Super Paper Mario is a 2007 (RPG) developed by and published by for the . It is the third installment in the series and the first game to be released on the . The game follows , , , and as they attempt to collect Pure Hearts and stop Count Bleck and his minions from destroying the universe.
Whereas preceding Paper Mario games are , Super Paper Mario has elements from RPGs and ; some critics described it as a hybrid of the two genres. The game's main feature is Mario's ability to flip between 2D and 3D perspectives. Most of the game is played in a 2D perspective, with the 3D perspective being used to solve puzzles and access previously unreachable areas. Peach, Bowser, and Luigi also have unique abilities, and additional abilities can be gained through acquiring partner characters known as Pixls.Super Paper Mario is a with elements, differentiating itself from previous games in the series. Like its predecessors, the graphics consist of 3D environments and 2D characters which look as if they are made of . The player controls and various other characters, overcoming linear platforms as in other Mario games. The player's goal is to collect the eight Pure Hearts and defeat the main antagonist Count Bleck. The player can talk to (NPC), defeat enemies, or interact with the environment. Unlike previous Paper Mario games which used a outside of the , in Super Paper Mario all combat is in real-time. are gained after defeating enemies and allow the player to to increase their stats. Mario can temporarily "flip" between dimensions, where the camera rotates 90 degrees to reveal a 3D perspective of the stage, revealing elements hidden in the regular 2D perspective, and can be used to maneuver around obstacles impassable in 2D
