I have a strange relationship with the Paper Mario series. The first two entries in the series, the ones that stray more closely to the typical RPG formula are some of my favorite games ever. Then comes a series of not so great titles. Some swear by Super Paper Mario, but it just wasn’t my thing, then follow-ups like Sticker Star and Color Splash seemed to miss the mark altogether. I have good news for any existing fans who were feeling cautiously optimistic about Paper Mario’s latest outing. While not a return to form, it’s an excellent game, and possibly most interestingly, I don’t think I’ve ever played anything quite like this.
Paper Mario: The Origami King (Switch)
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: July 17, 2020
MSRP: $59.99
The world of the paper Mushroom Kingdom is as delightful as ever. When Olly, the titular Origami King folds Peach, Bowser, and other residents of the world into Origami soldiers, Mario has to do all he can to learn the art of folding and save the day. While Mario is still silent, there’s a colorful cast of old friends and new companions to aid our heroic plumber in his quest to save Peach from the dreaded Origami King. In a greatly paced running gag, Luigi is always missing the mark on finding the key to Peach’s castle, running off just always out of reach. Instead of his younger brother, Mario is joined by Olivia, the sister of Origami king Olly, who just wants to help Mario bring an end to her brother’s violent tantrum.
Olivia’s fresh take on this familiar world is charming. She beams with excitement when meeting the countless Toads and Shy Guys of the world, and her knowledge of paper folding is Mario’s strongest weapon against the folded soldiers. Our duo is also joined by guests throughout their journey. Bobby, an amnesiac Bob-omb is one of my favorites, but there are a few new and familiar faces who lend a hand in combat.
The story is what we’ve come to expect from a Mario adventure; a new villain pops up to steal Bowser’s thunder, and Mario is forced to find a new way to save the day. The story’s actual hook doesn’t need much because Mario saving the princess is what we’ve come to expect and the quippy-dialogue from the Toads, Koopa Troopa’s, and Bowser himself is the fun flavor that makes the world come to life.
Combat might be one of the most unique takes I’ve ever seen. When a fight breaks out whether that be from Mario striking an opponent or vice versa, you find yourself at the center of a dartboard like circle. You now have a set number of moves to either rotate the outer rings over or slide up the vertical columns of the aforementioned board. The end goal being to get enemies in a straight line or a cluster of four so our plumber can either jump on their heads in succession or bash the grouping with his hammer. The whole process is timed, and getting a proper line up also nets you a damage bonus.
Every encounter has a perfect solution and while finding these gets a bit more difficult as the game progresses, it seems possible to get through most battles without taking damage. New enemy types like Boos that turn invisible during the puzzle phase or spine covered enemies that require equipable iron boots to jump on can also shake up the flow of these combat puzzles.
One of the main collectibles of this adventure folded Toads who you save by giving them a good hammer whack can also influence combat. Saving these little guys has them join a literal audience to cheer you on during fights. During the puzzle phase, you can choose to donate coins in one of two ways. You can extend the ticking timer to give you more time to think or provide it to the Toads who based on how much you give will solve part of or the entire puzzle for you. They may even through you an item or some health for your trouble. Early on, I didn’t touch this feature, but late game my pockets were so full of coins I started using it as a time saver for encounters I’d pretty seen enough of.
Boss fights, on the other hand, show a bit of a reverse perspective. Mario now finds himself on the outside of the board with the boss at the center. You now need to rotate and slide the board to choose what direction Mario will move and what actions he will take along the way. Attack and other action icons on the board might end your turn, but you’ll want to have Mario in a specific spot, depending on the encounter. The battles were some of the most interesting, relying on folding abilities Olivia had gained from previous bosses and circumventing hazards each boss could place on the board.
I’m hesitant to call this a JRPG because there’s no experience to be gained. You get drops at points in the story that increases Mario’s overall health and damage output and can equip charms that boost those and other stats, but grinding out fighting origami Goombas is an all but fruitless exercise that would get stale quick. Most combat encounters are scripted or they would get stale very quickly. In the final hours of the game, I did come to throw my abundance of coins the Toads to have them solve puzzles for me. It wasn’t that I found the puzzles too challenging; I simply had seen them before and wanted to get to the more interesting boss battles I knew I was nearing.
Paper Mario: The Origami King is the breath of fresh air and innovation this series needed. The writing is still sharp and witty, and while it isn’t the Thousand-Year Door follow-up fans have wanted for years, the new combat is fun, and unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
Verdict: I was worried after the last two entries that Paper Mario has lost its mojo, but Origami King is one of my favorite games this year, and one of my favorite entries in this franchise. The phenomenal writing is as sharp as ever, and the gameplay tries something new that pays off in dividends.
Buy it
Author: Rich Meister