Paper Mario is one of the most beloved version of the Mario franchise, especially in regards to its original entry and Thousand-Year Door. Later entries in the franchise haven’t really held up well, so when it was revealed by Nintendo (via leaks and rumors) that a new Paper Mario title would be coming out this year, fans got excited. And then, today, Nintendo dropped a bombshell by revealing out of nowhere that Paper Mario The Origami King would be coming to Switch on July 17th!
The game (as you would expect from a Mario title) features Mario getting invited to a celebration by Princess Peach, but when he goes to see her…she looks rather odd. It’s revealed that there is a new denizen of the world via King Olly, who states he is the king of the Origami Kingdom, and he wants to literally fold the world into his own version of perfection.
“Paper Mario: The Origami King delivers a grand new adventure on Nintendo Switch for players to wrap themselves up in,” said Nick Chavez, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “This game marks the debut of the Paper Mario series on Nintendo Switch, expanding the vast library of games with another standout entry in a beloved franchise.”
And that’s not all, there’s a new way to play with the game, as well as you teaming up with various partners from Olly’s sister, to Baby Bowser, and more!
“Mario is equipped with a range of new tools at his disposal to help secure victory. One of Mario’s new abilities, called 1000-Fold Arms, allows you to interact with the landscape by stretching out and pulling, peeling and revealing new locations, helping you to solve puzzles and uncover unexpected surprises. Along the way, you’ll enlist the help of characters old and new, such as King Olly’s good-natured sister, Olivia, along with a range of unlikely allies, including Bowser himself! If they haven’t yet folded to the whims of King Olly’s origami will, Mario will accept all the help he can find with open arms!
Paper Mario: The Origami King also introduces a new ring-based battle system that lets you flex your puzzle-solving skills to line up scattered enemies and maximize damage. While the enemies may be crafted from paper, these dynamic, turn-based battles are far from stationary. It’ll require a sharp mind to make short work of these crafty enemies. With a detail-rich world to explore, off-the-wall mini-game events and countless mysteries waiting to be solved, the next joyful Mario adventure on Nintendo Switch is ready to deliver huge helpings of crafts and laughs.”
Whether this will be the shot in the arm that the franchise needs or not remains to be seen. But we’ll be talking about it more on the next episode of the Nintendo Entertainment Podcast!
