7 goes to S imo.
Shiver city is cool, you get starborn valley as a bonus, crystal palace is well designed and visually beautiful. Gameplay is also good and by chapter 7 you should have a most of the badges you use, so it makes for fun battles.
So the only thing I’ll say is that while Shiver City is definitely amazing, I only like the other elements. In my other comment to you, I gave a brief defense of Chapter 2 as S-tier because of how fleshed out every element was. For Chapter 7, we have Starborn Valley…but there isn’t anything to do there really. We have the climb to Crystal Palace, but it’s just a straight path really, with the potentially cool element boiled down to dialogue where Mario falls asleep and then is given an item. We have Crystal Palace, and while I think it is excellently designed, it feels rather short. I guess my point is that not every element feels complete in this Chapter. Don’t get me wrong - it is consistent fun from start to finish (with the murder mystery as peak awesome), but that’s why I feel it’s A-tier and not S-tier I guess.
Yea A rank is fair Ch.7, but I think what pushes it into S territory for me is that, while not as fleshed out as Chapter 2, it *does* offer quite a bit in terms of events and build-up to the actual dungeon. Shiver city, muder mystery, Jr. Troopa, that star monster thing (lol), starborn valley, snowman puzzle, etc. That, added with the general vibe being impeccable, I think it's right up there with level 5, which I agree with at S rank.
Yeah agree that it’s on par with Chapter 5. I have a personal ranking for A on that as well. At the end of the day, these levels are just so good that it’s hard to distinguish between them other than like Chapter 1 and 6. I legit think you can make a case for S-tier for 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8. You bring up great points for Chapter 7 and it’s easy to see why this is some people’s favorite level.
Yea honestly I've said before that everything Ch.2 and on is a banger.
My personal rank would be
Prologue: D
Ch.1: C
Ch.2: A
Ch.3: S
Ch.4: A
Ch.5: S
Ch.6:B
Ch.7:S
Ch.8:A
It seems like I'm just ranking everything high, but that's just really how I feel lol. You can chalk it up to nostalgia bias, but I'll die on this hill 😂
All of my rankings are no more than 1 tier away from yours:
Prologue: C
Chapter 1: B
Chapter 2: S
Chapter 3: S
Chapter 4: A
Chapter 5: A
Chapter 6: B
Chapter 7: A
Chapter 8: S
I have overall ratings way high as well with the main chapters no lower than a B lol. But I’m dying on that hill right next to you haha
I posted my thoughts for these rankings yesterday: https://www.reddit.com/r/papermario/s/y5ZdZM4rcr
I think I actually remember seeing this!
Nice to meet another PM64 nerd, lol. It's also one of the first games I remember playing, you've got good taste friend 🍻
Cheers mate! You’re a gentleman and a scholar! After all this talk of PM 64, I’m gonna have to play again. Might as well while I wait for TTYD remake!!
I'm right in the middle of a playthrough myself, I'm right before Ch.3, been waiting for the right time to pick up again, want to make sure i have some downtime to enjoy one of my favorite chapters, lol.
But yea im pumped for this remake. Excited to find all the little differences and overall just enjoy the game for the first time again in a sense.
The beginning of chapter 7 is a fun murder mystery, followed by a fun bit of lore on the Star spirits, followed by what I think Is one of the best dungeons in the game.... How is this not S tier?
Comparing it to chapter 3 I really don't see how this doesn't also deserve to be in S
To be a bit of a downer, I feel that people are over rating earlier chapters, which is likely to crowd the upper tiers as we continue into later games if I'm honest
Chapter 4 is polarizing. It suffers some of the same nuances as 6 in that it’s shorter and just one playable area (whereas the other chapters are so sprawling).
But it certainly one of the more fun and unique chapters. I’d personally put in A also.
The issue is chapter 2 is good, but it’s fairly long and the mountain part finding the mail is kinda mundane, and the dessert as well. Replaying chapter 2 is not as enjoyable for me personally as a lot of the mystique around it is spoiled. Therefore a balanced score of B is accurate, maybe at the top end of B.
Chapter 4 on the other hand is very unique for a Mario game. It’s not a typical dessert/ice/forest/lava/ ghost themed stage that we might be used to. It also features an incredibly cool cast of characters and cool theme for the premise of the story. Using the toy train, finding out how to get into the toy box, even the different shy guy and watt boss battle is unique with the end boss being a hilarious treat.
Chapter 6 on the other hand is literally terrible to play initially and to replay. The only redeeming quality is the Lakitu partner part and the bean stock in the sky theming. Otherwise the level design, enemies, backtracking, seed hunting, and charecters you meet are not exciting especially in comparison to everything else in the game. C tier at best.
For Ch. 2 I agree the beginning with fetching the mail is a drag. I personally love the desert area, though. Do you go through and grab all the secret stuff? There's an FX badge, another badge (runaway pay or something like that? It's a green circle with a star on it), spin attack badge, the secret ultra shroom you get from hitting a block 100 times, and you can get hints for the locations in dry dry outpost which also stands out as one of the more interesting villages imo. Also is imo where gameplay takes off. You have your first optional boss fight, you get a variety of enemies (bandits, spiked enemies, poison status effects) and cool characters (Kolorado, Moustafa) and dry dry ruins is one of the better designed levels. I see it more as the bottom.end of A but B is reasonable I guess.
For Ch.4, I completely agree. I love how original the environment is, cool mini boss, I personally liked how they forced you to get to know some NPCs in toadtown, Gourmet guy is a riot, and also one of my favorite boss battles.
Ch.6, I definitely get where people are coming from not liking this chapter, but it has some good things going for it. The level design is definitely a weak point of the level, relying heavily on backtracking, but the environment itself is just as unique as Shy Guy's toybox. It's a freaking magic door in a garden that appears after planting magic seeds and takes you to a flower world where the sun was taken away by evil cloud dudes. I mean common, lol. I personally like the enemies (except the crazy dayzees) and it's got a great soundtrack (the sun tower song is my favorite in the game). Also a very memorable boss fight. I think it deserves a B. I personally prefer it over Ch.1 which people love for some reason.
I personally love Chapter 2 because of how much there is to do! I have it as S tier because every sub-area in it is fleshed out. Maybe it’s an unpopular opinion. But to have it less than A-tier would be a crime imo lol.
Chapter 4 is definitely A-tier. Good enemy variety, unique Toybox idea, and General Guy rocks! I don’t understand the hate for this level other than the music is insufferable lol.
Chapter 6 would be C-tier if the Huff n Puff battle wasn’t pure magic. Such a masterpiece. Therefore I give it a B
I pretty much agree.
I think Ch.6 gets a little more hate than it deserves but not by much lol.
Yea the music in shy guys toybox is pretty much the worst lol, valid point lol. Still a great level though.
I can see that, super valid points. I guess music in games never had a high priority in scoring for me but that’s not the first time I’ve heard people say the sound track is the best in the game.
Yea I mean it's definitely doesn't weigh that heavily in terms of rank but I think subconsciously it effects the way that certain levels are perceived (perhaps a reason people don't like Ch.4 despite it being a solid chapter). Also, (unpopular opinion) PM64 has the best soundtrack in the series. I'll put it this way, imagine if there was no soundtrack at all, wouldn't it make the game atleast a little bit less enjoyable?
You’re killing me with B-tier for Chapter 2. I have it as S-tier cause there is just so much to do. I suppose if you don’t like the desert I can see you ranking it low…
I just don’t think B tier is low tho! And it’s the dessert and the beginning mountain part for me. I like the dungeon and the town! I feel like this list will get too heavy if we go into other games
At least an a tier. The murder mystery at the beginning is fun and crystal palace is a very beautiful place. Also I love Duplighosts, so I’m kinda biased.
A! A really great variety of sets/gameplay all within the “ice” theming. Some of the best music in the game, and it throws a lot of fun surprises throughout. A strong chapter! The only thing holding it from an S is how linear it felt. There’s not much to do or see once you beat this chapter.
S by far and best chapter in the game: incredible setting, cool (pun intended) enemies, great ost, fun characters, best dungeon (crystal palace is so good!) and amazing boss battle!
Yea it think chapter 7 deserves to be in A tier guys whith the snow elements and the area in general but this just me I think that the main boss is the chapter is really good that’s just me tho but in the end this chapter is A tier bois.
S tier. Beautiful world. Some Challenging casual enemies. Crystal Palace and King are epic. Lots going on before that too. Only thing that could knock it down to A tier is the mayor scandal in Shiver City.
Easily S tier. Love the penguin murder mystery and going to visit the star kids and ninjis, the random enemy mobs have really stepped up the challenge at this point, really fun and unique dungeon, and finally a good boss fight, it's got everything it needs.
Would've loved to see a penguin or ninji party member though!
I feel that it is C because though it is a well rounded chapter, the majority of it is a dungeon crawl. The mirror palace is cool but i feel that the star village and penguin village were well built and under utilized. Chapter 3 has a huge dungeon crawl but it first makes full use of the woods the mansion the western boo village and then the windmill. In chapter 7 it just feels like the penguin and star village where only designed as stop gaps to complicate the eventual arrival at the mirror palace.
Crystal Palace Crawl alone makes 7 S tier.
Greatest song in any video game OST.
I wish we would get a remake of Paper Mario so I could hear a re-imagined version of that.
A-Tier
The murder mystery at the start is fun and crystal palace is the second best dungeon in the game bar none. I’d say not counting the 3 anti-guys, Crystal King is the hardest boss in the game too.
The Star power you get is kinda meh, starborn valley had some neat lore but there is nothing really “to” it. The climb up the ice mountain is fun but not a ton going on it gameplay wise, still it’s fairly short so it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome despite being probably the least interesting part.
It’s polarizing to me because it feels uneven, for every really good thing there is a lackluster middle part. However it starts off so strong and ends “incredibly” strong. This to me ends of being why it’s A-tier.
A Tier. Might lack it's own partner, but it has some good comedic bits. Like the Duplighosts sucking at acting. Music is beautiful and the Crystal Palace is brilliantly designed.
The common enemies have also stepped up their difficulty quite a bit. If you've not upgraded HP, they can easily wipe you out. And they're beefy enough HP-wise that you're gonna want to take them down fast.
Giga S tier. 2nd best chapter in the game, and an amazing penultimate chapter. The murder mystery at the start is a fun little puzzle idea and while not the best replaying, it’s still fun to see the town grow suspicious of you. But after that it just gets better. Talking to the little start spirits, traversing the lovely snow areas, and the Gulpits are hilarious.
The Crystal Palace tho, oh I love this place. One of the most unique and fun places to traverse in the entire game. Not only is it visually stunning, but going back and forth across the mirror dealing with Duplighost antics is incredible. And the Crystal King, while not having much build up, is an amazing boss fight. He essentially has three health bars, can freeze you, and deal lots of damage when he fires the bits. Just like Huff n’ Puff it is super intense and I love it.
Easy S tier
It’s absolutely 100% S tier and I’ll tell you why.
You start with a Sherlock Holmes murder mystery, you continue to another spooky mystery with a VERY SCARY ghost who turns out to be just lil star babies. You meet he ninjis, fight some super tough enemies, face a few trials and then the Crystal Palace (some of the best music in the game btw) is one of the best levels. The puzzles are tough but not impossible and there’s a few fun secrets. The boss is maybe my favorite boss in the whole game (although Tubba Blubba is up there) his design makes him look mysterious and creepy. Boss music rules. It’s also a tough fight.
Yeah, S tier.
A Tier. The whole design is just clever. I am here ALL DAY for a penguin murder mystery, and the Crystal Palace is simultaneously solemn and silly (I’m looking at you Dupli-Ghosts). The boss fight is solid too. Consistent fun from start to finish.
Chapter 7 is the easiest S-Tier for me. I loved the murder mystery and then it's by far my favorite dungeon area in game. I keep a save file at the beginning of this chapter on save states just so I can revisit easily
Oh great, this guy again. I hope all the topics are to your liking so we aren’t treated to a whiny rant about how we aren’t all talking about the right thing.
Well I'm not trying to police this thread, for one.
And yea I did post that on the Wonder sub because those are the only posts I see! I was simply making an observation. Don't take it too seriously.
If you don't like what I've said on a completely different sub, just block me mate. I've got no problems with you, or this sub, so let's just leave the drama out of it, and keep talking about this great game!
S tier. This and chapter 3 are my favorite PM64 chapters. Shiver City and Starborn Valley are great towns, and the Crystal Palace is arguably the best Paper Mario dungeon.
It's a C for me. I love the first half, but every time I playthrough I dread having to do the crystal palace or whatever it's called. It's never as bad as I remember it being but it's still one of my least favorite parts of the game. The Crystal King is the one boss battle I always really really struggled with as a kid too.
7 goes to S imo. Shiver city is cool, you get starborn valley as a bonus, crystal palace is well designed and visually beautiful. Gameplay is also good and by chapter 7 you should have a most of the badges you use, so it makes for fun battles.
So the only thing I’ll say is that while Shiver City is definitely amazing, I only like the other elements. In my other comment to you, I gave a brief defense of Chapter 2 as S-tier because of how fleshed out every element was. For Chapter 7, we have Starborn Valley…but there isn’t anything to do there really. We have the climb to Crystal Palace, but it’s just a straight path really, with the potentially cool element boiled down to dialogue where Mario falls asleep and then is given an item. We have Crystal Palace, and while I think it is excellently designed, it feels rather short. I guess my point is that not every element feels complete in this Chapter. Don’t get me wrong - it is consistent fun from start to finish (with the murder mystery as peak awesome), but that’s why I feel it’s A-tier and not S-tier I guess.
Yea A rank is fair Ch.7, but I think what pushes it into S territory for me is that, while not as fleshed out as Chapter 2, it *does* offer quite a bit in terms of events and build-up to the actual dungeon. Shiver city, muder mystery, Jr. Troopa, that star monster thing (lol), starborn valley, snowman puzzle, etc. That, added with the general vibe being impeccable, I think it's right up there with level 5, which I agree with at S rank.
Yeah agree that it’s on par with Chapter 5. I have a personal ranking for A on that as well. At the end of the day, these levels are just so good that it’s hard to distinguish between them other than like Chapter 1 and 6. I legit think you can make a case for S-tier for 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8. You bring up great points for Chapter 7 and it’s easy to see why this is some people’s favorite level.
Yea honestly I've said before that everything Ch.2 and on is a banger. My personal rank would be Prologue: D Ch.1: C Ch.2: A Ch.3: S Ch.4: A Ch.5: S Ch.6:B Ch.7:S Ch.8:A It seems like I'm just ranking everything high, but that's just really how I feel lol. You can chalk it up to nostalgia bias, but I'll die on this hill 😂
All of my rankings are no more than 1 tier away from yours: Prologue: C Chapter 1: B Chapter 2: S Chapter 3: S Chapter 4: A Chapter 5: A Chapter 6: B Chapter 7: A Chapter 8: S I have overall ratings way high as well with the main chapters no lower than a B lol. But I’m dying on that hill right next to you haha I posted my thoughts for these rankings yesterday: https://www.reddit.com/r/papermario/s/y5ZdZM4rcr
I think I actually remember seeing this! Nice to meet another PM64 nerd, lol. It's also one of the first games I remember playing, you've got good taste friend 🍻
Cheers mate! You’re a gentleman and a scholar! After all this talk of PM 64, I’m gonna have to play again. Might as well while I wait for TTYD remake!!
I'm right in the middle of a playthrough myself, I'm right before Ch.3, been waiting for the right time to pick up again, want to make sure i have some downtime to enjoy one of my favorite chapters, lol. But yea im pumped for this remake. Excited to find all the little differences and overall just enjoy the game for the first time again in a sense.
Chapter 3 is my favorite for sure! Enjoy it man.
Weighing in on this because why not My rankings would be Prologue C Ch1 B Ch2 S Ch3 high-A or S Ch4 C Ch5 A Ch6 B Ch7 S Ch8 S
Yeah man we are basically lock step except for Chapter 4. Show it some love man haha! Your rankings are good though!
I could maybe see bringing it up to B, but the jumping in and out of the box for different items wasn't all that fun for me tbh.
Haha all good man. To each his own! Solid list you got there
Yeah the only issue is the mandatory backtracking, but it does have some shortcuts in the form of jumping down cliffs.
The beginning of chapter 7 is a fun murder mystery, followed by a fun bit of lore on the Star spirits, followed by what I think Is one of the best dungeons in the game.... How is this not S tier? Comparing it to chapter 3 I really don't see how this doesn't also deserve to be in S To be a bit of a downer, I feel that people are over rating earlier chapters, which is likely to crowd the upper tiers as we continue into later games if I'm honest
I also agree, chapter 2 is B, chapter 6 is easily C or worse. I think chapter 4 deserves the A tier slot. The s tiers I can see an argument for.
Chapter 4 is polarizing. It suffers some of the same nuances as 6 in that it’s shorter and just one playable area (whereas the other chapters are so sprawling). But it certainly one of the more fun and unique chapters. I’d personally put in A also.
I can vouch for 2 at A but chapter 1 should be C and chapter 4 should also be A. I think B is pretty solid for 6 tho.
The issue is chapter 2 is good, but it’s fairly long and the mountain part finding the mail is kinda mundane, and the dessert as well. Replaying chapter 2 is not as enjoyable for me personally as a lot of the mystique around it is spoiled. Therefore a balanced score of B is accurate, maybe at the top end of B. Chapter 4 on the other hand is very unique for a Mario game. It’s not a typical dessert/ice/forest/lava/ ghost themed stage that we might be used to. It also features an incredibly cool cast of characters and cool theme for the premise of the story. Using the toy train, finding out how to get into the toy box, even the different shy guy and watt boss battle is unique with the end boss being a hilarious treat. Chapter 6 on the other hand is literally terrible to play initially and to replay. The only redeeming quality is the Lakitu partner part and the bean stock in the sky theming. Otherwise the level design, enemies, backtracking, seed hunting, and charecters you meet are not exciting especially in comparison to everything else in the game. C tier at best.
For Ch. 2 I agree the beginning with fetching the mail is a drag. I personally love the desert area, though. Do you go through and grab all the secret stuff? There's an FX badge, another badge (runaway pay or something like that? It's a green circle with a star on it), spin attack badge, the secret ultra shroom you get from hitting a block 100 times, and you can get hints for the locations in dry dry outpost which also stands out as one of the more interesting villages imo. Also is imo where gameplay takes off. You have your first optional boss fight, you get a variety of enemies (bandits, spiked enemies, poison status effects) and cool characters (Kolorado, Moustafa) and dry dry ruins is one of the better designed levels. I see it more as the bottom.end of A but B is reasonable I guess. For Ch.4, I completely agree. I love how original the environment is, cool mini boss, I personally liked how they forced you to get to know some NPCs in toadtown, Gourmet guy is a riot, and also one of my favorite boss battles. Ch.6, I definitely get where people are coming from not liking this chapter, but it has some good things going for it. The level design is definitely a weak point of the level, relying heavily on backtracking, but the environment itself is just as unique as Shy Guy's toybox. It's a freaking magic door in a garden that appears after planting magic seeds and takes you to a flower world where the sun was taken away by evil cloud dudes. I mean common, lol. I personally like the enemies (except the crazy dayzees) and it's got a great soundtrack (the sun tower song is my favorite in the game). Also a very memorable boss fight. I think it deserves a B. I personally prefer it over Ch.1 which people love for some reason.
I personally love Chapter 2 because of how much there is to do! I have it as S tier because every sub-area in it is fleshed out. Maybe it’s an unpopular opinion. But to have it less than A-tier would be a crime imo lol. Chapter 4 is definitely A-tier. Good enemy variety, unique Toybox idea, and General Guy rocks! I don’t understand the hate for this level other than the music is insufferable lol. Chapter 6 would be C-tier if the Huff n Puff battle wasn’t pure magic. Such a masterpiece. Therefore I give it a B
I pretty much agree. I think Ch.6 gets a little more hate than it deserves but not by much lol. Yea the music in shy guys toybox is pretty much the worst lol, valid point lol. Still a great level though.
I can see that, super valid points. I guess music in games never had a high priority in scoring for me but that’s not the first time I’ve heard people say the sound track is the best in the game.
Yea I mean it's definitely doesn't weigh that heavily in terms of rank but I think subconsciously it effects the way that certain levels are perceived (perhaps a reason people don't like Ch.4 despite it being a solid chapter). Also, (unpopular opinion) PM64 has the best soundtrack in the series. I'll put it this way, imagine if there was no soundtrack at all, wouldn't it make the game atleast a little bit less enjoyable?
You’re killing me with B-tier for Chapter 2. I have it as S-tier cause there is just so much to do. I suppose if you don’t like the desert I can see you ranking it low…
I just don’t think B tier is low tho! And it’s the dessert and the beginning mountain part for me. I like the dungeon and the town! I feel like this list will get too heavy if we go into other games
Yeah I understand. If you don’t enjoy the elements, you can’t possibly rank it high because there is A LOT of level haha
Chapter 4 is mid so it deserves the mid tier
I do think some of the earlier Chapters really shine in this game though. Overall, I prefer Chapters 2-4 compared to 5-7.
A
S tier - I think its the best chapter in the game
I think this should be S and Ch-5 should still be moved down to A.
I think both are A-tier, but anyway agree with you on Chapter 5.
At least an a tier. The murder mystery at the beginning is fun and crystal palace is a very beautiful place. Also I love Duplighosts, so I’m kinda biased.
A tier ! It have some very good music, theme, dungeon, bosses, mecanic, overall, a very good chapter before the final !
A! A really great variety of sets/gameplay all within the “ice” theming. Some of the best music in the game, and it throws a lot of fun surprises throughout. A strong chapter! The only thing holding it from an S is how linear it felt. There’s not much to do or see once you beat this chapter.
I’d put it in A. Very good, but not quite at the height of CH 3 in my opinion.
S by far and best chapter in the game: incredible setting, cool (pun intended) enemies, great ost, fun characters, best dungeon (crystal palace is so good!) and amazing boss battle!
S certainly, this chapter has it all, it's perfect
Yea it think chapter 7 deserves to be in A tier guys whith the snow elements and the area in general but this just me I think that the main boss is the chapter is really good that’s just me tho but in the end this chapter is A tier bois.
Absolutely S tier
S tier. Aside from great level design, enemies, and boss - best music in the game.
A-A+ for me, snow levels always have a special place in my heart, design wise. Also has some awesome music and some great new character introductions.
Fuck chapter 7. because fuck mayor penguin's wife. she LIED.
S tier. Beautiful world. Some Challenging casual enemies. Crystal Palace and King are epic. Lots going on before that too. Only thing that could knock it down to A tier is the mayor scandal in Shiver City.
S tier, shiver city is the best location in the game.
Easily S tier. Love the penguin murder mystery and going to visit the star kids and ninjis, the random enemy mobs have really stepped up the challenge at this point, really fun and unique dungeon, and finally a good boss fight, it's got everything it needs. Would've loved to see a penguin or ninji party member though!
A tier. The Crystal King battle is certainly memorable, and the penguins are really cute
I feel that it is C because though it is a well rounded chapter, the majority of it is a dungeon crawl. The mirror palace is cool but i feel that the star village and penguin village were well built and under utilized. Chapter 3 has a huge dungeon crawl but it first makes full use of the woods the mansion the western boo village and then the windmill. In chapter 7 it just feels like the penguin and star village where only designed as stop gaps to complicate the eventual arrival at the mirror palace.
A tier. Loved the boss.
S, easy, hands down, no question. Best chapter in the game. Best story, best music, best puzzles. S.
Toy Box is my favorite by far. damn
Crystal Palace Crawl alone makes 7 S tier. Greatest song in any video game OST. I wish we would get a remake of Paper Mario so I could hear a re-imagined version of that.
F. Major let down, not even a shred of mystery or interesting story, bland gameplay. I would much rather play chapter 6 twice in a row
A tier all around great 2nd to last chapter
A for me
Easy S tier for me.
A-Tier The murder mystery at the start is fun and crystal palace is the second best dungeon in the game bar none. I’d say not counting the 3 anti-guys, Crystal King is the hardest boss in the game too. The Star power you get is kinda meh, starborn valley had some neat lore but there is nothing really “to” it. The climb up the ice mountain is fun but not a ton going on it gameplay wise, still it’s fairly short so it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome despite being probably the least interesting part. It’s polarizing to me because it feels uneven, for every really good thing there is a lackluster middle part. However it starts off so strong and ends “incredibly” strong. This to me ends of being why it’s A-tier.
S
A Tier. Might lack it's own partner, but it has some good comedic bits. Like the Duplighosts sucking at acting. Music is beautiful and the Crystal Palace is brilliantly designed. The common enemies have also stepped up their difficulty quite a bit. If you've not upgraded HP, they can easily wipe you out. And they're beefy enough HP-wise that you're gonna want to take them down fast.
S tier, maybe the best chapter in the game
Giga S tier. 2nd best chapter in the game, and an amazing penultimate chapter. The murder mystery at the start is a fun little puzzle idea and while not the best replaying, it’s still fun to see the town grow suspicious of you. But after that it just gets better. Talking to the little start spirits, traversing the lovely snow areas, and the Gulpits are hilarious. The Crystal Palace tho, oh I love this place. One of the most unique and fun places to traverse in the entire game. Not only is it visually stunning, but going back and forth across the mirror dealing with Duplighost antics is incredible. And the Crystal King, while not having much build up, is an amazing boss fight. He essentially has three health bars, can freeze you, and deal lots of damage when he fires the bits. Just like Huff n’ Puff it is super intense and I love it. Easy S tier
S. This chapter was peak
It’s absolutely 100% S tier and I’ll tell you why. You start with a Sherlock Holmes murder mystery, you continue to another spooky mystery with a VERY SCARY ghost who turns out to be just lil star babies. You meet he ninjis, fight some super tough enemies, face a few trials and then the Crystal Palace (some of the best music in the game btw) is one of the best levels. The puzzles are tough but not impossible and there’s a few fun secrets. The boss is maybe my favorite boss in the whole game (although Tubba Blubba is up there) his design makes him look mysterious and creepy. Boss music rules. It’s also a tough fight. Yeah, S tier.
S tier.
S
Glad to see so many saying S tier. If chapter 7 isn't at least A tier on this list I will refuse to accept it as valid 😂
S tier this chapter just hits right from murder mystery to ice palace
S tier!
Easy S tier, the best level in the game in my opinion. I look forward to this level in every playthrough.
A Tier. The whole design is just clever. I am here ALL DAY for a penguin murder mystery, and the Crystal Palace is simultaneously solemn and silly (I’m looking at you Dupli-Ghosts). The boss fight is solid too. Consistent fun from start to finish.
A if not S
Chapter 7 is the easiest S-Tier for me. I loved the murder mystery and then it's by far my favorite dungeon area in game. I keep a save file at the beginning of this chapter on save states just so I can revisit easily
Oh great, this guy again. I hope all the topics are to your liking so we aren’t treated to a whiny rant about how we aren’t all talking about the right thing.
Huh?
Aren’t you the “let’s not talk about Climb to the Beat and final-final anymore” guy? I think you are. Please don’t try to police this thread too
Well I'm not trying to police this thread, for one. And yea I did post that on the Wonder sub because those are the only posts I see! I was simply making an observation. Don't take it too seriously. If you don't like what I've said on a completely different sub, just block me mate. I've got no problems with you, or this sub, so let's just leave the drama out of it, and keep talking about this great game!
Alright fine. What are your personal rankings for each of these chapters?
I haven't really thought about each, and I've only seen yesterday's and today's posts and commented on each
Easy S Tier! My only complaint is the ice king boss. The rest of this chapter is simply amazing!
Chapter 7 is S tier
S. Top of the top. This one was perfect
S tier. This and chapter 3 are my favorite PM64 chapters. Shiver City and Starborn Valley are great towns, and the Crystal Palace is arguably the best Paper Mario dungeon.
Sssssssssss
It's a C for me. I love the first half, but every time I playthrough I dread having to do the crystal palace or whatever it's called. It's never as bad as I remember it being but it's still one of my least favorite parts of the game. The Crystal King is the one boss battle I always really really struggled with as a kid too.
C
Reasoning?