Paper Mario: The Origami King

 Switch
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1769 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,103 out of 1769
  2. Mixed: 269 out of 1769
  3. Negative: 397 out of 1769
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  1. BuckWild
    May 14, 2022
    3
    Charmig graphics and fairly fun story but the overall experience is greatly bogged down by an incredibly boring and tedious battle system that frankly is one of the worst I've ever seen.
  2. Fuccc
    Aug 31, 2021
    0
    Awful combat, it's so annoying. Every time I get into a battle, I just quit. The upgrades don't really help, because it's still too hard to avoid battles.
  3. Makolvalenzuela
    Jul 23, 2020
    8
    si bien no me gusto mucho que no hubiera exp el sistema de combate esta bastante bien, la historia tipica de paper mario me encanto, me hizo reir bastante lo recomiendo totlmente
  4. Ishrod24
    Apr 18, 2021
    3
    Awesome art style but how can you mess up the gameplay? Keep it the same as Mario and Luigi titles. Why change the formula. How does Nintendo keep messing things up?
  5. cupjaw
    Jul 22, 2020
    9
    This game is absolutely incredible. The visuals are (obviously) the best in the series. The soundtrack blows every other paper mario game out of the water. It contributes to the atmostphere in a way that I've never felt before. The gameplay is... actually pretty fun. Not as great as the gameplay in older games, but it passes. The story is surprisingly dark! Sure, maybe the stakes aren't asThis game is absolutely incredible. The visuals are (obviously) the best in the series. The soundtrack blows every other paper mario game out of the water. It contributes to the atmostphere in a way that I've never felt before. The gameplay is... actually pretty fun. Not as great as the gameplay in older games, but it passes. The story is surprisingly dark! Sure, maybe the stakes aren't as high as in a game like super paper mario, but this game still has its moments that can be some of the most emotional in the entire series. The writing is hilarious as usual, and one of my favorite parts of the game. I loved going from location to location waiting to see what ridiculous situations the developers came up with. Seriously, this game is worth buying simply for the yellow streamer area alone. I laughed out loud many times during my playthrough of this game, possibly even more than color splash. And by the way, the ending is awesome. Not just the scene right before the credits roll, but the several hours of gameplay leading up to it had some of the most intense and even creepy moments the series has ever seen. There are a couple of issues here and there, which is why I can't quite bring myself to give this a full 10/10, but it was still an incredible experience for me, even as someone who despised sticker star. I hope the fanbase comes around to this game one day the same way they did for super paper mario. I think this game is deserving a lot of praise that it's not getting right now. Highly recommend.… Expand
  6. scarygirraffe98
    Aug 17, 2020
    10
    Amazing Graphics. Innovative combat. witty dialogue. Fun characters. Incredible worlds to explore. Fantastic music. Fun boss fights. This game blows thousand year door out of the water, and is the best paper Mario yet.
  7. Dukh3
    Aug 22, 2020
    10
    Una maravilla en todos los sentidos. El nivel de detalle es impresionante, muy divertido, con mucha variedad que no deja que te aburras. La dificultad exacta. Vuelve el sentido del humor de Nintendo, pero el bueno, te sacará muchísimas carcajadas.
  8. Britorsk
    Jul 22, 2020
    8
    The game so far is pretty good. My only complaint is the battles are pointless. I would actually enjoy it a lot more if they added some type of experience system to co-inside the unique battle mechanics. The story so far is pretty good and totally carries most of my enjoyment also from the sounds of things its going to get better. I would recommend it to new and old player alike but IThe game so far is pretty good. My only complaint is the battles are pointless. I would actually enjoy it a lot more if they added some type of experience system to co-inside the unique battle mechanics. The story so far is pretty good and totally carries most of my enjoyment also from the sounds of things its going to get better. I would recommend it to new and old player alike but I still don,t think its nearly as great as the first 3 in the series.… Expand
  9. safiredx
    Jul 27, 2020
    6
    The amount of Toads that substitute new and innovative characters is disappointing. I found myself actively avoiding battle by World 4. This game, like many switch titles, had potential but settled for OK.

    My praise is the humor and some of the writing.
  10. Pilotciab
    Jul 30, 2020
    5
    It really is not a good game. I feel like the people who were reviewing this game are lying because most of the "humor" is unfunny. I cannot stand Olivia. She is constantly talking and "singing" which I feel breaks any flow I had in the game. I generally don't care what she has to say because it is usually completely obvious. There are a lot of parts in the game that just feels like I'mIt really is not a good game. I feel like the people who were reviewing this game are lying because most of the "humor" is unfunny. I cannot stand Olivia. She is constantly talking and "singing" which I feel breaks any flow I had in the game. I generally don't care what she has to say because it is usually completely obvious. There are a lot of parts in the game that just feels like I'm doing stuff for no reason.… Expand
  11. NFMO
    Aug 1, 2020
    9
    To give this a 0 and call this game crap just because it's not an RPG anymore it's truly unfair. Paper Mario started going on a different direction, and even thought the last two games weren't up to par and were average, this one truly goes the right direction.
    I can understand some people being frustrated by some aspects of the game like combat or the lackluster character design in some    To give this a 0 and call this game crap just because it's not an RPG anymore it's truly unfair. Paper Mario started going on a different direction, and even thought the last two games weren't up to par and were average, this one truly goes the right direction.
    I can understand some people being frustrated by some aspects of the game like combat or the lackluster character design in some places, but this is truly one of the most, if not the most, charming paper mario. The dialogue and humor is some of the best to date, the world is the most beautifully crafted one yet, and the story is actually good. The soundtrack, for example, is absolutely amazing.
    I find that most of the people rating this low have never played the game and are joining the hate bandwagon that the paper mario community seems to join just because the new games aren't carbon copies of TTYD or 64.
    Many concepts change and I'm actually grateful for that since a lot of these new features are welcome and propel the game towards new heights and develop it further. All in all, I can't really understand why people truly hate this game. It's amazingly done, and one of the best mario games out there. I just wish people wouldn't rate it based on the online hate or even the lack of playing the game itself.
    To conclude, this game is truly great. As a diehard fan of 64 and TTYD I feel like Nintendo is going in the right direction. There are of course things to improve, but overall this was really enjoyable. Gaming is to be enjoyed and to have fun, rather than screaming a new paper mario game isn't good just because it's not the same as a 20 year old title.    … Expand
  12. MrGoombs
    Aug 18, 2020
    10
    Great game here’s pros and cons
    Pros:
    -graphics -Music -one of the partners has a very great scene which gives them a lot of characters despite having a generic design -the weapons and accessories make up for no exp
    -Jokes that actually make you laugh Cons
    -battle system might not be for everyone -not many original character designs

    Overall an amazing game i would definitely recommend
  13. JeromeyC303
    Aug 21, 2020
    10
    I went in pretty skeptical but by the end of my 30 hours with this game I was absolutely in love.
  14. iecd
    Aug 30, 2020
    10
    Amazing spectacular game and easily the best paper Mario. Fun and engaging battle system, just drop down gorgeous visuals, big expansive open world levels with tons to find and explore, the best video game music I’ve heard in a while, and the best writting the series have ever seen. Don’t listen to the bad reviews, this game is one of the best switch games.
  15. Kring_Broo
    Oct 18, 2020
    8
    To me, the biggest strength Origami King has is that it actually TRIES to tell a story in the same vain as TTYD and SPM. It isn’t just a generic “Bowser kidnaps Peach” story like Sticker Star and Color Splash.

    The biggest issue is unlike TTYD and SPM, it doesn’t make enough of an effort to dive beneath deeper waters. Compared to TTYD and SPM, there isn’t really much to decipher in terms    To me, the biggest strength Origami King has is that it actually TRIES to tell a story in the same vain as TTYD and SPM. It isn’t just a generic “Bowser kidnaps Peach” story like Sticker Star and Color Splash.

    The biggest issue is unlike TTYD and SPM, it doesn’t make enough of an effort to dive beneath deeper waters. Compared to TTYD and SPM, there isn’t really much to decipher in terms of lore. I feel like they could of taken an opportunity to expand upon the Vellumentals and the Bibilofolds instead of just making them bosses you have to fight and plot devices you need to pick up. OK doesn’t have its own version of Grifty who explains the lore behind the game like TTYD and SPM do.

    Like, Olly’s motivations were because of a Toad scribbling on him? That’s...kind of lame. Even if the game DOES seem fine with making fun of the “deep” aspect of PM, there should of at least been more of an effort to flesh out Olly’s character like Count Bleck and make him someone we can sympathize with.

    In terms of story it’s definitely a step in the right direction, but they could do SO MUCH more with it. I was happy that they gave us some insight into Bobby as a character, and if they take the extra step to build a more immersive environment then Origami King would of been PERFECT.

    As for the combat, the ring-based system is DEFINITELY a massive improvement over SS and CS’s battle system, in that it actually puts more emphasis on strategy. There were moments where I was genuinely scratching my head and wasting coins on extra time. The biggest gripe I have is that it's incredibly unrewarding at times...if you aren't able to solve the puzzles fast enough you only get maybe 100-150 coins for clearing the battle. Not to mention the over world also kind of throws coins at you, even if it's not much. I feel like the ring-based system could work more IF they flesh it out a bit more.
    Overall, I give Origami King an 8/10. It's a fun little adventure that makes a half-step towards a return to form, but it could be SO MUCH better if they'd fleshed out the story a bit more and made the combat more rewarding.

    At this point, the future of Paper Mario is up in the air. There’s no sure way to tell whether or not the series will continue to abandon its RPG roots or even opt to remaster the older games. All we can do is hope for the best and that Nintendo makes decisions that will please everybody.    … Expand
  16. Automon
    Jan 20, 2021
    1
    Paper Mario: The Origami King, is not a good game. Lets start with the combat. Combat is Paper Mario games (usually) make sense. Here, it makes not darn sense at all. Why are they on a platform? Why are they spinning? The game also gets very repetitive. After a while your like "Oh look. More spinning." It really should be called "Paper Mario: The Circular King". The originality. Am I thePaper Mario: The Origami King, is not a good game. Lets start with the combat. Combat is Paper Mario games (usually) make sense. Here, it makes not darn sense at all. Why are they on a platform? Why are they spinning? The game also gets very repetitive. After a while your like "Oh look. More spinning." It really should be called "Paper Mario: The Circular King". The originality. Am I the only one who likes Paper Mario Sticker Star? Well I like Sticker Star, because gimmick involves paper, and people collect stickers, to put on paper. And in sticker star, you do just that. Same goes with Color Splash. Not Origami King. Who spins paper for a hobby? If I were to make a price for this game, I'd make it free. And lastly, no experience points. It's not even an RPG game if you can't level up, or gain experience points. 1.6/10.… Expand
  17. Ingleberg
    Jan 25, 2021
    4
    Everything about this game is enjoyable, interesting, until you get to the cumbersome combat system. Whoever thought of this should be fired immediately because it's so bad it takes what would have been an 8 out of 10 to a 4 out of 10. In the beginning it's easy and fun but begins to get annoying quick. then later on it becomes so frustratingly difficult that you practically have to buyEverything about this game is enjoyable, interesting, until you get to the cumbersome combat system. Whoever thought of this should be fired immediately because it's so bad it takes what would have been an 8 out of 10 to a 4 out of 10. In the beginning it's easy and fun but begins to get annoying quick. then later on it becomes so frustratingly difficult that you practically have to buy the toads to do one step for you. and guess what, even then it's unbelievably frustrating. The timer is the worst part of it and honestly, I might never buy a Paper Mario game again and this was my first one. One thing is I actually kind of liked the boss battles, but good lord the mob wheels with enemy placement is so far less intuitive for me and you have to constantly do it again and again and again… Expand
  18. Herovero
    Feb 19, 2021
    4
    How to make this game better?
    Remove :
    1. Paper toads (especially red color) 2. Generic enemies 3. Pointless collectibles 4. Coins 5. Uncreative weapon names from SS and CS Add : 1. More unique characters and enemies 2. The ability to control your partners' attack moves and make them permanent use 3. A battle system that gives exp as reward, to prevent you avoid battling when    How to make this game better?
    Remove :
    1. Paper toads (especially red color)
    2. Generic enemies
    3. Pointless collectibles
    4. Coins
    5. Uncreative weapon names from SS and CS

    Add :
    1. More unique characters and enemies
    2. The ability to control your partners' attack moves and make them permanent use
    3. A battle system that gives exp as reward, to prevent you avoid battling when you got 99999 coins
    4. Starpieces and Badges as collectibles
    5. Side quests (For example the mail letters from 64)
    6. New game+ / Hard mode (My personal suggestion)

    The goods :
    1. Puzzles
    2. Olivia's personality
    3. Bowser isn't the final boss
    4. Paper Macho bosses
    5. Beautiful graphic
    6. Interesting story
    7. Soundtracks
    8. Battle Lab    … Expand
  19. Old_Duck
    Apr 4, 2021
    4
    This game is.. Meh..

    It does contain a decent storyline and has the occasional funny moment, but the battles! They seriously bring the game down so much... The ring is fun and original for the first hour of gameplay, but once you get over the excitement that it is another Paper Mario game, the fun stops. Normal battles will become chores, and to be honest, I stopped playing midway    This game is.. Meh..

    It does contain a decent storyline and has the occasional funny moment, but the battles! They seriously bring the game down so much...

    The ring is fun and original for the first hour of gameplay, but once you get over the excitement that it is another Paper Mario game, the fun stops.

    Normal battles will become chores, and to be honest, I stopped playing midway through world 5/6 because I just found the battles soooooooooo tedious.

    Bosses where also rather disappointing. All of them other than a few mache bosses are things (scissors, tape, rubber band, etc.) which is dull in of itself, but then there is the fact that there isn't much strategy to them. You just run around the ring, and depending on the boss use different ways to get to the middle.

    The mache battles are more interesting, fighting giant paper mache pokeys or bloopers, however these are rare occurrences...

    Overall, if you really like puzzles, this might be for you, but if you are looking for the classic RPG that the first three Paper Marios are, this is definitely not the game for you..    … Expand
  20. wb48485
    Apr 16, 2021
    4
    What the game did right is exactly what we expect of a AAA Mario game, bright colorful world, fun uplifting music, generic characters (recolored toads in silly hats), and loads of collectibles. But we really shouldn't be praising Nintendo for what they have been doing since the WII. Intelligent systems did make a change to the Paper Mario formula but unfortunately they spoiled it. TheyWhat the game did right is exactly what we expect of a AAA Mario game, bright colorful world, fun uplifting music, generic characters (recolored toads in silly hats), and loads of collectibles. But we really shouldn't be praising Nintendo for what they have been doing since the WII. Intelligent systems did make a change to the Paper Mario formula but unfortunately they spoiled it. They screwed up the combat system, like all the other negative reviews. They went with a weird ring puzzle design where you attempt to line up the enemies in rows and 2x2 squares. The ring is big with lots of open spaces but they limit the amount of moves you can make per-turn allowing you to only solve most puzzles one way (like a jig-saw puzzle). They added sub weapons that you can use like fire flowers and tanuki suit tail spin but they attack in the same formation as your jump or hammer making them not very useful items. Combat partners are a joke this time around being very useless almost laughable. And to top it all off you get nothing other than coins for the 2-5mins you could be spending every encounter, no exp to make you stronger, no unique items to grind for, just wasted time and more coins for your already overflowing coin pouch.
    Overall this game is like a house with a nice façade but the inside is a mess.    … Expand
  21. clemmish
    Apr 28, 2021
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Paper Mario: The Origami King is a big letdown. I was expecting to revisit old nostalgia by purchasing another Paper Mario game, but I was wrong.
    On the positive side, the music is wonderful and the scenery is amazing. The graphics are awesome and it is a generally good looking game. Although it was shame Nintendo wasted it.
    The battle system is confusing and doesn’t really add anything to the game, especially because you don’t gain rewards from battling. It’s just a hassle.
    Secondly, the characters are painfully unfunny and annoying. The whole game you have this “helper” named Olivia and she constantly talks and none of the dialogue is intriguing in any way. I tried so many times to skip what she was saying because it added nothing and wouldn’t let you progress.
    The story is pretty boring. You walk around and fight a few guys and whatnot. It’s not very outstanding or special like I had hoped.
    Really, I wouldn’t be too upset about my purchase of this game if it wasn’t $60. It would be a fine $20 game you can get to pass the time, but $60?! I wish I could’ve bought something better instead.    … Expand
  22. meursault42
    Apr 30, 2021
    0
    The short version:
    -They removed all of the RPG elements (like, literally all of them, no levels, no exp, weapons degrade and must be repurchased).
    -They made combat an extremely tedious and valueless affair. Like, you don't need gold, you always have an infinite supply from just being alive. -Therefore combat does not reward you in anyway, save to degrade your weapons and cost you    The short version:
    -They removed all of the RPG elements (like, literally all of them, no levels, no exp, weapons degrade and must be repurchased).
    -They made combat an extremely tedious and valueless affair. Like, you don't need gold, you always have an infinite supply from just being alive.
    -Therefore combat does not reward you in anyway, save to degrade your weapons and cost you time.

    So the game, which should make combat the most fun and core element, becomes an arduous slog to avoid combat as much as possible. Each combat becomes a punishment to you and your time.
    Like, honestly, it is similar to freemium mobile games that have built-in ads. The feeling is not "hooray! fight time!" and it's more, "do I have to? I've done 2 already".

    tl;dr The 25 year old snes mario rpg game is OBJECTIVELY a better game. Please don't buy this.    … Expand
  23. chriswenzel
    Jul 2, 2021
    1
    Boring and Poor, such a waste of what used to be a great franchise. Dumbed down wih an exceptionally boring combat system and stock mario characters. Only thing fun was the stock bobomb.. finished it for 75% and then quit because of the exceptionally boring combat system which gets old after 2 battles.
  24. Jonemann
    Jul 12, 2021
    0
    The game is actually pretty good beatiful worlds and areas its really colourful but all of that gets ruined by the way to complex puzzles and the annyoing battles
    First the puzzles i got stuck in shongun land for months cuz of the way to hidden passages i was stuck there for im not kidding for more than a year and now the battels
    Theyre puzzles at first i liked them but after like 10    The game is actually pretty good beatiful worlds and areas its really colourful but all of that gets ruined by the way to complex puzzles and the annyoing battles
    First the puzzles i got stuck in shongun land for months cuz of the way to hidden passages i was stuck there for im not kidding for more than a year and now the battels
    Theyre puzzles at first i liked them but after like 10 matches i got sooo bored and dont even get me started on the boss battels theyre waaaay too complex for me its just not fun
    I didnt buy an RPG to play puzzle games everytime i battel an enemy its too annyoing
    Dont buy this game    … Expand
  25. Supah69
    Jan 20, 2023
    9
    Really nice game with a beautiful artstyle, an interesting story and characters and a fun rpg combat, definitely one of the best paper mario games
  26. Gmsh
    Jan 7, 2022
    0
    I would give 6 or 7 if this game's name is something like 'Mario Adventure: The Origami King'. But no, it is PAPER mario and this title is obviously ruining the series
  27. QantasAviator
    Jan 13, 2022
    2
    I give it credit for creating wonderful environments within the Mario universe but it’s use of an RPG style battle system while the developers themselves are saying they don’t want it to be an RPG style game, raises the question of why a turnstile battle is being used. Replacing this turnstile with literally anything else would make this game far more entertaining and less frustratingI give it credit for creating wonderful environments within the Mario universe but it’s use of an RPG style battle system while the developers themselves are saying they don’t want it to be an RPG style game, raises the question of why a turnstile battle is being used. Replacing this turnstile with literally anything else would make this game far more entertaining and less frustrating without even considering the lack of original characters besides Olivia and Oliver.… Expand
  28. Timo18072007
    Jan 19, 2022
    2
    Absolutely not my type of fun, boss fights are way too boring. However the maps are beautiful, but it‘s the only positive fact about this game. Trash.
  29. greninjaX
    Jul 19, 2020
    0
    another bad paper mario game where battles are pointless. tanabe needs to be taken away from this series and put somewhere else. he can't make a good paper Mario game. he just doesn't get what people liked about the earlier games
  30. Dave1980
    Jul 18, 2020
    10
    A real masterpiece Nintendo is slaying it this generation cant wait for what comes next this yr
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Awards & Rankings

66
#66 Best Switch Game of 2020
2
#2 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 116 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 87 out of 116
  2. Mixed: 29 out of 116
  3. Negative: 0 out of 116
  1. Ninty Fresh Magazine
    Dec 21, 2020
    70
    The Origami King is a game greater than the sum of its parts. It reaffirms Nintendo’s status as king of innovation, even if the folds don’t quite align. [Issue #2, p.66]
  2. Universo Nintendo
    Dec 16, 2020
    95
    Paper Mario: The Origami King arrives on Nintendo Switch with very high quality graphics, a pleasant soundtrack and a plot full of very good humor, typical of the Paper Mario series. Among countless places to visit, bosses to win, and puzzles to solve, the game can be considered one of the best in the franchise.
    Read full review
  3. Hey Poor Player
    Oct 29, 2020
    70
    Paper Mario deserves better. The prestige of a Final Fantasy veteran appropriating his magic onto a handicraft world deserves better. The unforgettable wit and lovable cast expanding Mario lore deserves better. And we know that Intelligent Systems can do better than committing themselves to a misguided identity crisis.
    Read full review
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