Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door: How To Perform All Stylish Moves

Just about all of the RPG games in the Super Mario series have Action Commands that increase the strength of your attacks. Of course, the same is true for Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door – but this game takes Action Commands to the next level with a new mechanic called Stylish Moves.

Stylish Moves are harder to perform than a perfect Action Command, and they help fill the Star Gauge even more than normal. A full Star Gauge means easy access to Special Moves, so it’s definitely in your favor to learn as many Stylish Move inputs as possible!

In this guide, we'll tell you all about Stylish Moves, what they do, and how to perform every Stylish Move for each character.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door: Stylish Move Guide

What is a Stylish Move?

To sum up the concept of Stylish Moves, each playable character’s attacks have hidden Action Commands that fill the Star Gauge even higher than normal. This requires perfect timing, and many of these are incredibly tough to get right. They are worth the practice, however.

Is there a way to help time Stylish Moves?

There is! There’s a handy Timing Tutor Badge you can purchase from an NPC named Charlieton. He appears around Rogueport after you clear Chapter 1, so you can obtain this helpful Badge rather early in the game.

Once equipped, Timing Tutor will display an on-screen indicator that tells you when to press the button to pull off a move’s Stylish variant. If you’re having trouble pulling off the timing even with our descriptions, you might want to seek out this Badge.

All Stylish Moves

Below, we've listed every single attack for every character in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and described how to hit every single Stylish Move.

Mario’s Stylish Moves

Mario has the most attacks out of all characters, meaning he also has the most Stylish Moves.

• Jump: Press the button at the peak of Mario’s second jump, and then one more time when he lands.
• Spin Jump: Press the button when Mario is at the height of his initial jump.
• Spring Jump: When Mario hops off the enemy and is about to land back on the ground, press the button at the height of his jump.
• Power Jump: Press the button when Mario is at the height of his initial jump.
• Multibounce: Press the button at the peak of each of Mario’s consecutive jumps.
• Shrink Stomp: Exactly the same as the normal Jump command.
• Sleepy Stomp: Exactly the same as the normal Jump command.
• Soft Stomp: Exactly the same as the normal Jump command.
• Tornado Jump: Press the button right before Mario touches the ground, and then again when he snaps back into his normal position.
• Power Bounce: Press the button at the peak of each of Mario’s consecutive jumps.
• Hammer: Press the button as soon as Mario’s Hammer makes contact with the enemy, and then again when the attack is complete.
• Super Hammer: Press the button when Mario stops spinning.
• Ultra Hammer: Press the button when Mario stops spinning.
• Power Smash: Press the button after the Hammer hits the enemy, and again each time Mario lands from doing a backflip.
• Piercing Blow: Exactly the same as Power Smash.
• Hammer Throw: Press the button right as Mario throws the Hammer, and again when it hits its target.
• Head Rattle: Same as the normal Hammer command.
• Ice Smash: Same as the normal Hammer command.
• Fire Drive: Press the button right after Mario smacks the fireball with his Hammer.
• Quake Hammer: Press the button as Mario exits his hammer stance.

Goombella’s Stylish Moves

• Headbonk: Press the attack button right before Goombella starts to jump.
• Tattle: For this Action Command, you’ll want to perform the normal one – which is to press the button once the reticle enters the crosshair. To perform the Stylish variant, press the button again immediately afterward.
• Multibonk: The same as Headbonk, except you’ll need to press the attack button at the peak of each consecutive jump Goombella performs in addition to right before she performs the initial jump.
• Rally Wink: Press the button immediately before the heart appears on top of Mario. The timing on this one is rather strict – a moment too soon and it won’t work.

Koops’ Stylish Moves

• Shell Toss: Press the button directly after hitting an enemy, and then again while Koops is spinning around in his shell.
• Power Shell: After hitting an enemy, Koops will loop around from the left side. When his shell snaps back into position, press the button once and then again while he’s spinning for a split second.
• Shell Shield: Press the button right before the big Koopa Shell lands on Mario.
• Shell Slam: Exactly the same as Power Shell.

Madame Flurrie’s Stylish Moves

• Body Slam: Press the button as soon as Flurrie hits the ground.
• Gale Force: Press the button right after Flurrie stops blowing the gust of air.
• Lip Lock: Press the button right after Flurrie performs the kiss attack.
• Dodgy Fog: Press the button the moment the fog starts consuming Mario.

Yoshi’s Stylish Moves

• Ground Pound: Press the button right as Yoshi initiates the flip above an enemy. Then, when Yoshi bounces on the floor a second time after dealing damage, press the button again.
• Gulp: Press the button right after Yoshi spits out an enemy from his mouth.
• Mini-Egg: Press the button when the last egg makes contact with its target.

• Stampede: Press the button after Yoshi performs his whistle. A music note will appear on-screen that can help you time your button press.

Vivian’s Stylish Moves

• Shade Fist: After the attack is done, press the button when Vivian emerges from the shadow right next to Mario.
• Veil: When the move’s effect ends, press the button as Mario and Vivian are emerging from the shadows.
• Fiery Jinx: Press the button as soon as Vivian stops pointing at her opponents.

• Infatuate: Every time a heart appears next to Vivian, press the button.

Ms. Mowz’s Stylish Moves

• Love Slap: After landing the attack, Ms. Mowz will walk back to Mario. Press the button while she is on her way back.
• Kiss Thief: The opposite of Love Slap: press the button as Ms. Mowz is walking to her enemy.
• Tease: After the attack lands, press the button as soon as Ms. Mowz touches the ground.

• Smooch: Press the button as soon as the hearts appear.

Admiral Bobbery’s Stylish Moves

• Bomb: After the attack is complete, press the button as soon as Bobbery lands from the explosion.
• Bomb Squad: Press the button when the third bomb begins to descend.
• Hold Fast: After successfully completing the standard action command, the word “GREAT” will appear next to Bobbery. When this word appears, press the button again.

• Bob-ombast: Exactly the same as Bomb.

For more hints, tips, and walkthroughs, check out our full Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door guide.