Paper Mario Review: A Narrative Delight With A Big Crease

 

The Paper Mario series is a video game series near and dear to my heart. Tracing all the way back  to Super Mario RPG Legends of The Seven Stars (SMRPGLotTS), I've played pretty much every entry in the series except for Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and Paper Mario: Color Splash (so, so disappointed on how that game was received). Somehow combining my love for turn-based battles with my nostalgia for our beloved red-hatted and plump plumber got me into a relationship so deep that it has lasted over 20-odd years. Also, think of the premise...like why would paper cut outs and Mario make any sense? It could just be like an antithesis to the way the industry was going completely 3D at the time. But still, such an interesting concept. 

Yet, over those 20 years, the Paper Mario series has diverged from its role playing (RPG) roots and started to turn into more of an adventure game. Less about stats and more about jumping. I remember when I first played Super Paper Mario  on the Wii and realized how short and simple it was. It had some cool ideas, but it wasn't a detailed open world with interesting characters. Then it went downhill from there. Color Splash seemingly nailing the lid in the coffin. The series, while still humorous as ever, was just dull in terms of gameplay.

Paper Mario: Origami King doesn't necessarily go back to its RPG roots this time around, but it sure does it's best to cover that gameplay issue up with an nice, large, witty, script. Origami King is the type of game you play through to see what happens next, where you'll go next, and what people will say next. I think it has an amazing hook that drives the game forward and that hook is the dialogue. Talking to everyone in the game is just simple fun. This is all very nice paint that...actually does an absolutely good job of covering up it's gameplay issues. I found myself mostly enjoying my time with the game while simultaneously groaning when accidentally got into unnecessary battles.

Oh look, Princess Peach is kidnapped again...how terrible. Mario games always have that shtick which can tunnel every "story' in a Mario game to strictly a means to string together levels. Saving the princess is the end goal and all the urgency in the game is strung from that one thread. It's cliche and it's boring and can be pretty sexist if you think about it. 

However, Origami King tries to mix up the story by changing who (or this case what) Mario is saving. In this case, the world has been taken over by the superior, three dimensional, Origami King as he folds the world to his will. Our good friend, Mario, must stop him with the help of on unlikely friend, the Origami King's sister, Olivia. 

I actually really liked how well the writing carried such a cliche and contrived premise. I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself playing more and more to find out what will happen next. There were some interesting moments, lots of character development, and the writing was so good and humorous I found myself chuckling a lot. And finding toads is just a joy. Each of the hundreds of toads found in the game had some sort of dialogue that, at the very least, made me smile. 

It never ceases to amaze me how Nintendo and other developers squeeze every ounce of power the Switch has to make such beautiful and vibrant worlds. I was so blown away by games like Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Paper Mario: Origami does it again, three years later. 

The world of paper and paper mache are so detailed and filled with color that it's just fun to walk around the world and explore the nooks and crannies of each area. The toads that you find along the way are folded into origami shapes. And the animations of them unfolding are accurate and realistic! Meaning, if you wanted to, you could print a picture of a Toad and fold it into the shape seen in the game. I just think that's bonkers! 

While Mario's design is very simple, he still looks super crisp. The paper mache enemies add a welcomed variation into the paper world. There is this otherworldly feeling about interacting with them that gives a semi-creepy vibe that I like. 

The biggest controversy surrounding the Paper Mario franchise is the battle system. Hardcore enthusiasts/avid fans adored the traditional turn based system in entries like SMRPGLotTS, Paper Mario, and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Doo. However, throughout the recent iterations in the franchise, the battle system has moved away from traditional roots to something that leaves fans sort of scratching their heads. Entries like Sticker Star and Color Splash, basically punished players for getting into too many battles by making all attacks consumable items. Bosses required certain "thing" items to make them less than extremely frustrating. There was no progression  in terms of leveling or moves. There was little to explore since most "good" attacks were bought in the store. The core battle mechanic in these two entries defined the word "chore." Sometimes the new ideas were neither good on paper nor in practice.

Origami King, is somewhere in between. It still somewhat makes battling unnecessary, but the core tile rotating puzzle mechanic is enjoyable. It feels satisfying figuring out more complex ring arrangements in normal battles and the switch up for boss battles is refreshing. However, the enjoyment quickly fades if you try to play this as a normal JRPG, battling every enemy on the field.. Besides the plethora of coins and the games other currency, "confetti", there's not much to gain from battling frequently. In fact, the game is most enjoyable by just playing the required battles and leaving superfluous battles out of the picture. 

This still rubs me the wrong way, because if you want 100% the game to get a better ending, you're going to have to play a ton of battles. These frustratingly boring 5-10 hours of my play-through significantly soured my experience of the game.

And not only that, but a game's core gameplay mechanic should be fun for a good length. The feedback loop of grinding in normal RPGs still feels like forward progression: characters  get points to upgrade abilities, stats, and even unlock new skills. Origami King's follows somewhat closely to its recent predecessors which made me want to quickly end the game as soon as possible rather than want to spend more time with it. 

If the graphics and writing were the games soaring highs, the gameplay can get to some crushing lows later in the game.

Conclusion:

Maybe Paper Mario: Origami King isn't worth it's sixty dollar sticker prices. I'm sure there are many fans who will hate this game mainly because of the omission of traditional RPG mechanics. But I wouldn't totally discount this game. If you play the main story and stay away from extra battle encounters, it's a very enjoyable experience. It's just a shame the game's core gameplay loop isn't rewarding.