Paper Mario: The Origami King’s Review

Paper Mario: The Origami King is the latest installment in the Paper Mario franchise, which has changed dramatically in recent years. What was once a popular RPG series has now moved on to focus on elements of action and adventure. While there are still roleplaying parts in the title, they now take a back seat.

To be fair, the series has a lot of work to do when it comes to winning back fans. The latest releases have been pretty disappointing, so Nintendo has to get it right this time around. Fortunately, Paper Mario: The Origami King is a big step in the right direction to re-establish the franchise.

History

A great story isn’t something people traditionally associate with Mario games. The narrative in this series usually only serves as a kind of framework for building the gameplay and providing a setting. At first glance, Paper Mario: The Origami King might appear to follow this concept. The titular king has created an army of soldiers and is determined to turn the entire Mushroom Kingdom into origami. Mario, and by extension the player, must do their best to stop the villain on his trail and save Princess Peach.

While the overall storyline is a bit subtle, the writing certainly isn’t. Paper Mario: The Origami King is witty and surprisingly deep. You’ll often come across great jokes and even some humorous remarks about the gaming industry as a whole. A couple of the better scenes are also a bit more adult-oriented, meaning younger children may not get the reference. It’s unusual to have funny moments that make you laugh in games, but this title handles it consistently. Playing Paper Mario: The Origami King, which can last long enough, never feels stale for this reason. Writing keeps everything puffing and giving
action a sense of purpose.

Still, the best part of the story is undoubtedly the characters. The storyline becomes irrelevant for the most part, but the different characters you encounter are always worth exploring. It doesn’t matter if they are new introductions to the franchise or longtime individuals fans will be familiar with. Either way, every interaction is likely to leave some sort of impression on you. There is also a strange emotional moment, with Paper Mario: The Origami King constantly giving you information about the various characters.