[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/international\/paper-mario-the-origami-king-the-unfolding-of-a-brilliantly-handcrafted-adventure\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/international\/paper-mario-the-origami-king-the-unfolding-of-a-brilliantly-handcrafted-adventure\/","headline":"Paper Mario: The Origami King – The Unfolding of a Brilliantly Handcrafted Adventure","name":"Paper Mario: The Origami King – The Unfolding of a Brilliantly Handcrafted Adventure","description":"Release date: 17 July 2020 Platform: Nintendo Switch Developer: Nintendo Publisher: Nintendo The good: Wonderfully weird characters Wacky story plot Inventive (yet silly) puzzles\/battles The bad: Difficulty varies wildly   As it is with many Mario games, Paper Mario begins with Mario and Luigi being invited to Princess Peach\u2019s castle. Yet what\u2019s different this time […]","datePublished":"2020-08-02","dateModified":"2020-11-30","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/amos-chen\/#Person","name":"Amos Chen","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/amos-chen\/","identifier":72,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8c6c904695837c1318b62b8cbb0bbda0fb3020bfd5282927c18ace4244602381?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8c6c904695837c1318b62b8cbb0bbda0fb3020bfd5282927c18ace4244602381?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1597649729136_Paper_Mario_The_Origami_King.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1597649729136_Paper_Mario_The_Origami_King.jpg","height":607,"width":1080},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/international\/paper-mario-the-origami-king-the-unfolding-of-a-brilliantly-handcrafted-adventure\/","about":["Esports","International"],"wordCount":853,"articleBody":"Release date: 17 July 2020Platform: Nintendo SwitchDeveloper: NintendoPublisher: NintendoThe good:Wonderfully weird charactersWacky story plotInventive (yet silly) puzzles\/battlesThe bad:Difficulty varies wildly As it is with many Mario games, Paper Mario begins with Mario and Luigi being invited to Princess Peach\u2019s castle. Yet what\u2019s different this time is that Princess Peach seems and sounds robotic as she has been turned to origami \u2014 all thanks to Prince Olly, an origami royal claiming the world for supremacy by turning its citizens into origami soldiers. He then steals Peach\u2019s castle into the sky, wraps it in colourful streamers, and leaves Mario in a daze on the ground. Then, Olly\u2019s sister, Olivia appears to help Mario stop her brother, and save the kingdom.It\u2019s your usual Mario RPG adventure, where he travels the world collecting and destroying objects before saving the kingdom. Predictable? Yes. But it doesn\u2019t fail to be comical.A cut above the restAnd while the story plot doesn\u2019t seem fresh or inventive, Paper Mario isn\u2019t unoriginal. Because this time, Mario is joined by Olly\u2019s sister, Olivia \u2014 a ball of fun and joy that drives the game and story forward. She\u2019s lovable. She\u2019s comical. And she\u2019ll be your companion throughout the game, instead of Luigi this time.But that\u2019s not where the fun ends as you\u2019ll get more joy by gaining another companion, Bob-omb, that adds a notable and comical charm to the game in its initial stage. And the only way to find out how is to try the game for yourself.Likewise, there are also many other characters that won\u2019t fail to crack you up with their witty one-liners. Better still, you\u2019ll find yourself working with foes from previous Mario games like Shy Guys, Goomba, Koopa Troopers, and even Bowser, in your fight against King Only and his origami soldiers. Sure it sounds chaotic, but it also promises to be comedic.A humour that cuts throughA celebration of Mario, Paper Mario certainly hasn\u2019t failed in delivering that classic Nintendo Magic, especially in a year dominated by Animal Crossing: New Horizons. A mix of history and humour, the Paper Mario journey is one that is self-deprecating just as it is entertaining.Filled with locations that are just as many as its characters, you\u2019ll find yourself journeying across places like the Japanese-themed Shogun Studios, Autumn Mountains, Indiana Jones-laced Scorching Sandpaper Desert, as well as the Princess Peach cruise ship \u2014 each with its own secrets, collectibles, and origami bad guys to beat. And while the combats are generally the same, what makes it different is the interactive elements from these locations, which you can engage with your 1,000-fold arms and powers.Strategy is keyWhile the combat in Paper Mario: The Origami King is a departure from your Super Mario RPG offerings, it has still retained certain elements, like the upgrading of your weapons. Otherwise, it\u2019s a whole different ball game. Each battle is based around a ring system like a dartboard with rings that rotate and allow you slide the wedges back and forth to position your enemies.You\u2019ll begin with shuffling the board in order to cluster your enemies in straight lines or blocks of 2-by-2. And as the game progresses, so does its level of complexity and the need to strategise. As it is with previous instalments of Paper Mario, the amount of damage you inflict is dependent on how well-timed you press the \u2018A\u2019 button. And you\u2019ll be placed at a disadvantage if you have failed the puzzle element. Likewise, your gear will also get better as the game progresses, from your base boots and hammer, to iron versions great for stomping spiked foes, and gold versions to earn more coins, and even to flashy\/shiny versions. So don\u2019t forget your iron boots when you\u2019re up against Spinies, and always strategise to be ready for different scenarios!If we haven\u2019t completely lost you yet, the boss battles are even more complicated. With dartboards becoming Chutes and Ladders, you\u2019ll have to find a path to attack the boss. But it\u2019s fun just as it is tricky when it comes to taking down bosses. And if you ever need a helping hand, you can always call in Toads you have rescued to cheer you on from the sidelines. While they cost coins, the more you spend, the more help you\u2019ll receive, whether it\u2019s moving enemies into better positions, or even filling up your health bar.\u00a0 And here\u2019s where it can get slightly frustrating, as the level of difficulty is all over the place in Paper Mario. At times you can call for help, but there\u2019ll be times when help will be rendered without any prompting.Frustrating but funWith all that said and done, while its battle system may be complicated, The Origami King doesn\u2019t fail to bring joy and fun to the table with its wacky story, and its weirdly wild characters.3.5\/5 stars"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"International","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/international\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Paper Mario: The Origami King – The Unfolding of a Brilliantly Handcrafted Adventure","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/international\/paper-mario-the-origami-king-the-unfolding-of-a-brilliantly-handcrafted-adventure\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]