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. Wuqinglong
    Jul 18, 2020
    4
    Intelligent Systems seems to have accidentally left janky RPG puzzle combat in a Mario adventure game it released. The music was great and the game looks decent visually with some areas much better than other but do not play this if you are looking for an RPG experience.
  2. Krenter
    Jul 19, 2020
    4
    Decepcionante, crei que aprenderian de sus errores anteriores
  3. Spiralblack
    Jul 19, 2020
    0
    Boring, completely fails to captivate like the oldest games in the series can. Just another failure to add to the newest releases of the series.
  4. wow134949
    Jul 19, 2020
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Contains slight ending spoilers, you have been warned

    Impressive sound design and a wholly cohesive art experience cannot compensate for the horrible battle system, the non-existence of original designs and shoddy story. While at times very charming, the game goes overboard on its 'humor' to the point where it doesn't take itself seriously anymore ultimately culminating in (ending spoilers!) King Olly's motivation being literally a gag. After reading some recent interviews this game feels like the epitome of developer talent being channeled into obviously wrong directions. The Origami King peaks very early and only gets worse the longer it goes mainly because of a wholly defunct battle system which should never have been anything but an occasional gimmick. Disappointingly only a 4/10 for a game that nails a lot of details but somehow manages to fail spectacularly on its very basal level.    … Expand
  5. CarloZ999
    Jul 18, 2020
    1
    Da pereza después de las primeras horas, es básicamente lo mismo de siempre
  6. HppyThoughts
    Jul 18, 2020
    3
    First of all I would like to start with the positives of the game. The game has a very colorful world that looks really good to look at. The dialogue is actually pretty funny just like the other paper mario games. Thats unfortunately where my compliments for the game end for me though.

    I wanted to go in liking this game being a paper mario since the very first game but this game just    First of all I would like to start with the positives of the game. The game has a very colorful world that looks really good to look at. The dialogue is actually pretty funny just like the other paper mario games. Thats unfortunately where my compliments for the game end for me though.

    I wanted to go in liking this game being a paper mario since the very first game but this game just has a lot of the design flaws that sticker star and colour splash had. First of all battles are again feel really pointless although I will admit later in the game you do somewhat feel like you need to battle to get some confetti but honestly I think you can just play this game without battling most optional enemies which is a real shame.

    The battle system itself although creative I don't find fun at all. At first it seems intuitive but when for every battle your on a timer it feels really stressful at times with how your going to plan out your next attack which is something I never really felt even from the sticker star and colour splash games. Also although it neat that they introduce equipment rather than stickers and cards it's annoying that they break and it kind of goes back to battles feeling pointless because I'd rather save my stuff for required boss fights and encounters rather than optional enemies.

    It's really quite a shame because I think what this game needs, or the series as a whole, is to fully commit to either the RPG side or action adventure side because this series since sticker star proves that you can't just half put into both the RPG aspect and action adventure aspect. Stick to one and I think maybe you can make a good game out of it but until then we will just have these weird design problems that plague all these games since sticker star.    … Expand
  7. Yohmi
    Jul 19, 2020
    4
    The fight system is just horrible. There is no progress, you just get coins, and coins get you nothing, you already have too much.
    Every fight works the same way, align your ennemies in line or in square, hit and win.
    Failing to align the enemies, and you lose. You're not good at rubik's cube ? this game is going to be your greatest frustration. For me it's a nightmare. The characters    The fight system is just horrible. There is no progress, you just get coins, and coins get you nothing, you already have too much.
    Every fight works the same way, align your ennemies in line or in square, hit and win.
    Failing to align the enemies, and you lose. You're not good at rubik's cube ? this game is going to be your greatest frustration. For me it's a nightmare.
    The characters you meet are all generic. So they can't be lovable, everybody knows that but apparently Nintendo is against it nowadays. We all know what a goomba or a koopa looks like, and we're quite fed up with seeing the very same model over and over. Wrong.
    Exploration is also broken, and it's tied to the battle system : the only hidden things you will find around (a staple of JRPG and the first three Mario RPGs) are clone toads to free. Not equipments, weapons, stuff to make you stronger, change your strategy, nope, you only get toads. Freeing a toad is useless, but allows you to unlock artworks. So you got no motivation in exploring, it's boring.

    I love JRPG, I love Paper Mario on the N64, its sequel on the NGC, I love Octopath Traveler, Dragon Quest XI, the first Mario&Luigi etc. I'm totally fine with slow paced adventure, turn by turn fights. But here, it's just not working. It's a failure, in a time where Nintendo is meeting great success, where Nintendo finally brought back the Mario 64 formula for its platformer with incredible reception, but for Paper Mario, we're stuck in the wrong loop since the 3DS, and unfortunately, this Switch version is not what people wanted, is not what fans want.

    I gave it a 4, which is an extremely severe rating for me, because two days in a row I stopped playing, not because it was 3 AM and I should really need some sleep, but because I was bored and frustrated. It's not something I ever experienced with a Nintendo game, I'm so disappointed.    … Expand
  8. Bulletstorm
    Jul 19, 2020
    4
    The game looked very promising in the initial announcement but has fallen short in nearly every aspect. Early entries in the series had an engaging story and an interesting cast of characters, sadly, the same can not be said for the origami king. Fans of the series were also hoping for a return to the rpg roots of the series but instead we get a battle system which does not feel rewardingThe game looked very promising in the initial announcement but has fallen short in nearly every aspect. Early entries in the series had an engaging story and an interesting cast of characters, sadly, the same can not be said for the origami king. Fans of the series were also hoping for a return to the rpg roots of the series but instead we get a battle system which does not feel rewarding and gets boring really fast.… Expand
  9. BlunderFunk
    Jul 18, 2020
    0
    I mean there is 0 incentive to go into battle, we go back again to the issues the last 2 entries had, no way to earn xp and upgrade yourself. Equips have durability? excuse me? am I playing dead raising? That's the thing that put me off from breath of the wild and hell no am I having this again with paper mario, you can literally play the game and never die...I already saw 2 playthroughsI mean there is 0 incentive to go into battle, we go back again to the issues the last 2 entries had, no way to earn xp and upgrade yourself. Equips have durability? excuse me? am I playing dead raising? That's the thing that put me off from breath of the wild and hell no am I having this again with paper mario, you can literally play the game and never die...I already saw 2 playthroughs were people never died and how come you can do 3/4 of damage to a boss just by using the flower item???? this game is literally for kids not gonna lie, but the game is way to boring to play. I can only see kids liking this as they just see mario on the cover. Filling holes are a chore to do as that's the only mechanic like the spots in color splash. And gods sake partners....why nintendo doesn't give a **** about original partners and bosses? the bosses in this game seems like a joke honestly...Paper mario is still king from 64 to wii, but after that is a waste of money and time. The only good thing I can say about this are the jokes in the story.… Expand
  10. Goodnightmoon
    Jul 19, 2020
    10
    Critics are right, this game is fantastic, gameplay works, graphics are amazing, music is awesome and the writing is so fun. This is one of the funniest experiences on Switch, people is blinded by nostalgia.
  11. joshyleon
    Jul 19, 2020
    0
    its great to have a funny game,but the game just keep trying to be funny constantly where is get annoying
    and the battle system really useless
    feel like 60$ robed
  12. Beto1960
    Jul 18, 2020
    10
    The paper Mario saga has a great return with this Game i love it, 10/10 guys
  13. nemuiyo
    Jul 19, 2020
    10
    This is a great game that some users are reviewing with abysmal scores because dissing on quality productions is somewhat trendy and being edgy is the new cool.
  14. Hahn
    Jul 19, 2020
    10
    Beautifull
    - Good adventure game
    - Beautiful game
    - Creative fight mechanic
    - Cool Boss Fights
  15. PotatSalad
    Jul 18, 2020
    10
    This game is actually pretty good. I wouldn’t exactly consider this game a sticker star 3 or a color splash 2 as it gets rid of my two least favorite aspects of those games, which were the “things” and the single use cards and stickers. Battles feel like much less of a chore than those of color splash, and while the return of partners feels mediocre at best, the game still feels much lessThis game is actually pretty good. I wouldn’t exactly consider this game a sticker star 3 or a color splash 2 as it gets rid of my two least favorite aspects of those games, which were the “things” and the single use cards and stickers. Battles feel like much less of a chore than those of color splash, and while the return of partners feels mediocre at best, the game still feels much less barren and lonesome than the last two paper Mario games. Don’t play this game expecting it to be the next TTYD, however. If you play with that mindset you WILL be disappointed.… Expand
  16. atillaakay
    Jul 21, 2020
    10
    Very very charming and always nice to see Nintendo invent new ways to play this game is a must play
  17. GARU94
    Jul 22, 2020
    10
    After playing it for 40 hours until 100% completion I can say that this is easily one of the most grate surprises Nintendo has given me in years. After the boringly disappointing Sticker Star and its sequel Color Splash that didn't do enough to improve upon it, Intelligent Systems managed to get their stuff together and delivered the best Paper Mario experience since the beloved ThousandAfter playing it for 40 hours until 100% completion I can say that this is easily one of the most grate surprises Nintendo has given me in years. After the boringly disappointing Sticker Star and its sequel Color Splash that didn't do enough to improve upon it, Intelligent Systems managed to get their stuff together and delivered the best Paper Mario experience since the beloved Thousand Year Door despite insisting on departing from its RPG roots. The Origami King is a beautiful, charming and fun Adventure game that is more similar to a Zelda game than any other Mario game out there, and it managed to keep me hooked in its world for the entire duration of it.

    I know this game is probably going to be a bit divisive among long time fans of the series, but for what it is, Origami King stands on its own as one of Nintendo's most refined adventures in recent times. Go play it for yourself and stop doubting the direction its taken, this time they got it right    … Expand
  18. moiseskhaleb
    Jul 30, 2020
    10
    Good game with no inclusions and politics perfect for all, really good game
  19. Rocketmantan
    Jul 21, 2020
    10
    If The Last of Us Part 2 score 10/10, then this game deserves 20/10, since TLOU2 is just trash filled with political agenda and woke culture. This game is so so so much fun, this is how game should be made!
  20. MrOvechkin
    Jul 18, 2020
    9
    This paper mario entry might lack the combat system we all know and love about the first two games. But I'm currently 8 hours in and I'm just really loving the open worldness feel/comedy side to the story is charmingly hilarious. Definitely a must buy for any paper mario fan who played them all!
  21. Memes_foreverTM
    Jul 18, 2020
    9
    Paper Mario: The origami King es un aire nuevo a la franquicia que algunos creían muerta de Paper Mario, este juego vino a dar una nueva perspectiva a la saga con una trama oscura casi similar a la segunda entrega de la saga, trayendo escenarios nuevos, con unoas formas muy coloridas y una historia de la cual no hablare por no Spoilear, su fallo mayor son nuevamente los combates, losPaper Mario: The origami King es un aire nuevo a la franquicia que algunos creían muerta de Paper Mario, este juego vino a dar una nueva perspectiva a la saga con una trama oscura casi similar a la segunda entrega de la saga, trayendo escenarios nuevos, con unoas formas muy coloridas y una historia de la cual no hablare por no Spoilear, su fallo mayor son nuevamente los combates, los cuales te pareceran inecesarios y hasta algo aburridos aunque muy parecidos a los originales, aunque no tiene la escencia que deberia… Expand
  22. Clyle2046
    Jul 18, 2020
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Awesome Game! Once you get use to the battle system (in particular for Boss fights), the game is just perfect. That is the only reason I gave it a 9 instead of a 10/10.… Expand
  23. ragnevi
    Jul 20, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I loved the game Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros and was really hoping for something similar. It's not. The story is weak (but who plays Mario game for the story anyway), the fighting system is really repetitive, and since it doesn't really reward you in any way you are just trying to avoid them (you get coins but they are everywhere and it's not like you can buy much). They are also extra hard if you are one of those who has a problem with a drifting joy-con. Most of the time you are collecting Toads, I do not really know why though. They give you sometimes a funny oneliner and they are off. What is great about the game is the graphic style and music. But the game is lacking something, it feels like it's not really done and it where rushed so Nintendo would have a game to release during the summer.… Expand
  24. sarisa
    Oct 4, 2020
    2
    Many praise soundtrack for this game. Although in fact it's the weakest point imo. Yeah, I know battle system is controversial here... but at least it is "controversial". Music is on the other hand bland, generic and generally lackluster. For the most time it doesn't even match what's happening on screen. On the other side we have pretty average game full of humor and goofy story. IfMany praise soundtrack for this game. Although in fact it's the weakest point imo. Yeah, I know battle system is controversial here... but at least it is "controversial". Music is on the other hand bland, generic and generally lackluster. For the most time it doesn't even match what's happening on screen. On the other side we have pretty average game full of humor and goofy story. If you're deaf maybe you will like it.

    Edit: Unfortunately, after spending a lot more time with this game, I have to admit it was a total waste of time. As a result, I have to lower my score from the initial 4/10 to 2/10. The more you progress, the worse, and the only thing that keeps repeating in your head is the thought "this game was written and designed by idiots!" In terms of narrative, the game tries to be initially fun, but ends up being pathetic. OK, I know - it's all forgivable. You say that many stupid decisions were made in this game (not even counting the combat system), but still the game is overall OK. Below overage, but not a total disaster. I could agree for the most time. However, what happens at the end of the game is just overkill. Somewhere later in the story, you have a mandatory "mini-game" (yes, that Shy-guy show), in which after scoring 100 points in fairly easy but wrongly designed challenges (you always know the right answer but rarely have enough time to align the wheels... ), as "the icing on your frustration cake" you have to answer what is the correct word used in the first song in the game (this silly one with dancing trees). A song, that you obviously cannot remember because it passed so much time. And you think, "so what?" - there surelly cannot be any consequences for that. Oh boy, how wrong you are! The thing is, that it's just "game over" if you can't answer correctly. All of sudden - after collecting all toads, all hidden blocks to this point you're rewarded with game over. Just because you don't remember silly song from the beginning. And nobody ever told you to memorize it! Is this the most important aspect of Origami King? Thats what it's all about - silly game about dancing trees! Didn't know that? What a **** At the beginning I thought that maybe it was just random bad decision in this particular moment of this game, or maybe they again wanted to be "that funny". But then I recalled many situations like that in this game.. Nope. This was made all on purpose. You know why? Because apparently they hired bunch of monkeys who had smoked weed while designing this game. And you paid them your hard earned money for that. Don't get me wrong. Game execution is OK - the engineers did good job. It's writers & designers who should be fired here.
    Don't be stupid like me - do not buy this game. It's neither for children nor for parents. It has no purpose and playing this gives you nothing. It's like B-class movie which was supposed to be and advertiesed as B-class pastishe, but fells flat and ends up with cringe.    … Expand
  25. gddurruti
    Jul 22, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Está divertidísimo, bastante emocional y los jefes son muy retadores, el Villano cumple muy bien su función, los diálogos son buenísimos; por otro lado falla en precisión del joycon, no hay evolución del personaje (incrementar nivel, solo corazones, no hay ataques tándem cómo en "Superstar saga") en cambio tienes que comprar objetos más poderosos, es un juego muy largo y colorido, el soundtrack está muy genial, los puzzles muy buenos... Yo le pondría un 9.5, está muy bueno para mí perspectiva, a diferencia de los "Review bombing" en metacritic que se nota que no lo jugaron. Son geniales los mapas y las inteligentes búsquedas de toads, quienes te ayudan en tus batallas (siempre que los encuentres y les pagues con monedas), a mí me encantó el teatro, el barco, la zona ninja y samurai, bastante interesante el desierto..... Es un clásico instantáneo, de los mejores Paper Mario.… Expand
  26. DutchPotato
    Jul 28, 2020
    0
    it's truly baffling how Intelligent Systems can clearly put so much time, care and effort into making this lovelingly crafted (and at times increadibly beautiful) paper craft world while simultanously putting so little thought into making the game actually fun and interesting.
  27. camrnnn
    Jul 20, 2020
    10
    The games actually really good my favorite paper mario games are the original 2 but this game is up there with them to me.
  28. Evandro_mn
    Jul 19, 2020
    6
    Jogo fraquinho... sistema de batalha chato, na real se puder fugir das batalhas (de todas elas) não vai influenciar em nada...
    O jogo só é bonitinho...
  29. Henryseraph
    Jul 19, 2020
    6
    No hay mucho que agregar a un juego de Mario.
    Hasta el momento el mejor juego de Mario en Nintendo switch Sigue siendo Mario odissey.
  30. traziona
    Jul 19, 2020
    10
    Best Paper Mario since the Wii days. Also, a completionist's nightmarish heaven.
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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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