Topic: Paper Mario 1 and 2 - tips for beginners

Hello
I've been lurking for a while and decided to become more active in the forums
I'm new to rpgs (but not new to gaming in general) meaning, I've tried playing around with a few and wasn't very good at that
However, I found Paper Mario for the Gamecube to be fun, though I found some parts to be quite difficult (the fight on the train for example)
And when I got to the final world, I found the first boss to be overwhelming so I stopped playing it and sold it out of frustration
I do however remember having fun with it and using most of my upgrade points towards health upgrades.
I'm planning to get it again or start playing Paper Mario (N64) as I've bought it on the Wii VC a while ago.
Are there any tips for beginners in rpgs for those two specific games? Some things I should be aware of before start playing?
For example, what's the best way to upgrade your characters? (I did collect all the shine sprites on TTYD and upgraded all the characters)
Also, is Paper Mario for the N64 requires a lot of level ginding? As I hate the idea of grinding for hours to level up in order to beat a certain boss
Thank you in advance

Use badges.

/thread.

I have never felt the need to grind in the original paper mario. I haven't played the second one. It is really important to make good use of the badges, learn how to use the action commands and how you can block attacks. Just try to experiment with badges and you will get far! The first time I played the original I was young (7 or 8?) and I was not able to read english that well, but I still managed to get to the end! I even made a video walktrough of that game, so if you get stuck you could take a look at that

Also, is Paper Mario for the N64 requires a lot of level ginding? As I hate the idea of grinding for hours to level up in order to beat a certain boss

Not at all. The maximum level in Paper Mario is only 27 and the game dishes out plenty of experience. You don't need to grind ever and the game actually prevents you from doing so by no longer rewarding you with star points when you become too strong for weaker enemies.

If you truly feel like maxing out your level, there are enemies called Amazy Dayzees toward the end of the game that provide absurd amounts of star points. Kill a few and you're guaranteed a quick level up. It is "grinding", sure, but isn't remotely necessary and shouldn't take over an hour or two. TTYD has the same exploit as well as the Pit of 100 Trials for leveling, but I believe you can get up to level 99.

I do however remember having fun with it and using most of my upgrade points towards health upgrades.

That might be why you were having trouble. As Aviator said, badges are always, always what you should prioritize. Why? In addition to granting you useful abilities or increasing your damage output, you can use badges that supplement your lack of HP or FP. Plus, if you're at a high level and use the Bump Attack badge, most everything will die instantly without even having to engage in battle. Worst case scenario, though, you can reallocate your stats by using Chet Rippo's services.

Think of it this way. Health gives you more durability, but if you're not strong enough to get rid of foes quickly, they can just wail away at that defense. Invest in a few healing items in case things go awry and you'll be fine.
BP>FP>HP

For example, what's the best way to upgrade your characters? (I did collect all the shine sprites on TTYD and upgraded all the characters)

Best "way"? Just prioritize the ones you use most and, ideally, use the good ones. Parakarry is best early on but Sushi and Watt will be especially helpful later. You'll want to get all three to Ultra rank, not just Super. In TTYD, most of them are passable but Yoshi, Vivian, Goombella, or Flurrie are ideal.

Are there any tips for beginners in rpgs for those two specific games? Some things I should be aware of before start playing?

Some general tips:

• You always level up at 100 star points. Exploit this to heal yourself when you need to rather than backtracking.
• Take note of enemy weaknesses and factors that will prevent you from harming them. Try to predict them based on their appearances as well. You probably won't be able to jump on a guy covered in spikes, but items or badge-based attacks will come in handy.
• Try to damage multiple enemies at once whenever possible. As well, focus on minimizing the amount of enemies whenever possible since the less enemies there are, the less damage you take.
• When using badges, only equip what you need unless you have a surplus of points. Regularly assess whether changing your badges will help with the current scenario.
• Get the Spin Dash badge (and its upgraded equivalent) for faster movement in the overworld. For TTYD, just use Yoshi.
• Make use of star power for healing yourself and dealing great damage in tight situations. Saves money spent on items, saves your life.
• Save frequently. That probably sounds insultingly obvious, but that doesn't make it any less important for console-based JRPGs. You never know whether you'll mess something up accidentally or when real life will strike (power outages, obligations, etc.), potentially causing you to lose hours of progress.
• TTYD-exclusive tip: master the art of counter-attacking with the B button. Not only does this outright prevent damage, it often inflicts damage. With practice, you can turn the enemy's turn into an extension of your own.
• TTYD-exclusive tip: Learn the timing for Stylish moves, since they replenish your star meter for free. This can be exploited for free, easy healing and high-damage attacks.

Thank you for those great tips everyone! That was really helpful