• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Paper Mario and the Origami King Review Thread

Jooxed

Gold Member
nxt0ksh.png



Opencritic / Metacritic


https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nintendo-switch/paper_mario_the_origami_king

8/10

Paper Mario: The Origami King tries to do something different with its combat system and, to be honest, we aren't feeling it. That doesn't mean the rest of the game isn't thoroughly entertaining, however, and while the puzzle-based battles aren't quite what a new Paper Mario game needed, they aren't so awful that everything else shouldn't be experienced as a result. It still isn't the new Thousand-Year Door fans will have been hoping for, but it's still one of the funniest games in the series and it's got a truly likeable companion character, and while the combat is far from ideal the fact that we still thoroughly recommend the game regardless speaks volumes about every other aspect of it.





New Horizons will arguably be the game that defined 2020, and it introduced a slew of new players to Nintendo’s vast universe. If these fresh players — and even seasoned veterans — want something just a little denser, with slightly higher stakes, The Origami King is ideal.

And if you do play The Origami King in-between planting tulips and trading furniture in New Horizons, feel free to spend some extra time at the end of the dock in the red-streamer world. Maybe catch a few of those little fish before going after the big boy. Take your time. Enjoy the moment.

And then roll up your overalls and fight.


Famitsu

36/40

https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/paper-mario-the-origami-king-review-exploring-new-/1900-6417506/

8/10

The Paper Mario series thrives on a clever irreverence that can be hard to maintain. Its outlandish scenarios mash the absurdist, dreamlike world of the Mushroom Kingdom and the mundanity of the real world. It takes jabs at the very concepts that inspire it, nodding knowingly at the audience and whispering, "This whole thing's kind of weird, right?" It's a fun take on the usually-earnest Mario games, but that kind of slyness turns grating when the bits--or, in the case of a game, systems--that are supposed to prop it up don't work, which is where the last couple of Paper Mario games have struggled. But in surprising course-correction, Paper Mario: The Origami King's most clever trick is how its overhauled combat complements its sharp wit, turning the series' Achilles' heel into one of its biggest strengths.


There's plenty I'd recommend about The Origami King, a journey generous with its humour, its spread of locations, its continual sense of adventure in Mario's bid to defeat the evil Origami King (a clever conceit which lets Mario befriend regular paper Goombas and Koopas while also letting him battle evil origami Goombas and Koopas). Its final section especially, while brief, is thrilling to watch unfold. But each time the game changed settings, every time it swapped in a new party member, whenever I cleared another boss, I expected it to grow the shoots it had begun to set out and dig in a little deeper. For all of the game's sense of personality and place, it never grows into anything weightier.



https://www.ign.com/articles/paper-mario-the-origami-king-review

7/10

The Origami King suffers from one-note combat and few real choices, but its personality and visual design are a joy.



Gamexplain Liked it

https://www.gameinformer.com/review...o-the-origami-king-review-just-above-the-fold

7.75/10

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.





9/10

Paper Mario: The Origami King is a triumph in so many ways, I can’t stress that enough. Presentation wise it is incredible, and the world feels fully alive, open, and vast, with many a way to explore it. The combat is so close to genius, too. While the boss fights are some of the best I’ve seen anywhere thanks to how unique they are, I can’t pretend I wasn’t avoiding battles with the standard enemies by the end. Still, this is by far the best Paper Mario game in a great long while, and if you can accept it’s not quite an RPG by most people’s definitions, and instead appreciate a sprawling, beautiful action adventure with turn-based combat, a great script, and a sublime soundtrack, you’ll have a wonderful time.


100

While The Origami King can feel formulaic at times, the entry does more to reimagine the franchise than not. It won't impress fans who were hoping for a larger RPG focus, but its charming characters and story will keep fans hooked. Paper Mario has never felt so fun than with The Origami King, and its lighthearted feel is the perfect thing for gamers to sit with this summer.


9/10


Paper Mario: The Origami King is a hilarious game with a ton of variety in its world and a clever new puzzle-based battle system. There's so much fun to be had that if you don't already own a Switch, this will act as a fantastic reason to go out and get one.
 
Last edited:

Vawn

Banned
Everything about this game looks awesome, except for one huge thing. I heard you don't gain experience points and level up from the turn-based battles. That kills the entire point of an RPG for me.
 

Algorum

Neo Member
After all I’ve seen and read I’m expecting something around 84 or maybe higher.

It looks beautiful with some of the best music in the series yet.

In terms of its battle system at least Coins have value here and the confetti which Mario uses to fill holes or damaged spots isn’t that abundant outside of battles.
 

iconmaster

Banned
Guessing 83.

From the Engadget review, this surprised me: “The stakes are high enough to make dying a true punishment here.”

(Sure, “true punishment” in game journalist terms but still)
 
M

Macapala

Unconfirmed Member
It's been very clear for a long time that the Paper Mario series has taken a different direction. I understand people enjoy the RPG battle system from PM1+2, but if reviewers take points off PMtOK because it has a different battle system that's just plain bullshit. Reviewer's need to judge the game for what it is, not what they (or gamer's) want it to be...
 

Hudo

Member
Will be interesting to see how good the combat fits the overall game. I get that they want Paper Mario to be an adventure game, so to speak. I actually like the idea but the combat doesn't seem to fit, IMHO. Maybe they should opt to a form of combat that doesn't take you to a separate screen, make it feel more fluid or embedded in the world/adventure. Maybe just have your press-turn combat system within the world when you encounter enemies. Of course, then you need to take care with how you design your world but I think that this is doable.

On the other hand, I would also love just a sequel to the old Paper Mario games, going in the RPG direction.

But again, I haven't played The Origami King, so maybe it all feels good to play.
 

_Justinian_

Gold Member
The game looks to be getting high scores so far despite people not liking the new combat system, which I think is important. Interesting.
 
A shame that a common issue with the game seems to be the repetitive combat system. They've really never recaptured the magic from the N64 and Gamecube era it would appear.
 

KiriKiri

Neo Member
It's been very clear for a long time that the Paper Mario series has taken a different direction. I understand people enjoy the RPG battle system from PM1+2, but if reviewers take points off PMtOK because it has a different battle system that's just plain bullshit. Reviewer's need to judge the game for what it is, not what they (or gamer's) want it to be...

But it's still in the "Paper Mario" series, so even if they are going to change it, it should end up being better but it isn't even close. It absolutely deserves to lose points for that.
 

Jooxed

Gold Member





 

Algorum

Neo Member
I’m glad it’s getting great reviews.

Honestly pity those that just expected another Thousand Year Door and are judging based on that alone.

So hyped for Friday.
 

Fbh

Member
Not too much into this franchise, so this sounds more like a "wait for sale".
Or in the case of Nintendo a "skip or possibly borrow it from someone at some point"

It is a pity Nintendo doesn't have a gamepass service like.

LOL can you imagine?
"Only $189/ month, play as many of our games as you want!!!!*"
*Doesn't include online play, Nintendo Switch Online subscription sold separately
*Play any game you want for up to a combined total of 15 hours a month, for another 15 hours you can buy a same month renewal for a discounted price of $150
*You can pay for a whole year in advance for the low price of $2258 and save a total of $10 compared to the monthly payment model
 
Last edited:
H

hariseldon

Unconfirmed Member

This seems to be the cheapest physical copy available at the moment - ordered my copy from there a while ago.
 

jshackles

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
Looks pretty good! The lack of EXP or real progression is a huge turn off for me though. I'm sure I'll play this, but when I heard the news my hype went from "DAY ONE" to "eh......" real quick. I'll probably pick it up later this year, maybe around Black Friday.
 
M

Macapala

Unconfirmed Member
But it's still in the "Paper Mario" series, so even if they are going to change it, it should end up being better but it isn't even close. It absolutely deserves to lose points for that.
If the battle system is shit then of course points should be docked. All I meant is I don't want reviewer's giving a negative opinion purely because PMtOK doesn't have the battle system PM1+2 had.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Terce

Member
Game is racist and only features people of the paper race, also no gender options for main character
 
  • LOL
Reactions: Isa

BlackTron

Member
I don't get it, the flaws that the reviews point out seem pretty integral to the game, but that doesn't seem to be affecting the scores very much...?

I actually came in legitmately wanting to know the scoop on this game and all I got was a combination of confusion, and cynical acceptance that the game just isn't very good, but well, don't cross the Big N, or else beware their Big D.
 

Fake

Member
I just hope that the combat isn't too repetitive. My roommate and I hated the combat so much in Color Splash that I took the game back the very next day.

Are you tried to callibrate your tv? As much Nintendo games are too coloful, sometimes HD TVs make things even worst. If you want help, just say.
 
Top Bottom