The latest entry in the Paper Mario series, Paper Mario: The Origami King, has released to mostly positive critical praise. The new RPG, which was surprise-announced on Twitter several months ago, continues on in the tradition of past titles like Paper Mario: Sticker Star and Paper Mario: Color Splash. It’s a simplified take on role-playing games where combat is breezy and dialogue is witty and enjoyable. While fans of the first entries on the franchise continue to deride the oversimplification of the concept, critics agree that there are plenty of positives to Paper Mario: The Origami King when taken on its own merits.
The game sees the paper rendition of Nintendo’s famous plumber rescuing Princess Peach once again, only this time Bowser isn’t the opposition. Instead, new character King Olly (otherwise known as the titular Origami King) has kidnapped the princess and overtaken Bowser’s Koopa Troop, all in an attempt to conquer Mario’s paper kingdom. Minions under Olly’s control are folded into new variations on themselves, and Mario must battle them using a new in-the-round fighting system that tries to bring puzzle-solving to turn-based combat. As the adventure unfolds, Mario joins forces with a weakened Bowser and King Olly’s sister to free Peach and her kingdom.
Paper Mario: The Origami King holds an average score of 81 on Metacritic with 53 total reviews reporting in. Over on OpenCritic, the game also has an average score of 81, with 74% of the site’s 40 reviews recommending the Switch exclusive. A majority of reviewers on both platforms are recommending the game based on the classic family-friendly humor and the unique origami visuals, although the gameplay is a bit too simplistic for some. Some critics also deride the game’s straightforward story since it lacks any real player choice, although most agree that it’s the best entry in the series since the days of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Here are quotes from a few of the notable reviews to give further context:
GamesRadar+ – 4 .5/5 – Sam Loveridge
“Paper Mario: The Origami King is fun, light-hearted and a celebration of Super Mario with a strong story, great humour and brilliant characters.”
GamesBeat – 85/100 – Jeff Grubb
“By the end, I had largely forgotten about standard combat. I think this is the rare game that improves as you continue playing. And that culminates in a thrilling finale that comes as a huge payoff for the story.
“So don’t sit this one out. Pick it up, play through it, complain about it with me, but then stick around for all of its joys.”
IGN – 7/10 – Good – Cam Shea
“The Origami King suffers from one-note combat and few real choices, but its personality and visual design are a joy.”
Game Informer – 7.75/10 – Ben Reeves
“As a series, Paper Mario constantly explores new concepts and mechanics, which is exciting, but that comes with plenty of risks. Origami King’s biggest chances don’t pay off in a satisfying way. I enjoyed Mario’s hijinks and all the misfits he encounters, but the new ring-based action needs refinement. I hope Paper Mario’s next twist on combat can rise to the same level as its humor.”
GameSpot – 8/10 – Great – Suriel Vasquez
“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.”
Kotaku – Unscored – Chris Kohler
“Origami King might not be the successor to Thousand-Year Door for which fans have been clamoring, but this time the formula works, allowing the series’ great writing and worlds to shine through.”
EGM – 6/10 – Michael Goroff
“Paper Mario: The Origami King once again takes the series in a completely different direction. Mushroom Kingdom is bigger and more alive than it’s ever been, but it comes packaged with a combat system that quickly becomes stagnant.”
Screen Rant’s own Cody Gravelle also reviewed the game, saying that Paper Mario: The Origami King “retains all the charm and surprising wit present in past games while introducing rewarding puzzle mechanics.” The main issue most have with the game is the condensed combat, but not all feel that way. Cody found the combat system to be more of a positive than many other critics, saying that, while simple, the system “adds a fun layer to Paper Mario: The Origami King that makes the smaller battles that populate the world much more palatable.“
Whether someone yearns for the old days of Paper Mario on the Nintendo 64 or simply just wants an offbeat experience with Nintendo’s Italian plumbers, critics agree that Paper Mario: The Origami King will be satisfying (if not spectacular) to play through. While Nintendo’s continued reluctance to truly follow up on the franchise’s RPG roots continues to baffle, the games that are coming out retain their own witty charm. It’s still the perfect series to ease kids into concepts like turn-based combat, and fans of all ages will find something to enjoy in Nintendo’s latest.
Paper Mario: The Origami King is out now on Nintendo Switch
