The first time I played Paper Mario and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door was early last year and... they're excellent. Paper Mario is without a doubt the most charming RPG I've ever played, all while maintaining a serious connection to the world it's working in. Earthbound comes close as it has a level of charm on par with Paper Mario, which I also beat for the first time early last year, but it dips into madness a bit too far to hit the true feel good level of gaming Paper Mario achieved. I originally wanted to play Thousand Year Door first, but about fifteen minutes in there was a reference that hinted back to the original game and I knew I'd be out of the loop, so I dropped it until I completed Paper Mario. Going forward, the Paper Mario series has been less than stellar, but there are still moments in the games that work well. The Origami King, from the two minutes of trailer we got, has me hyped up to play it. It actually looks the most like a proper TYD sequel, and I'm always a fan when Bowser isn't the main villain. I'm excited to play it.
Also, not related, but Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars was the first video game I ever played. Still fantastic to this day as it's so well written and the combat is fun. Paper Mario doesn't really hit home the same way Mario RPG did, but it's a series I actively look forward to.
I'm not a miracle, I'm a heaven-sent instrument.