Charming and fun, but not for everybody.
Gameplay: 8
This game has a very easy to use system making it very easy to see where you are in the game and what it is you need to do. It also has lot's of mario like puzzles to accomplish in order to pass through the game. These puzzles may involve your hammer, jumping, your side kick characters, or something else. Most the time they were pretty easy. In battle you had Mario and one other character of you choice. There was some strategy in choosing a sidekick, but other than that it is pretty staight forward. In battle you can attack with a hammer, a jump, or a skill attained by equipping a badge. Equipping badges can also have many other affects such as giving mario more life or MP. You could also increase damage or defense by timing your attack or block correctly like Mario RPG. Everything about the gameplay was executed very well, but I just found it too simple and thoughtless to be as good enough to warrant a higher score. It is fun and relaxing, just not very challenging or engaging.
Graphics: 9
Suggested by the name, Paper Mario, everything in this game resembles paper including Mario. The graphics look good for the N64, but they are by no means impressive. They definitely achieve the affect nintendo was going for though. Mario's paper like quality play a key role in many parts of the game.
Sound: 9
Classic Mario sound track with lots of new stuff here. There are also good sound effects that fit the game well. Nothing to impressive here, but everything does its job perfectly, there is something to be said for that.
Value: 8
Paper Mario is a short game with out many side quests. It is about 20 hours long give or take a couple hours. This is short by rpg standards, but still not bad.
Tilt: 7
Paper Mario's story consists of Bowzer taking the star rod and Mario getting it back, definitely not ground breaking. There are lots of cute charming characters and moments throughout the game, but that about it. I am a slightly older gamer (21) so maybe that is why I found this game to be a little childish. I did appreciate how relaxing and easy it was to play through though. This game definitely never stressed me out.
Conclusion
Paper Mario is best suited for a younger audience or people who just like mario and are just getting into rpgs. It is a fun and relaxing game to play that won't stress you out if you are bored. I'd personally avoid it if you are older, like complex/strategic games, or like longer more epic games.