Up in Star Haven, there exists a Star Wand that allows the stars to grant wishes to those who are pure of heart. The Star Wand is looked over by the Seven Star Spirits, who protect it in its sanctuary. However, Bowser attacks Star Haven, steals the Star Wand , and locks up the Star Spirits so that they cannot challenge his power. With his new powers, Bowser defeats Mario and lifts Princess Peach's castle into the air, taking her and all her guests as prisoners. Now, the only way to challenge Bowser's unbridled power is to rescue all seven Star Spirits, which have been imprisoned all over the land.
Paper Mario is an RPG set in the Mario universe. It follows Mario as he tries to rescue the Star Spirits and defeat Bowser. In this game, Mario can gain experience and grow levels by defeating enemies and bosses. He can also recruit teammates to help him out in turn-based battles, collect badges to improve his combat abilities, and gather star pieces that he can trade for badges.
The game features characters made up of 2D sprites within a fully 3D world, giving the feeling that each character is made out of "paper".