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. bound4earth
    Jul 26, 2020
    3
    Pros
    Sounds great
    Looks like Paper Mario Adventuring is great Cons Everything else This is the first time I have ever given a game from a series that I love below a 6/7. Nintendo or Tanabe lost the plot, the story isn't just nonexistent it is horrific how bad it actually presents the little story that exists. They insert the ultimate Navi, she interjects so often, I find myself    Pros
    Sounds great
    Looks like Paper Mario
    Adventuring is great

    Cons
    Everything else

    This is the first time I have ever given a game from a series that I love below a 6/7. Nintendo or Tanabe lost the plot, the story isn't just nonexistent it is horrific how bad it actually presents the little story that exists. They insert the ultimate Navi, she interjects so often, I find myself hating her and wishing she died. The combat is the worst I have seen in any AAA game. They just nuked the entire Paper Mario series. Tanabe doesn't even care, he did an interview where nothing that worked in the series previously can be used in the series going forward. So the next game is probably going to be an apocalypse. No thanks, I am out. What happened to you Nintendo? I thought you had a quality assurance team.

    Nintendo saw Last of Us 2 and said, hold my beer. We can do better by making every aspect of the game the antitheses of the entire series.    … Expand
  2. mtkf
    Jul 26, 2020
    8
    Combat is the only thing I'm not a big fan of, but the boss battles are super fun and the art style and music is fantastic.
  3. SpadonKing
    Jul 26, 2020
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. There will be some spoilers here so be warned. No major endgame spoilers though. Having played all the different paper mario games including the fan favourite thousand year door this was a tough game to buy. Honestly didn't want to because of the battles but enentually did, and boy was I glad I did. To start of this review the game actually begins pretty dark and creepy which for an opening was kind of unexpected and overwhelming but still fun nevertheless. After that the game truly starts and get's lots of fun. I will try to get through every aspect of the game in this review so let's get started. First up the story. This one is honestly pretty good in my opinion. It has a nice combination of humour, seriousness, even creepy at times (beginning parts especially) and lots of character has been put into every different character you come across. Even all the toads have different dialogue. You can find toads scattered across all parts of the world for you to be found and they all have some pretty funny dialogue not gonna lie. Next up the design. The world look absolutly stunning in game. It has vibrant environments and locals. The game has a really good paper ecstatic to it (just like color splash but just that more beautiful) and the world is interconnected so it feels like one huge world instead of different "acts". As for the battle system, that is where it get's a "little" lacking. This time the battle system has a puzzle solving element to it. The arena is made of 4 circles and 8 parts with enemies positioned on each of these parts. The thing you have to do is position them so they are 1. After each other in a line or 2. 4 characters in a square in front of you. After that it is actually just like other paper mario games. Chose the attack and hit them with a jump (the line) or with a hammer (the square) to win, or letting the enemy attack afterwards, rinse and repeat. Whem defeating enemy you only recieve coins instead of exp and confetti (this games version of paint and is used to fill out holes in the world to restore them to their original shape and color). The coins are needed to buy items and weapons. These weapons are like the badges from thousand year door and let you use a new type of attack but the difference is that they break after an x amount of uses. So overall the game is amazing and really worth it if you like paper mario. If yoy are way to nostalgic driven then you might want to skip this one but it is compared to the recent releases (sticker star and color splash) the most old school you will get.… Expand
  4. Tomplinkinstein
    Jul 26, 2020
    2
    Worthless addition to a series that should know better. I'm not mad, just disappointed.
  5. Tim_X2
    Jul 19, 2020
    10
    I love this game. The locations are so beautiful and the Charakteres are interesting.
  6. randomReviewerz
    Jul 26, 2020
    2
    Two hours in and I'm getting really bored. I read all the reviews and was hyped this might actually be "the one", the long awaited decent Paper Mario game. Good story, music environments, battle systems, partners are back, finally!... Oh... wait a second, not really.

    Cons / Just OK: -Coming from TTYD, combat makes no sense. You do a ton of damage even if you miss the cues, you can    Two hours in and I'm getting really bored. I read all the reviews and was hyped this might actually be "the one", the long awaited decent Paper Mario game. Good story, music environments, battle systems, partners are back, finally!... Oh... wait a second, not really.

    Cons / Just OK:

    -Coming from TTYD, combat makes no sense. You do a ton of damage even if you miss the cues, you can essentially one hit anything. The puzzles are boring, hand holdy (you get 2-4 puzzle spins and attacks!) and tedious.

    -No exp, no real rewards from battle. You're instead SHOWERED with coins. Will we finally hit millions or even billions of coins in the next iteration of this game?

    -I'm easily entertained, I laugh at almost anything, but I need to ask, where is this humor everyone keeps talking about? I smirked once or twice, but that's about it. Haha, Luigi dropped his hat...haha...?

    -Contrary to what some have been saying, the environments are just OK in my opinion. It almost feels like people have forgotten how vibrant other Paper Mario or even recent Nintendo games have been. Have we forgotten how beautiful Animal Crossing, Breath of the Wild, Mario Odyssey, etc, have been? This game is no where near that level of epicness yet some reviewers are claiming this game is on a whole other level. This game feels just like par for the course.

    -Maybe just the way the game is designed or just me, but it feels like the game is running between 20-30 fps often.

    -I have no opinion on the music, haven't noticed anything standout or bad either way.

    Pros:

    -I do appreciate the dark story. If you think about it, it's really **** up at times. You'll have your first taste of this dark story during your very first fight. But not just the dark story, the story overall is VERY well put together and different from any Mario game I've played. I won't spoil anything, it's something you need to experience yourself!

    -There is some clever and cute puzzles in the outer world. You need to really investigate an area sometimes to make sure you got everything from it. Sometimes I would spend several minutes trying to figure out how to get to that one ledge or spot. There's also a lot of hidden areas too which is nice.

    -Bowser being an ally has some interesting implications to the story and I appreciate this change. It does get old with "Bowser bad guy again" trope.

    Overall

    Overall, I think that the battle system has once again been the downfall. I'm not sure why Nintendo experiments with every iteration of this game when they know exactly what would work. If you put in the old battle system, I EASILY can give this game a 9-10. But since Nintendo can't bear to listen to its die hard fans, I have to give it a 2/10.

    Back to the Bug Fables, a real "Paper Mario" game.    … Expand
  7. Hennrio
    Jul 26, 2020
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Still no reason for combat no sense of progression/xp no replay value
    Partners are back but you cant control them
    Where is my godamn value a waste of money for a mediocre at best game    … Expand
  8. EUGENE94
    Jul 26, 2020
    0
    Die Kämpfe in Papermario The Origami King waren anfangs ganz lustig nur verliert man schnell die lust daran da sie auser zum coins sammeln unrelewand sind und man ihnen aus dem weg geht von der grafik und open world her kann man sich aber nicht beschweren nur diese Toads(:
  9. ListlessSin
    Jul 25, 2020
    1
    The colors were vibrant but that was about it. If you are looking for an old style paper mario you are out of luck. The combat was very repetitive and had no effect on anything else. You had a couple of partners but they didnt help in any way. Definitely not like in paper mario 64. I finished the game and will never play it again. Unlike the true paper maios like 64 which i have played 6The colors were vibrant but that was about it. If you are looking for an old style paper mario you are out of luck. The combat was very repetitive and had no effect on anything else. You had a couple of partners but they didnt help in any way. Definitely not like in paper mario 64. I finished the game and will never play it again. Unlike the true paper maios like 64 which i have played 6 times through. Its truly sad that nintendo cant seem to get this right and bring back the old style.… Expand
  10. Poohead
    Jul 25, 2020
    6
    its okay good for kids but combat is incredibly simplistic and honestly boring but it looks nice cool art style worth a buy when on sale
  11. Bulbasaurus
    Jul 25, 2020
    9
    Definitely the best one post super paper mario. Great writing, characters, exploration, battle system. Don’t listen to all the hate. Half of these people didn’t even bother trying it before deciding it was bad. Just biased assumptions. Play the game and decide for yourselves people =}
  12. Hool
    Jul 25, 2020
    3
    Utterly disappointing tripe with the feel of a fan game. Writing is sub- par and combat is an embarrassment. Advertised as a return to form but fails at a basic level to be fun.
  13. Poddee
    Jul 25, 2020
    10
    An amazing game! Sure the combat is complex and confusing and it's not like Paper Mario and The Thousand-Year Door, but to be honest, I don't care. I'm up to Shogun Studios and I'm loving many aspects of the game. The combats annoying, but I don't find it that tedious and I'm ok with it. I think it's unique. I'd recommend this game if you haven't already! Try it yourself and show what youAn amazing game! Sure the combat is complex and confusing and it's not like Paper Mario and The Thousand-Year Door, but to be honest, I don't care. I'm up to Shogun Studios and I'm loving many aspects of the game. The combats annoying, but I don't find it that tedious and I'm ok with it. I think it's unique. I'd recommend this game if you haven't already! Try it yourself and show what you think afterwards.… Expand
  14. BlackMajikMan90
    Jul 25, 2020
    5
    The battle system ruins everything.

    It's fun after the first couple tries, but gets boring extremely fast. The boss fights are even worse and after doing the same thing over and over, I started avoiding combat altogether. Especially when the combat is pointless because it only nets you coins. This game is gorgeous to look at and sports the same Paper Mario charm, but that isn't enough to    The battle system ruins everything.

    It's fun after the first couple tries, but gets boring extremely fast. The boss fights are even worse and after doing the same thing over and over, I started avoiding combat altogether.

    Especially when the combat is pointless because it only nets you coins. This game is gorgeous to look at and sports the same Paper Mario charm, but that isn't enough to make up for the atrocious battle system.    … Expand
  15. geames
    Jul 25, 2020
    8
    (Please Note: I have only played the first 3 games as well as Origami King, haven't played Sticker Star or Color Splash). Even though Thousand-Year Door is my second favorite game ever (can't beat Wind Waker), I still enjoyed this game. However, part of that enjoyment came from my accepting the fact that this game would not be like TTYD. By accepting it for what it is, I found enjoyment in(Please Note: I have only played the first 3 games as well as Origami King, haven't played Sticker Star or Color Splash). Even though Thousand-Year Door is my second favorite game ever (can't beat Wind Waker), I still enjoyed this game. However, part of that enjoyment came from my accepting the fact that this game would not be like TTYD. By accepting it for what it is, I found enjoyment in the game. Definitely has its ups and downs though. The combat, in particular, was quite frustrating at times (Boss battles are fun though). I also felt that the story was lacking, and it felt a little too simplistic (are a couple of surprises though). What really kept me going was the humor and world itself. The world provides a lot of unique setpieces (not as unique as TTYD) that made the experience fun. If you're looking for a TTYD sequel, don't get this game. Try out Bug Fables, it's just like the original Paper Mario games and is super fun! But if you're willing to give this game a shot, and experience something new, then I highly recommend The Origami King. The world is fun to explore, there are lots of collectibles, characters have lots of personality, and it's funny!… Expand
  16. InhumanLambent
    Jul 25, 2020
    9
    This game surprised me greatly. Like everyone who has been following this game series, i wasn't too keen on buying it at first due to the disappointing nature of the last two installments, but when i saw small bits of gameplay from the beginning of the game it completely caught my interest with its charming setting, characters and gameplay. Starting off with the least strong suits of theThis game surprised me greatly. Like everyone who has been following this game series, i wasn't too keen on buying it at first due to the disappointing nature of the last two installments, but when i saw small bits of gameplay from the beginning of the game it completely caught my interest with its charming setting, characters and gameplay. Starting off with the least strong suits of the game, the combat system still feels like the aspect that sticks out for being the most awkward thing about the game. It's not a bad fighting system by any means, and the incentives, this being the coins, have become better over time, but it still lacks that revamped rpg feel that we have been yearning for. For the rest of the game, I cannot find too many flaws in it. The story is engaging and filled with comedy and emotions; its characters make said story shine brighter with the amazing scripting and dialogue. You'll definitely get an feels alive handful of laughs out of this game. The world building has been done to where each new location you visit feels alive and real. The people living in each section have their own little cultures and unique quirks that interact with their environment without it feeling unnatural. I will emphasize on the characters since i felt that they're one of, if not the strongest, most enjoyable part of the game. The rosks taken by Nintendo for each dialogue and each interaction with the characters was at sometimes shocking, but always welcomed with excitement and more laughter. This especially happened with the more brutal and creepy moments, as well as the more daring comedic writing. I had an absolute blast playing this game from start to finish, and even got that special feeling of not wanting the game to end so the characters within it would keep living within such an interesting world. Color Splash might've been a small step in the right direction, but Origami King is its own gem with it's own unique feel that reaches out to many old aspects that people missed about the series while keeping its own personality intact. This game is a classic i would've loved to grow up with.… Expand
  17. Evo2404
    Jul 25, 2020
    7
    Good game with fantastic visuals fun and exiting characters interactions and has a most better plot than ss and cs however this is not a game in the same style as the original trilogy of games a lack of exp makes late game battles fell long and pointless it was a fun and interesting battle system witch at the start of the game was fun however by the end of the game I found myself avoidingGood game with fantastic visuals fun and exiting characters interactions and has a most better plot than ss and cs however this is not a game in the same style as the original trilogy of games a lack of exp makes late game battles fell long and pointless it was a fun and interesting battle system witch at the start of the game was fun however by the end of the game I found myself avoiding battles. The world is fun to explore even if I has quite massive pacing issues with long draw out segments and most puzzles just being swing your hammer to make the magic circles a… Expand
  18. robocop2001
    Jul 25, 2020
    4
    Avis sur un historique de 5 heures de jeu :
    - Histoire : OK
    - Musique : OK
    - Graphismes : OK
    - Puzzles : OK
    - Système de combats contre les enemis "normaux" : OK
    Par contre :
    - Système de combats contre les "boss" : horrible ! C'est chiant à mourir !
    - Ce jeu n'est pas un vrai RPG.
    - Système de remplissage de durée de vie : 2 bosses en moins de 10 minutes si on rush un peu...
  19. Devmazing
    Jul 25, 2020
    8
    Not your average Paper Mario game in the RPG sense, but if you're looking for the typical fun story with amazing visuals, and many unique mechanics to boot then this is definitely a game to pick up. The characters each have their own quirkiness to them and although the combat can be a bit tedious at times, the smooth plot development and expressive characters compensates for this and willNot your average Paper Mario game in the RPG sense, but if you're looking for the typical fun story with amazing visuals, and many unique mechanics to boot then this is definitely a game to pick up. The characters each have their own quirkiness to them and although the combat can be a bit tedious at times, the smooth plot development and expressive characters compensates for this and will have me come back for a second play through for sure.… Expand
  20. AlexKidd
    Jul 25, 2020
    7
    I love it so far, dialogue is funny, graphics are good, music is on par. As mentioned by many, the battlesystem sucks. Whoever came up with it, doesn't understand the word 'fun'. You don't get XP from the battles anyway, so i try to stay clear from battles when possible. Shame, could've been a 9 or a 10 if not for the battle system.
  21. Gowomy
    Jul 24, 2020
    8
    Found the first “chapter” pretty slow. But it picks up really quickly after that. Battles i found extremely fun, especially the boss battles as they add a different twist compared to the normal ones.

    Music and overall paper look of the game make the game so much better as they complement the areas or scenarios so well. I found coins to actually be useful. Although I prefer original exp    Found the first “chapter” pretty slow. But it picks up really quickly after that. Battles i found extremely fun, especially the boss battles as they add a different twist compared to the normal ones.

    Music and overall paper look of the game make the game so much better as they complement the areas or scenarios so well.

    I found coins to actually be useful. Although I prefer original exp from past games in the series, coins do have a good use in the game.

    Although it isn’t the paper Mario I’ve been longing for, with traditional combat. This game is filled with charm that blew me away at times. Sure, i do wish there were more unique characters or, accessories to use, but overall this game was exceptional and hit marks that made me love the original games so much.

    Very fun game    … Expand
  22. Sibree
    Jul 24, 2020
    8
    Only issue I had was with the awful fighting mechanics, as I played the game theg became more tolerable but still annoying. Story is excellent with plenty of play time. Took me around 25 hours to beat my first play through while collecting items.
  23. CrispyMiner
    Jul 24, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've only gotten closed to being finished with TTYD when this game came out. I gotta say, while I enjoyed TTYD immensely, Origami King is my favorite Paper Mario game out of the ones that I've played.

    The battle system is great, although tricky at times. The witty humor and writing is great. The entire game graphically and aesthetically looks beautiful. The soundtracks are a banger. My only problems fall when 100% completing the game where there are a few collectibles that I struggled immensely in getting or just didn't enjoy doing, such as the Bossotronic rematches, getting all of the coins in Eddy's River, and getting a Perfect Game in Shy Guys Finish Last.

    Overall, I love this game even during my frustrations of how bad I am at video games. I highly recommend getting this game!    … Expand
  24. WesleyRyan
    Jul 24, 2020
    6
    While at its best, Paper Mario: Origami King is a fun puzzle game with a lot of clever writing packed in it and a gorgeous art style; however at its worst, it has an uninspired plot, lacking any notable character designs, and subjects you to a combat system that ranges from passable, to mildly irritating. If the game had addressed these issues properly, I would be placing it beside theWhile at its best, Paper Mario: Origami King is a fun puzzle game with a lot of clever writing packed in it and a gorgeous art style; however at its worst, it has an uninspired plot, lacking any notable character designs, and subjects you to a combat system that ranges from passable, to mildly irritating. If the game had addressed these issues properly, I would be placing it beside the first two entries in the series, considering it still has a lot to offer. But it looks like Nintendo has made another half-step towards what made the original entries so captivating.

    Nintendo, it's time to find a new producer for Paper Mario, this can still be a series that attracts both new players and the already established fanbase. The recent VideoGamesChronical interview illustrates exactly what Kensuke Tanabe doesn't understand about the series, or simply chooses to ignore.

    Overall, it's worth checking out if you're not already familiar with the franchise or enjoyed the simplicity of the last two entries. However, original fans of the series may be left underwhelmed.    … Expand
  25. Deank1006
    Jul 24, 2020
    7
    Pretty good game. Very creative world. The story is okay. Music is great. My main complaint is after about half the game, the battle system is so annoying. Instead of fighting enemies you try to avoid them. The battle system needs more content to spice it up.
  26. Tavo1994
    Jul 24, 2020
    4
    The horrible puzzle combat didn't even let me want to play this game. Why did the Mario and Luigi games went bankrupt and not this series instead. Nintendo should stop the paper Mario franchise and bring back Mario and Luigi games
  27. lulajardim
    Jul 24, 2020
    10
    Truth be told, 81 is fair score for this game. The only reason i'm giving it a 10 is to help combat all these negative reviews from people that are only giving a bad score due to the fact the game is not a successor to the original paper mario or to TTYD. I wonder how many of those that are giving a bad score actually played the game.
  28. Djmoney
    Jul 24, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is a solid paper Mario entry. I did not like the battle mechanic. The bosses were more interesting. I didn’t like the breakable weapons. The game show part was tedious and completely unnecessary. I didn’t like the final boss fight either. It has mechanics that were completely new for that battle and were not introduced before the final boss. This made getting that last fight out of the way that much more frustrating. Like many other paper Mario entries there was a very good story. Interesting plot, lots of comedy. The attention to detail and paper theming is amazing. The desert level was my favorite by far and you don’t have to get too deep before getting to it.… Expand
  29. MatthewDavisMed
    Jul 24, 2020
    8
    It's definitely flawed, but I feel Paper Mario The Origami King is still a fun adventure even if it feels less of an RPG and more of a turned based combat/puzzle game.
  30. soniction
    Jul 24, 2020
    9
    Interesting and brain-burning,always looking for things,long,unexpected things will come out.
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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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