Post some similarities of Mario games that you've found...
Warning!: There may be spoilers...
I've found a lot of similarities in Paper Mario games...
I copied and pasted this from Mario Wiki on the PM:TTYD page:
The opening is identical to that of the previous game, right down to Parakarry delivering a letter from Princess Peach.
The first partner of both games is a Goomba that will give Mario hints on both enemies and the area. They both have headbonk, tattle, and multi-bonk as attacks.
The second partner of both games is a Koopa Troopa. Both will be able to be shot out to hit switches, etc. Both of them are also able to use Shell Toss and Power shell in battle.
The fourth partner of each game will allow the player to travel across gaps, Parakarry and Yoshi, respectively.
Both games have a Bob-omb as a partner, both are able to destroy cracked surfaces, Bombette and Bobbery, respectively.
Both games have a partner that allows Mario to become invisible to enemies, Bow and Vivian, respectively.
Both games have a partner who is able to uncover hidden items, and whose basic attack pierces through defense.
Both games have a partner who has betrayed an enemy to join Mario's party.
The main plot point of both games is to find seven stars.
In both games the player is able to play as Peach between chapters. The player is required to dress Peach up as an enemy to learn secrets. Also, the player can cook something in both games. In TTYD, Bowser's side-quest is separated from Peach's, as he is not the one who kidnapped her.
As with the first Paper Mario game, a main antagonist sees Peach disguised as a minion, and remarkes on how she smells "too nice".
Mario and Peach contact each other using friendly characters in both games. Twink helped in Paper Mario and TEC in The Thousand-Year Door.
Mario must solve a mystery in both games. A Bumptie is Mario's fellow detective in both.
In one point of the games, Mario falls for a ploy created by the boss of the level which led him to be confined in a cage. A ? block in Paper Mario, and a fake puni pedestal in The Thousand-Year Door.
Chapter 1 in both games features a castle/fortress as the location of the boss.
The partner acquired in Chapter 2 in both games required Mario to bring him or her an item.
An oversized Clubba is the boss of Chapter 3 in both games, and both have a secret that involves making themselves powerful.
In both games, at one point, Mario has to chase the Chapter 3 bosses (Grubba and Tubba's Heart).
Moustafa and Flavio both give you stones needed to reach an ancient, rumored to be haunted, place, and the boss of both places sends threats along the way.
Buying a Dried Shroom and another certain item along with it was a secret sign in both games that was required to reach Moustafa and Don Pianta.
The X-Nauts seem to replace the Shy Guys, and the scene in Chapter 2 where Crump is defeated mirrors the scene where General Guy is defeated (with an X-Naut falling over as he runs away).
Chapter 4 in both games features a childish opponent: the Shy Guy Army in Paper Mario and Doopliss in The Thousand-Year Door
Chapter 5 takes place on a tropical island with coconuts in both games and both involve an expedition. Also, in both games this is when Mario's oldest partner joins him, and they both have to be rescued from being stuck in a tree before they do so.
The Chapter 5 bosses, Lava Piranha and Cortez, are similar as Cortez's spine in his first form and Lava Piranha's stem are in the exact same position, and both of them have multiple forms, each with the same amount of HP.
After the battle against Cortez was over, one of the Toad sailors will tell everyone that he feels a "slight wind" coming from the cracked wall, just as Misstar did in the first one. Also, the Bob-omb partner of both games is needed to blow that up. Also, the most frequently fought boss of both games conveniently show up after Chapter 5 is completed.
Chapter 6 takes place in a beautiful area and has a boss that can do a very high amount of damage when charged up: 16 for Huff N. Puff, 10 for Smorg.
Also, both are blob-shaped and made up of a smaller species. Additionally,
Ruff Puffs appear in the sixth chapter of both games.
Chapter 7 features a snowy region.
If you rest in Chapter 7's inn, you'll find something on the table.
Chapter 8 includes a minor battle against Bowser before the final battle.
Also, Kammy Koopa is fought in both chapters.
The main villain of both games (which have kidnapped Peach) had to be chased through long stairways in the eighth chapter of both games.
Also, both games have mini-bosses that are fought in the eigth chapter that are colored black, and have high attack power (Gloomtail and the Anti-Guys Unit).
Mario's final battle is divided into multiple parts. At one point, each boss is invincible and Peach must save Mario by sending him psychic energy.
Peach conveniently gets taken away in both games right before Mario and company reach the hideaways of the games' main antagonists.
In both games, there is a scene where Mario turns into 8-bit Mario with Super Mario Bros. music playing.
Both games have Merlon standing outside his house, waiting for Mario and his partners to show up, where he'll tell them about a dream that he had, and will tell them to let him know if they find out the meaning of it. And both times, it had something to do with "upgrading" Mario's partners.
Both games have a spike room where Bow's Outta Sight or Vivian's Veil must be used, and the position of the paths across the spikes are identical.
Both games feature a boss who eats a certain type of creature (Tubba
Blubba eats Boos and Hooktail eats Koopas), and both of these bosses have a secret weakness.
Both of the ghost bosses (Tutankoopa and Cortez) try to intimidate Mario by uttering threats as he progresses through the level.
RHB: It's similarity not simularity.
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