All gamers love a good Mario game. Excitingly, Paper Mario has a new addition to the series which is Paper Mario: The Origami King. Players control an old-school Mario as he embarks on a journey to save the Mushroom Kingdom from becoming origami. Players watch Mario and his friends travel through many different worlds and levels. He faces many dangers along the way but can always collect items to help him out.
Paper Mario: The Origami King has many similar features to the series’ previous games. However, there are many new items, objectives, and challenges that players have been enjoying to the fullest. Nintendo Switch fans might think that they know everything about this new game. Still, there are some things that they likely don’t know they can do in the game. Let’s take a look at what some of these things are.
Teasing Bowser
Bowser gives Mario a lot of trouble in pretty much every Mario game there is. He is the main antagonist after all. In Paper Mario: The Origami King, players can give Bowser a taste of his own medicine. In the level Peach’s Dungeon, there is a folded up Bowser hanging from a rope. Players might not know this, but pulling the rope slowly tortures Bowser. He says “Stop it hurts!” because he wants Mario to pull the rope as fast as possible. Think of it like a Band-Aid® that is peeling off slowly instead of just ripping it off. Players normally pull the rope quickly so they can continue the level, but they can tease Bowser if they want.
Impatient Olivia
Mario’s partner in crime in Paper Mario: The Origami King is Olivia. She helps Mario with his adventures and provides stellar advice. In the level The Whispering Woods, players learn how to fill holes with confetti via Olivia’s advice. To do this, players must use the ZR button so they can fill the hole and hear different sound effects. Players likely don’t know that if they hold the ZR button down and don’t fill the hole, Olivia gets impatient. Mario will just spin in circles and she says “I’m running out of sound so hurry up.”
Talking Trees
Players likely catch onto the fact that in the Whispering Woods, the woods literally whisper to Mario. However, players might not know the extent that this feature can go to. For example, if Mario runs into an object it might say something like “That looks like it hurt” depending on what happens. Also, if Mario goes up to a tree and starts hitting it with a hammer the tree will keep talking. It might say that the hammering hurts or it will make fun of Mario for just smacking it for no reason. It’s entertaining to see what different objects say depending on how Mario uses them.
Turn Off The Music
It’s hard to stop humming the Mario theme songs after playing any of the games. Players like don’t know that they have control over the music in Paper Mario: The Origami King though. This feature is only at the Campsite, but it still works. The music in the background of this level is not a normal soundtrack in the background. Instead, the trees have speakers on them that are playing the music. When players go up to the trees and smack them, the speakers fall to the ground and the music stops. This makes sense since it is a campsite, right?
Move Over Mario
Players encounter the first bench at the Campsite level. Unsurprisingly, these benches are there to sit on and rest in between traveling. On the very first bench, Olivia pushes Mario aside if he sits too far to the left. She just jumps on the bench and nudges him over.
It’s pretty humorous to watch her do this because she can easily sit on the other side of him. It’s as if the left side of the bench is her spot only. Players likely don’t know that Olivia does this unless they usually sit on the left side.
Creepy Wood
In the level Whispering Woods, players might realize that the woods whispers to them. What they might not know is that it can talk to Mario outside of that level as well. For example, if Mario stumbles across some wood from the trees in the Whispering woods, they speak! It’s kind of creepy though because the wood says things like “We can’t wait to turn into ash.” after burning. The wood in the firepit at the Campsite says things like “We must burn” and other similar comments. As weird as these statements are, the wood is not wrong.
He’s Got Mail
There is a very minuscule detail by Toad’s House that many players probably miss. It’s not the most important detail in the world, but it’s still fun to know about. There is a little red mailbox on the right of Toad’s House. Players can go up to that Mailbox and smack it to open up. After they do this, letters fall out of it. Mario can then smack these letters again with a hammer and Toads will appear. The most astonishing part about this detail is that Toad can fit inside of envelopes. That guy is everywhere.
Throwback
Paper Mario: The Origami King is broken up into five ribbons with different colors. Each ribbon contains different levels within them. When players get close to the first red ribbon, they can jump on the flag and complete that level. However, players likely don’t know that they can throwback to Mario Bros. when doing this.
Players can smack the ground before the flag and steps will appear. This way, Mario can jump on the very top of the flag. Then, just like in Super Mario Bros., he slides down the pole and fireworks appear. The classic Mario theme song plays and toads burst out of the flag as well.
Whack-A-Toad
In the hills area, there is a secret section where Mario can play the famous game whack-a-mole. This area is a lower level of the ground with bushes along one side of it. The catch is, the mole is a Toad that looks like a mole. Therefore, players can gain an extra Toad if they discover this secret area. This is a fun way to capture another Toad because it’s like a mini-game. It gives players a chance to deviate from traveling through all the levels a collecting Toads that way.
Free Food
Players are in luck if they already know this secret because it helps Mario out. In the Souvenir Lookout Tower, there is a kitchen on the second floor. Players who enter the kitchen will find food left on some of the tables on plates. Both Mario and this partner Olivia can sit at the tables and eat the food. Plus, the food helps boost Mario’s health so players are set to go afterward. The food appears to be pasta-like mushrooms that cater to both Italian food and classic Mario food. Eating peacefully in the kitchen is much better than sprinting for food in the levels.
