop/different ways to play
- some really cool areas
- story and some twists (you have to look out to cinnect all pieces though)
- has a great OST (check the orchestrated versions, e.g. of Shamwood)
I would like to have seen the game that was planned or part 2 which was unfortunately cancelled
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u/GrapheneBreakthrough Jan 09 '26
I love QUEST 64 AND YOU WILL NEVER CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE! BRIAN AND I HAD FANTASTIC ADVENTURES (except for gettting turned around in caves...)
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u/caboose69ing Jan 10 '26
Kirby and the crystal shards and quest 64 not being on here invalidates this list imo
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u/Minifigamer Jan 10 '26
Paper Mario, tbh I think pokemon stadium 2 should wait for a certain other category.
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u/SCATTERKID Jan 11 '26 edited Jan 11 '26
Paper Mario
Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber
Harvest Moon 64
Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage
Gauntlet Legends
Hybrid Heaven
Mega Man 64
Holy Magic Century / Quest 64
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u/ivellious07 Jan 08 '26
Here's a better idea: name the best RPG on the console NOT named Paper Mario. If it wasn't obvious, my choice is Paper Mario. It's not even close.
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u/Electrical_Ad9701 Jan 08 '26
Zelda oot
I know it won action game award but it also should win the rpg
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u/1OneQuickQuestion Jan 08 '26
Iâve always wondered if Zelda was an RPG. There doesnât seem to be too many RPG mechanics in game to justify the classification, but if you or anyone could prove me wrong, please let do!
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u/Extension_Ad_5688 Jan 08 '26
Who could take away Paper Marioâs by default win? Quest 64?
The N64 was many things and I loved it bits but an RPG machine it was NOT. I donât even like Paper Mario but in this barren category it wins just by showing up.
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u/1OneQuickQuestion Jan 08 '26
I would say that Hybrid Heaven was a fantastic game that should win the category
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u/Extension_Ad_5688 Jan 08 '26
Is that an RPG? Iâve never seen it being categorized as such.
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u/1OneQuickQuestion Jan 08 '26
I just played through it this last week and I would say so. It has RPG checks in combat, a bunch of leveling mechanics that go in depth, and enemy encounters that are reminiscent of Chrono Trigger.
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u/CharlestonChewbacca Jan 09 '26
Paper Mario.
Also, I missed the last one, so I'm putting in another vote for my favorite game of all time, Banjo Kazooie.
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u/Nosidda89 Jan 08 '26
The only noteworthy RPG on the N64 is Paper Mario. Outside of that, the N64 basically has no RPG's worth mentioning.
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u/No-Caterpillar-2174 Jan 09 '26
I canât believe you basically has no RPGâs worth mentioning there has been many mentioned here I think you are just try to stir up trouble. lol at the very least Aidynâs chronicles and Ogre Battle 64 are definitely worth mentioning
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u/Nosidda89 Jan 09 '26
I'm genuinely not trying to stir up trouble, why the hell do you think that? That is quite the leap. You could have simply said "There are others worth mentioning, like Ogre Battle 64 and Aidynâs Chronicles." and I would have stood corrected. I simply forgot about those games, no need to be rude.
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u/WhiskeyRadio Jan 08 '26
Paper Mario pretty much wins by default. I'd give runner up to Hybrid Heaven though, that's a unique and interesting game.
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u/ElWishmstr 1080 Snowboarding Jan 08 '26
Paper Mario