
Topics: Free Games, Nintendo, PC, Super Mario, Mods
The Paper Mario series is stuck in a weird place right now with the last new game being Paper Mario: The Origami King for Nintendo Switch
Technically the last released game was a HD remaster of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door but in terms of brand-new titles we haven’t had one since 2020.
Fear not though Paper Mario fans as you’ve finally got a new game to play and the best part is it’s free on PC.
While Nintendo is probably cooking up the next official game fans have taken it upon themselves to create their own Paper Mario adventures.
Paper Mario: Star Nova is one such title and it looks utterly divine. Star Nova is a ROM hack of the original Paper Mario game for the Nintendo 64 and it launched on PC yesterday as a free download.
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The ROM hack tells an original story set within the world of Paper Mario and while it borrows a lot from the original in terms of assets it truly is a different game.
It was made by just one developer, NicTube, and is a total overhaul with a new map, new enemies, new companies and so much more. You can see all that it offers through the trailer below.
While all ROM hacks are impressive this is without a doubt one of the most impressive we’ve ever seen and a must-play if you’re a fan of Paper Mario or RPGs in general.
It’s been a long time in the making but it looks like the wait was worth it. If you’re interested in giving it a go for yourself it launched yesterday, 5 May.
Since Star Nova is a ROM hack you’ll need a compatible Nintendo 64 ROM of Paper Mario to get it working.
Remember that you can’t simply download a ROM off the internet, you must supply your own through a physical, bought copy of the OG game.
If you have that all you need to do next is download Star Nova and combine the two together. There are plenty of simple guides and tools available online to do this with if you’re not tech-savvy.
Once done you’ll need an emulator to run it through, and then you’ll have an entirely new Paper Mario game to play.
If you like it we’d suggest taking a look at other incredible fan-made creations currently floating around the internet. For more Super Mario there’s an inspired ROM hack that turns the Mushroom Kingdom into an open-world Pokemon RPG.
READ MORE: Mario and Pokémon Collide In Unexpected Free PC Crossover Game