Paper Mario: The Origami King
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- "The Origami King" redirects here. For the eponymous villain, see King Olly.
Paper Mario: The Origami King is the sixth installment in the Paper Mario series, released on the Nintendo Switch worldwide on July 17, 2020. The game follows the aesthetic style of its predecessor; Paper Mario: Color Splash, and follows Mario opposing an evil army of origami characters known as Folded Soldiers, ruled by the Origami King; King Olly, which have taken over the Mushroom Kingdom.[1][2]
Plot
This section is under construction. Therefore, please excuse its informal appearance while it is being worked on. We hope to have it completed as soon as possible.
The game begins with Mario and Luigi driving into Toad Town on the latter's kart, looking forward to the Origami Festival that Princess Peach has invited them to. Upon arrival, the brothers notice that the town is deserted, but continue on anyway, assuming that they arrived early. Luigi pulls up at the suspiciously empty Peach's Castle, and once he and Mario are inside, the doors lock behind them. While Luigi runs off to search for a key, Mario heads into the foyer, where he meets Peach, who has been folded into origami. Peach asks Mario if he wants to see the kingdom fold, and if he will fold himself as well, but regardless of his answers, she dismisses him by dropping him into a hidden dungeon beneath the floor. There, Mario hears a noise, and by landing on a Magic Circle, he initiates the 1,000-Fold Arms for the first time, using them to peel the wall to reveal a trapped Olivia. Afterward, the duo go to a dungeon area and free a folded Bowser attached to a clothespin.[3][4]
Escaping the dungeon to the upper outskirts of Peach's Castle, Mario, after refusing to accept a Yellow Shy Guy's request to fold again, is ambushed by a group of Origami Goombas. After defeating them, the Yellow Shy Guy next to Origami Peach reveals himself as Olivia's older brother, King Olly. He initiates the takeover of Peach's Castle by pulling the five streamers elsewhere in Mushroom Kingdom, wrapping the castle enough to have it separated from the ground. Mario, Olivia, and Bowser successfully escape via Koopa Clown Car, piloted by a Red Shy Guy. In addition to noticing Luigi's hat falling from the castle, the three on the car make a desperate attempt to reach the floating castle, but are approached by streamers. The red one inadvertently hits the car, sending the three flying out in the sky, as the Red Shy Guy rescues Bowser and heads off elsewhere. With the castle now in the mountains, Mario and Olivia, who wake up on a forest hill far from Toad Town, both set out to destroy the five streamers, find Luigi, and defeat Olly.[4]
Gameplay
The overworld exploration is quite different from the series' standard; whereas the previous three games were either sorted into individual chapters or levels, The Origami King switches to a completely open-world style of progression, with Mario being able to travel to any of the game's locales completely on foot like the first two games.[5] The game's combat system has also been overhauled: at the start of each turn, Mario can rotate and slide rings of a circular battle arena, lining up enemies for consecutive attacks, although the number of ring moves and allotted time are limited. Mario has permanent Boots and Hammer attacks, and may equip stronger variants that break after a while.[6] Attacking enemies on the overworld will grant Mario an extra attack in battle, and timed button presses can increase damage when attacking. Lining up the enemies successfully will increase Mario's attack power by a factor of 1.5.[7] Coins can be spent to extend the time limit (at a rate of 10 coins per second),[4] or call the Toads that have been saved to assist Mario in battle. Boss battles use a different system in which the player rotates and slides the rings to line up arrows, making a path for Mario to attack.[8] In a similar vein to the two previous installments, this game has no experience points or level up mechanics, and coins are the only reward.
Olivia, a character new to the franchise, has a role similar to Kersti and Huey from Paper Mario: Sticker Star and Paper Mario: Color Splash respectively. Once a Vellumental is defeated, Olivia can transform into the Vellumental while standing on Magic Circles, an ability that carries over into battle.[7] Additionally, partners return to ally with Mario and aid him in battles, including Koopa Troop members such as Bobby (a Bob-omb), Bowser Jr., and Kamek.[1] Various partners join and leave Mario's party at various points in the story.[5]
Accessories (which seem to function similarly to Badges from the first two games) grant Mario benefits both in battle and on the overworld.[6] Toads can be found on the overworld, folded into various shapes. Hitting these Toads with the hammer will cause them to unfold and return to Toad Town, some of which open shops. The Toads that have been saved can even help in battle if the player spends coins using the Cheer command. These Toads will fight enemies, heal Mario, give items, and solve puzzles.[6] Mario can gain confetti by using his Hammer on trees, grass, and enemies. This confetti can be used to fill Not-Bottomless Holes torn in the landscape, revealing Coins or a Toad.[6]
Characters
Playable
Partners
Supporting
- Luigi[10]
- Princess Peach[1]
- Bowser Jr.[1]
- Birdo[8]
- Toads[1]
- Captain T. Ode[11]
- White-spotted Toads dressed like cherubs
- A Toad wearing a conical hat[1]
- A Toad wearing a karate gi[1]
- A Blue Toad with a rubber band from the eponymous boss wrapped on his head who holds a script[8]
- A Toad in a ninja outfit[8]
- Origami Craftsman[12]
- Whispering Trees
- Buzzy Beetle[1]
- Bone Goomba[8]
- A Chain Chomp Mario can pet[8]
- Goomba[2]
- A Goomba wearing a kabuto
- Hammer Bro[2]
- Koopa Troopa[2]
- A Koopa Troopa with a white mustache and goatee, hat, and staff[7]
- Mini Goombas[8]
- Monty Moles[14]
- Ninjis[8]
- Shy Guys (Red)[1]
- Sledge Bro[8]
- Snifits (Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Pink)[1]
- A Snifit wearing a samurai outfit[11]
- Spike[2]
Enemies
- Folded Soldiers[1]
- Troops:
- Blooper[15]
- Bone Goomba[2]
- Boo[1]
- Boomerang Bro[1]
- Buzzy Beetle[7]
- Chargin' Chuck[2]
- Cheep Cheep[15]
- Crowber[8]
- Dry Bones[16]
- Fire Bro[1]
- Fly Guy[16]
- Fuzzy[2]
- Galoomba[8]
- Goomba[2]
- Hammer Bro[1]
- Jumping Piranha Plant[16]
- Koopa Paratroopa[7]
- Mechakoopa[16]
- Mini Goombas[8]
- Ninji[1]
- Nipper Plant[8]
- Paragoomba[17]
- Piranha Plant[16]
- Pokey[1]
- Ptooie[10]
- Scaredy Rat[16]
- Scuttlebug[16]
- Shoe Goomba[8]
- Shy Guy (Red and Yellow)[1]
- Sidesteppers (Blue and Red)[18]
- Snifit (Red)[2]
- Spike Top[16]
- Spike[7]
- Spiny[8]
- Stingby[16]
- Sumo Bro[16]
- Swoop[2]
- Thwomp[10]
- Paper Macho enemies:[6]
- Goombas, including some wrapped like mummies[8]
- Red Shy Guys, including some wearing tutus[10]
- Chain Chomp[10]
- Red and Green Koopa Troopas, including some wearing sunglasses[10]
- Pokey[15]
- Spike[8]
- Gooper Blooper[10]
- Red Snifit[7]
- Boo[19]
- Paper Mistake Buzzy Beetle[20]
- Troops:
- Big Cutout Soldier[20]
- Li'l Cutout Soldier[20]
Bosses
- The Vellumentals:[11]
- Earth Vellumental, a giant quadrupedal turtle that can spew sand and manipulate earth, similar to Genbu[1][8]
- Water Vellumental, a water-spouting dragon similar to Seiryu[8]
- Fire Vellumental, a giant phoenix similar to Suzaku[11][8]
- Ice Vellumental, a giant polar bear with large claws similar to Byakko[5]
- Legion of Stationery:
- Boss Sumo Bro and 2 Sumo Bros[24]
- Handaconda[20]
- King Olly[2]
Unknown
- Yellow Toads without faces[10]
- Big Cheep Cheep[1]
- Fire-breathing bird-like statues[1]
- Sombrero Guy[8]
Locations
- Toad Town:[10] The main hub of the game, which is ravaged and deserted in the aftermath of King Olly's attack. It contains several shops, which can be reopened as Mario rescues more Toads.
- Peach's Castle: Princess Peach's castle, which is seized by King Olly and moved to a faraway mountain. The castle grounds are covered in debris, and Luigi is discovered here.
- Battle Lab: A place where Mario can practice Action Commands, play a simulation of the ring battles, or refight bosses.
- Musée Champignon: A museum that houses five exhibits: a concept art gallery, a sound room, a gallery of Collectable Treasures and Trophies, a gallery of Folded Soldiers, and a gallery of origami-transformed Toads. There is also a Warp Pipe that acts as a fast-travel hub.
- Red Streamer
- Earth Vellumental Temple: An underground shrine that houses the Earth Vellumental.
- Graffiti Underground:[8][15] An underground sewer that has graffiti and a valve that controls the drain. It is used to reach Peach's Castle from Toad Townn.
- Overlook Mountain: A mountain road full of greenery.
- Overlook Tower: A tall tower located on Overlook Mountain. The Colored Pencils are battled here.
- Picnic Road[25]: A mountain road that connects to the Earth Vellumental Temple.
- Whispering Woods:[11][1][7] A lush, green forest in the mountains, which contains sentient trees.
- Blue Streamer
- Autumn Mountain:[11] A forest filled with autumn-colored trees and tall, grassy fields. The blue streamer travels through here.
- Big Sho' Theater: A four-story tower where stage productions are held.
- Chestnut Valley: An area containing rolling chestnuts that damage Mario and Bobby.
- Eddy River:[1] Rapids where Mario, Olivia, and Bobby ride a canoe.
- Ninja Attraction: An area of Shogun Studios in which Mario has to find cutouts of ninja Toads.
- Shogun Studios:[11] An Asian-inspired, mountaintop theme park with a threatening castle as its main attraction.
- Water Vellumental Shrine: A water temple containing sliding puzzles and the Water Vellumental.
- Yellow Streamer
- Breezy Tunnel
- Fire Vellumental Cave
- Scorching Sandpaper Desert:[11] A desert that's been shrouded in darkness, sporting an ominous hole in the sky.
- Scorching Sandpaper East
- Scorching Sandpaper Far East
- Scorching Sandpaper Far West
- Scorching Sandpaper Minor
- Scorching Sandpaper West
- Shroom City, a desert town occupied by Snifits with an oasis and casino-like buildings[1][10][26]
- Sweetpaper Valley
- Temple of Shrooms
- Purple Streamer
- Bonehead Island: A large island with a large, white skull head.
- Club Island[8]
- Diamond Island
- Full Moon Island
- Heart Island
- Ice Vellumental Mountain
- Mushroom Island
- Sea Tower
- Spade Island
- The Great Sea:[11][1] An open sea that Mario can explore by boat.
- The Princess Peach
- Green Streamer
- Bowser's Castle[8]
- Shangri-Spa:[11] A misty jungle that holds a mysterious secret.
- Spring of Jungle Mist: A large, jungle tree with Toad statues sitting around it
- Spring of Rainbows[27]
- Origami Castle
Weapons, items, and objects
Weapons
- Boots[8]
- Hammer[8]
- Iron Boots[28]
- Hurlhammer[28]
- Shiny Hurlhammer
- Fire Hammer
- Ice Hammer
Battle items
Accessories
Overworld objects
- Confetti[8]
- Coin[1]
- 10-Coin[1]
- Giant coin[1]
- Brick Block[8]
- ? Block[1]
- Super Star[29]
- Save Block[1]
- Heart[8]
- Warp Pipe[1]
- Boot Car[8][1]
- King (tape)[8]
Useful Items
Nintendo eShop description
The kingdom has been ravaged by an origami menace! Join Mario and his new partner, Olivia, as they battle evil Folded Soldiers, repair the damaged landscape, and try to free Princess Peach's castle from the clutches of King Olly in this comedy-filled adventure, only on the Nintendo Switch system.
Mario and Luigi receive an invitation from Princess Peach to attend an origami festival and excitedly hurry to Toad Town...but something's amiss. After investigating the eerily empty town, the duo finds a fearsome (and folded) Princess Peach-she's been turned into origami by King Olly, ruler of the Origami Kingdom! With five giant streamers under his control, King Olly binds Princess Peach's Castle and transports it to a distant mountain as part of his plan to re-fold the world.
On his journey to liberate Peach's Castle and repair the ravaged paper landscape, Mario meets Olivia, King Olly's sister, and the two join forces to put a stop to Olly's origami onslaught. Even Bowser falls victim to Olly's plot when his minions are turned into origami Folded Soldiers and betray their Koopa king, forcing him to ally with Mario and Olivia!
Battle the Folded Soldiers in ring-based battles the challenge you to strategically line up enemies to maximize damage! Out of battle, Mario can use the arm-extending 1,000-Fold Arms ability in specific spots to interact with the landscape to pull, peel, hit, and more! Join Mario, Olivia, and their companions on a journey of laughter and emotion, thrills, and a whole lot of folding.
References to other games
- Super Mario Bros.: When Mario grabs the top of the Goal Pole and slides down it for the first time at Picnic Road, a firework shoots into the sky while an arrangement of the "course cleared" fanfare plays, similar to when the player clears a level with the timer's last digit at 1, 3, or 6 in this game.
- Metroid series: Mario can obtain a Space Warrior Mask in the staff room at Shogun Studios, which is a papier-mâché version of Samus's helmet. When Mario tries it on, a variation of the fanfare for when Samus appears in Metroid plays, and Bobby tells Olivia it does not suit Mario's style and remarks, "It'd probably look perfect on some other kind of M, though."[30]
- Super Mario Bros. 2: The Ninjis in the game, or at least their origami counterparts, are derived from their original design from the NES version of the game and their original artwork.[8]
- Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic: When trying to recall the term "amnesia", Bobby mentions "Thinky Thinky Panic", a reference to this game's title.[8]
- Super Mario Bros. 3: Olivia mentions the sun being angry in Scorching Sandpaper Desert.[31]
- Super Mario World: The fireball and spin jump sounds are reused from this game.[8]
- Hotel Mario: A portion of the Lemmy's High-ate Regency Hotel theme is reused in the ending theme of this game.[32]
- Paper Mario: The castle's interior looks similar to the one used in this game, and Peach's design from this game appears as a photo.[1][10]
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door: Peach's design from this game appears as a photo.[10]
- Super Paper Mario: Peach appears in a photo with her parasol and a background resembling Lineland.[10]
- Mario Kart Wii: An arrangement of Maple Treeway's music plays in the Tranquil Pipes Teahouse at Shogun Studios.
- Paper Mario: Sticker Star: Shiny and flashy attacks return from this game. In addition, Peach appears in a photo, surrounded by stickers.[10]
- Mario Kart 8: Like in Paper Mario: Color Splash, Luigi drives a Standard Kart resembling the ones in this game.[10]
- Paper Mario: Color Splash: The Origami King runs on a very similar graphical engine to Color Splash. The Rescue Squads return in the Battle Lab.
Similarities to other Paper Mario games
- Like the original game and its sequel, Mario and Luigi receive an invitation from Princess Peach.[10]
- Although Peach gives Mario a letter in Color Splash, said letter is actually a color-drained Toad.
- In combat, Mario's basic jump and hammer attacks are permanent, like in the first two games.[33]
- Partners return from the first three games.[1]
- Just like in the second and third games, Bowser is not the primary villain. Rather, Mario and Bowser team up[1], as they do in Super Paper Mario.
- Just like in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Peach is turned evil by the main antagonist similar to Shadow Queen.[1]
- Like the previous five games, there is a part that plays like a game show.
- NPCs based on enemy species return from the first two games.
- Mario can use confetti to fill in Non-Bottomless Holes similar to paint to fill in colorless spots in Color Splash. Like paint, confetti is limited.
- Like the previous two games, there is a performance starring Birdo.[34]
- Like the first game, Peach's Castle gets taken over by the main antagonist.
Reception
Critical response
Paper Mario: The Origami King received positive reviews from critics, who praised the expansive overworld and detailed paper graphics, but criticized the repetitive battling system.
| Reviews | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release | Reviewer, Publication | Score | Comment |
| Nintendo Switch | Michael Goroff, EGM |
3/5 | Despite everything, Paper Mario: The Origami King is a charming game. I wanted to fully explore every area of the Mushroom Kingdom. I wanted to find every Toad. I wanted to do everything except actually engage with the game’s combat system. In trying to rewrite the basic rules with every outing, Intelligent Systems keeps fans of the franchise on its toes. But that can also start to distort the identity of the series itself. How can you perfect a formula if you’re constantly pouring it out and starting again? |
| Nintendo Switch | Cam Shea, IGN |
7/10 | The Origami King is a truly likeable game despite the shallowness of its new spin on gameplay. Its characters are winsome, its visual design is gorgeous, its world is fun to explore, and its storytelling is outside the box and playful. At the same time, however, it could be so much more. Combat is largely unfulfilling, and your journey as a whole lacks meaningful choices. For a series with RPG roots, that’s a real shame. |
| Nintendo Switch | Chris Carter, Destructoid |
8/10 | There's room in my heart for both styles of Paper Mario. The old games still exist and this newer, sometimes thinner formula is fine too. That said, it's possible Nintendo and Intelligent Systems have folded this subseries every which way they can at this point. I hope the next one is a little more fresh. |
| Nintendo Switch | Suriel Vazquez, GameSpot |
8/10 | With a newfound combat system that steals the show and offers a novel take on turn-based combat, its winking, nodding, and adventuring shine all the brighter. Its world and characters might not be the series' best, but it's still able to consistently throw left turns, good gags, and smart surprises at you. Each piece of The Origami King elegantly fits into its whole, taking its irreverent flair to new heights. The Paper Mario series has recently shown that being clever and being smart are two different things, but thankfully, it's once again managed to be both. |
| Nintendo Switch | Alex Donaldson, VG247 |
4/5 | That simplicity is overridden by originality and vigor, then – but I also know all too well that some fans of the older Paper Mario games will once again walk away a little disappointed. This is still undoubtedly no Thousand Year Door. Perhaps the next outing can bring back a little of that RPG depth – but regardless of that, this is still the best Paper Mario game in years. |
| Aggregators | |||
| Compiler | Template:Nowrap | ||
| Metacritic | 81 | ||
Gallery
- For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Paper Mario: The Origami King.
English logo
Origami Peach
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ペーパーマリオ オリガミキング[?] Pēpā Mario Origami Kingu |
Paper Mario: Origami King | |
| Chinese (simplified) | 纸片马力欧：折纸国王[?] Zhǐpiàn Mǎlìōu: Zhézhǐ Guówáng |
Paper Mario: Origami King | |
| Chinese (traditional) | 紙片瑪利歐：摺紙國王[?] Zhǐpiàn Mǎlìōu: Zhézhǐ Guówáng |
Paper Mario: Origami King | |
| Korean | 페이퍼 마리오 종이접기 킹[?] Peipeo Malio Jongijeobgi King |
Paper Mario: Origami King |
External links
- Official North American website
- Official Japanese website
- Official Hong Kong website
- Official Taiwanese website
- Official South Korean website
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an Nintendo (May 14, 2020). Paper Mario: The Origami King - Announcement Trailer - Nintendo Switch. YouTube. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Paper Mario: The Origami King North American website
- ^ GameXplain (July 9, 2020). Paper Mario: The Origami King - Opening Cutscene. YouTube. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
- ^ a b c Nintendo Treehouse: Live | July 2020
- ^ a b c Cork, J. (June 30, 2020). Paper Mario: The Origami King: A New Crease On Life – Nintendo Shares Insight On Paper Mario's Latest Adventure. Game Informer. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Paper Mario: The Origami King European website, gameplay section. Retrieved Jun 12, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Paper Mario: The Origami King Japanese website
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av Nintendo (June 12, 2020) A Closer Look at Paper Mario: The Origami King – Nintendo Switch "YouTube'. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
- ^ GameXplain (May 15, 2020). Now Deleted Paper Mario: The Origami King Trailer Showed Partner Toad in Combat!. YouTube. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p GameXplain (May 14, 2020). 42 NEW Paper Mario: The Origami King Screenshots (LUIGI'S GOT HIS KART BACK, BABY). YouTube. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j https://papermario.nintendo.com/story
- ^ ProsafiaGaming. (July 16, 2020). Paper Mario The Origami King - All Cutscenes Full Movie HD. YouTube. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
- ^ a b 10 minutes of new Paper Mario: The Origami King footage. NintendoEverything.
- ^ https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/aruua/stage/
- ^ a b c d GameXplain (June 11, 2020). 3 New Paper Mario: The Origami King Screenshots Reveal; Beach Area, Giant Pokey, & More YouTube. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Nintendo Flip Book (posted on Reddit by dissapointment-soup) (July 2, 2020). A neat picture of some of the enemies you’ll encounter in the game Reddit. Retrieved July 2, 2020
- ^ GameXplain (May 14, 2020). We Found 50+ NEW Details in Paper Mario: The Origami King's Reveal! (Ninja Town & a Luigi Lamp??). YouTube. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- ^ 任天堂ホームページ (June 11, 2020). 【ペーパーマリオ オリガミキング】360°バトル：オリビアが習得！. YouTube. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
- ^ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkC_Bsyc8Wo
- ^ a b c d Let’s Look at… Paper Mario: The Origami King Leaks!. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ coolmasterishaan playz (July 11, 2020). Paper Mario The Origami King Hole Punch Introduction Scene. YouTube. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
- ^ coolmasterishaan playz (July 11, 2020). Paper Mario The Origami King Scissors Introduction Scene. YouTube. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
- ^ coolmasterishaan playz (July 11, 2020). Paper Mario The Origami King Stapler Introduction Scene. YouTube. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
- ^ [1]
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU6fYxnYLWU
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lM7E4MtuWY
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzvdO9JQENw
- ^ a b c d e f g https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch/Paper-Mario-The-Origami-King-1782440.html#Gameplay
- ^ [2]
- ^ NinToon (July 12, 2020). Paper Mario the Origami King - ALL Mask Easter Eggs (Donkey Kong, Samus). YouTube. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- ^ Nintendo (July 16, 2020). Learn all about the World of Paper Mario: The Origami King! - Nintendo Switch. YouTube. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- ^ ProsafiaGaming (July 16, 2020) Paper Mario: The Origami King - Final Boss + Ending. YouTube. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
- ^ 任天堂ホームページ (May 11, 2020). 【ペーパーマリオ オリガミキング】360°バトル. YouTube. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ GameXplain (July 10, 2020). Paper Mario: The Origami King Q&A: 50 of YOUR Questions Answered!. YouTube. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
