Paper Mario: The Origami King in the Test

(Paper) Mario, and Luigi were supposed to only pick up Princess Peach and, together, a Festival in Toad Town to visit. But something is wrong folded in the paper mushroom Kingdom. The Toads are gone and Peach behaves more than strange…

It quickly becomes clear, however, what’s going on: Neo-Antagonist, king, Olly, the Origami-king, and you folded to a mindless Origami and control ripped. Mario’s adversary Bowser languishes very small folded up in a dungeon, while his troops were transformed into Origami. Such as Faltschergen born again, eat, and tear holes in the paper world and wrinkles Toads, wherever you find. Mario alone is the escape from the castle, which is sealed by Olly with magical streamers, and a far-away summit, shipped manage.

New friends, old problems

Mario crashes into a forest, and not surprisingly, it is Peach now up to him to save the Toads and the whole Kingdom. He is assisted by Olivia, the sister of the self-proclaimed Origami king. Unlike her brother, she is good-natured and generous, and is against the plans. However, their simplicity and innocence is great. Everything is new and exciting for you and, not infrequently, you will be overwhelmed by unfamiliar emotions. It is not a great fighter, but Mario does not know once, she stands with advice and act to the side and can also arrange your own Origami skills available: With your Faltarmen for example, hiding places and doors are torn open, or new ways to Position and plucked.

The first offshoot of the Paper Mario series mixed still role-playing elements in the Genre-Mix, but this is – partly still to the displeasure of the Fans – already no longer a thing of the past. The hunt for the Origami king is “just” an Action-Adventure with a gentle Puzzle elements, but no real role-playing elements – at least in the classical sense. The majority of the game offers gameplay technically, therefore, no major Surprises. With Mario & co. we will explore different parts of the mushroom Kingdom, always in search of the Ends of the aforementioned Streamers, which prevent us to reach Princess Peach. In addition to treasure chests, and ?-Blocks, we keep the eyes to the poor Toads, the victims of the Faltschergen were folded to the variety of Origami creations in columns crammed together or crumpled in a corner thrown, just you wait, that Mario smoothes it with a hammer again and save.

Fight the wrinkles

You on the other hand runs into an opponent or an ambush, the game switches into a Level suitable Arena, and the liberated Toads to cheer us from the bleachers. At least for this turn-based fighting you can think of something that challenges the little grey cells a bit. Mario himself is at the centre of several concentric rings, in which the opposing minion position. Before each round we get a little time and a limited number of moves to get the opponent to our advantage, “to arrange”. The individual rings can, in fact, on the one hand, to rotate and on the other hand, segments of a circle can be moved through the center through it. Should be arranged so that Mario with his two standard attacks caught all the possible opponents in the first round of combat: For the classic jump attack, you should order the opposing Faltschergen in a row. The hammer attack is recommended, however, for shorter distances, and groups of enemies, which were settled in two series. Only if all opponents “were great arranged”, there is a Bonus to Mario’s attack strength and the right Material is provided – there are different types of shoes and Hammers that can be bought and found, he can turn off all of the enemies in a single round. In addition, there is a big coin bonus at the end of the fight when all the enemies have been correctly arranged and/or Mario in the fight with no damage taken.

Only a special form of Faltschergen, the so-called cardboard machos, presents Mario directly in the game world. These are made of paper mache and wire-made XXL variants of the classic opponent types, such as Gumbas, or Buu Huus. Her weak point is a seal of the Origami king, the need to edit Mario several times with his Hammer before the villains dissolving into scraps of Paper is.

Speaking of Paper Mario, and may also patch up the holes in the world, which left the minions. To do this, he throws first collected, and in a magical bag stowed snippets in the air, the way of positioning the then nice self-employed and all is well again make.

Perga Menton, you’re up

In addition to the in Origami transformed a classic rogue, some abstruse (Boss expect us)opponent, such as a megalomaniac Paintbox or a crazy Punch. The latter, we are in a boss fight, the combat system in some way to the head. This time the Boss sits in the middle of the horizontal arrange-controllable circuits and Mario is the attacker from the outside. In the rings in the direction of arrows, Pickups and action symbols instead of enemies. The direction of the arrows, Mario blindly follows, collects well on his way to a (hearts, Power-Ups, etc.) until he hits an obstacle or an action symbol lands. This will allow him to attack the opponent, but not every attack works, for example, by each side is the same, and some of the special attacks it over several combat rounds to prepare. Also Olivia keeps coming back, which can wrinkle with time in different Pergamentons, powerful paper-elementary. Which own-brand is strong on grain, should really need no explanation.

You have no Talent for this kind of spatial Puzzles, the fights can be tedious and the constant repetition of always the same scheme with the time is a bit boring. That seemed to be the designers have deliberately, and with time you get the accessories to make at least regular fights easier or even avoid it. The so-called battles-the folder does not show, for example, a possible arrangement of the opponent, but reveals how to reach you. And with a laminated suit can make Mario in the short term, is invisible and is not perceived by regular minions, except he attacks, of course.

What jokes paper told? Flat jokes.

In light of the unique game world and its inhabitants, it is not surprising that you are trying to use these circumstances for a very own kind of Humor in the game. Overall, the works – at least in the German Translation – generally, but not consistently. Sometimes you have to smile, but from time to time the jokes fall very flat. Ironically, the game is also quite “consciously” and is dripping again and again in front of self-irony. Sometimes hard to choose whether to speak for or against the game as a whole.

CONCLUSION

Entertaining Action-Adventure in the Paper Mario universe, in partial Origami-optics appears to be different, but yet familiar. The combat system is at first refreshingly unusual, loses in the course of countless repetitions but unfortunately, on appeal. The, as always, varied and immaculately designed levels and characters, and (more rarely) even the light-hearted Humor and history to induce to play more. No epic milestone, but a solid and entertaining adventure from and with paper.

What is Paper Mario: The Origami King is? Colorful Action-Adventure game in the Paper Mario universe with interesting approaches to the combat system.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Tested: Version 1.0.0 on Nintendo Switch
Developer / Publisher: Intelligent Systems / Nintendo
Release: 17. July 2020
Link: Official Website