PARTNERS PLAY A PART
I don’t seem to be selling my thesis statement of “The Origami King is actually bringing back traditional elements” so far - so let’s jump to the big reason why I’d make that claim: Partners are back!
Now, temper your expectations, because they’re not all the way back. It doesn’t appear that Mario will get to build up a whole team of reformed former foes as in the first Paper Mario and The Thousand-Year Door. But an earnest step back in that direction is being taken here, since it’s been revealed that Mario will be joined in exploration, story sequences and even some battles by unique named individual characters set apart from the masses of their specific species.
Take the Bob-omb above. His look isn’t as fanciful as Bombette or Admiral Bobbery - in fact, the only distinctive visual difference he can claim versus other Bob-ombs seems to be that his fuse is missing from the top of his body. That’s not all that’s missing, though! He’s also lost his memory, and you’ll have to help him overcome his amnesia so he can remember his real name: Bobby!
Next, take a look at the worried helmeted, shovel-equipped Toad in the other screenshot above. That’s the new character, Professor Toad, and Mario will buddy up with him on an archaeological expedition to uncover the secrets of an ancient Toad temple!
Again, these new allies may not fully recapture the magic of Ms. Mowz or Lady Bow or Lakilester. But it is encouraging to see the developers at Intelligent Systems seem to acknowledge the feedback that came in for the last few games and work to steer the ship back in the direction of true, unique tag-along partners. We might not get all the way back to where we want the series to be in this area in this game, but let’s take a small victory when we can get it!
Now, temper your expectations, because they’re not all the way back. It doesn’t appear that Mario will get to build up a whole team of reformed former foes as in the first Paper Mario and The Thousand-Year Door. But an earnest step back in that direction is being taken here, since it’s been revealed that Mario will be joined in exploration, story sequences and even some battles by unique named individual characters set apart from the masses of their specific species.
Take the Bob-omb above. His look isn’t as fanciful as Bombette or Admiral Bobbery - in fact, the only distinctive visual difference he can claim versus other Bob-ombs seems to be that his fuse is missing from the top of his body. That’s not all that’s missing, though! He’s also lost his memory, and you’ll have to help him overcome his amnesia so he can remember his real name: Bobby!
Next, take a look at the worried helmeted, shovel-equipped Toad in the other screenshot above. That’s the new character, Professor Toad, and Mario will buddy up with him on an archaeological expedition to uncover the secrets of an ancient Toad temple!
Again, these new allies may not fully recapture the magic of Ms. Mowz or Lady Bow or Lakilester. But it is encouraging to see the developers at Intelligent Systems seem to acknowledge the feedback that came in for the last few games and work to steer the ship back in the direction of true, unique tag-along partners. We might not get all the way back to where we want the series to be in this area in this game, but let’s take a small victory when we can get it!
OVERWORLD INTERACTIONS
Mario’s RPGs have always made travel from Point A to Point B interesting in some way or another, usually by packing each explorable environment with puzzles to solve, hidden items to find and other things to have fun doing beyond just keeping your eyes peeled for the next enemy attack. Color Splash was satisfying in this regard, I thought, since its areas were filled with “blank” spots that Mario had to color back into vibrant life with the power of his paint-slinging hammer. The Origami King seems to be taking that same idea and tweaking it a bit: This time around, the spaces Mario explores are filled with holes in the ground, and our hero must gather up a sackful of confetti to use to fill those gaps. Successfully restoring the structural integrity of pathways will no doubt lead you to puzzles to solve, hidden items to find and other things to have fun doing.
What’s more, another new kind of overworld interaction will present itself in the form of Mario’s “1,000-Fold Arms” ability. Like a fighter from the other world of ARMS, Paper Mario can now extend his limbs well beyond his normal limits of reach to be able to grab distant objects and parts of the paper world. This is more Sticker Star and Color Splash DNA carrying over once again, as both of those games had similar “manipulate your surroundings” sequences.
What’s more, another new kind of overworld interaction will present itself in the form of Mario’s “1,000-Fold Arms” ability. Like a fighter from the other world of ARMS, Paper Mario can now extend his limbs well beyond his normal limits of reach to be able to grab distant objects and parts of the paper world. This is more Sticker Star and Color Splash DNA carrying over once again, as both of those games had similar “manipulate your surroundings” sequences.
LUIGI'S BACK!
Sheesh, we’re coming to the end here and I seem to have made more of a case for Origami King being another experimental sequel rather than a source of hope for old-school fans! Luigi is back, and just like in The Thousand-Year Door, he’s going to be embarking on his own journey that parallels Mario’s while our primary protagonist is out saving the day. Apparently Mario’s quest will be cut to five massive streamers that have stretched out from Peach’s Castle - while Luigi will be looking for the keys to open its locked front door!
It’s not much, but it’s something. And that may be where thrice-fooled old-schoolers have to land with this one: it’s clearly not going to be the real “Paper Mario 3” so many want to see happen, but it is going to have a whole lot to love all the same. I hope you all give it a chance! - LUCAS
It’s not much, but it’s something. And that may be where thrice-fooled old-schoolers have to land with this one: it’s clearly not going to be the real “Paper Mario 3” so many want to see happen, but it is going to have a whole lot to love all the same. I hope you all give it a chance! - LUCAS