Paper Mario: The Origami King
- This article is about the Nintendo Switch game. For other uses, see Paper Mario: The Origami King (disambiguation).
- "Origami King" redirects here. For the main antagonist of the game also known as the "Origami King", see King Olly.
| Paper Mario: The Origami King | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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North American box art For alternate box art, see the related gallery. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developer | Intelligent Systems | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publisher | Nintendo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Platform | Nintendo Switch | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Languages | English Japanese Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Dutch French (Canada) French (Europe) German Italian Korean Spanish (Latin America) Spanish (Europe) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Genres | Role-playing, action-adventure | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Paper Mario: The Origami King is an action-adventure, turn-based role-playing game and the sixth installment in the Paper Mario series, released on the Nintendo Switch worldwide on July 17, 2020. The game follows Mario and a new companion, Olivia, opposing the villainous King Olly and his army of familiar characters turned into origami soldiers, which have taken over the Mushroom Kingdom.
The title follows the gameplay style of its two predecessors, Paper Mario: Sticker Star, and Paper Mario: Color Splash, in which role-playing elements are deemphasized in favor of action-adventure mechanics, which focus on exploration and puzzle-solving instead of character-driven plotlines and experience-based stat optimization. Also similar to those predecessors is the focus on specific arts and crafts; while the story of The Origami King is centered around origami itself, comparable to stickers from Sticker Star and paint from Color Splash, other materials such as confetti and papier-mâché feature in the gameplay. Conversely, this game abandons the self-contained level format used by the later installments, instead adopting an interconnected world akin to the first two Paper Mario games. In terms of combat, Paper Mario: The Origami King does not feature a battle system which uses finite items like Sticker Star and Color Splash, as it instead uses an original ring-based system that prioritizes puzzle-solving instead of strategy, and also introduces real-time combat to the series in the form of the Paper Macho Soldiers.
Plot[edit]
Prologue[edit]
Mario and Luigi drive to Toad Town for the Origami Festival after being invited by Princess Peach. The brothers arrive to discover the town and Peach's Castle are deserted. Upon entering the castle, they are locked inside and split up, Luigi heading to search for the castle key and Mario heading into the castle foyer. Peach enters the foyer, having been folded into origami, and drops Mario into a dungeon where several of Bowser's minions are being held. Mario discovers a Magic Circle and initiates the 1,000-Fold Arms technique, using them to free an origami girl named Olivia. After escaping their cell, Mario and Olivia free Bowser, who was square-folded, restricting his mobility.
Escaping to the upper terrace of Peach's Castle, Mario is attacked by a group of Bowser's Minions that were also folded into origami, known as Folded Soldiers. After defeating the minions, the leader of the origami reveals himself as Olivia's older brother, King Olly. He summons five streamers from across the Mushroom Kingdom to wrap around Peach's Castle and rip it out of the ground. Mario, Olivia, and Bowser escape the castle in a Koopa Clown Car piloted by a Shy Guy, but are quickly knocked out of the Clown Car by the red streamer. Bowser is saved by the Shy Guy, while Mario and Olivia fall into a nearby forest. Olly sets Peach's Castle down atop the peak of a far-off volcano.
Red streamer[edit]
Mario and Olivia land in Whispering Woods and notice that Olly moved Peach's Castle. They set out to unravel the five streamers, find Luigi, and defeat Olly. Eventually, they get back to the abandoned Toad Town, now being destroyed by Paper Macho Goombas. After defeating the Goombas and finding some Toad Town citizens, they go to search the remains of Peach's Castle and find Luigi. He quickly sets off to find the key to Peach's Castle.
Following the red streamer, Mario and Olivia travel to Picnic Road. They find the door to the Earth Vellumental Temple, which is locked due to four of the five Shell Stones required to open it being stolen by Folded Soldiers. They rescue the stones and return them to the door, giving them access to the turtle-like god known as the Earth Vellumental. However, the Vellumental had been folded into origami, forcing Mario to fight it. Upon defeating, Olivia gains the ability to transform into the Vellumental and manipulate earth, allowing Mario and her to access Overlook Tower, where the source of the red streamer lies. At the top of the tower, the duo confronts Colored Pencils, one of Olly's generals. After defeating the boss, Mario unravels the red streamer.
Blue streamer[edit]
Mario and Olivia next follow the blue streamer and take a tram station to Autumn Mountain. On the tram, they meet Bob-omb, a happy-go-lucky amnesiac, whom Olivia nicknames Bobby. He tags along with them as they travel to the Water Vellumental Shrine. Upon defeating the origami Water Vellumental, Olivia gains the ability to fold into the Vellumental and create water. She uses this power to refill a dry lake and the Eddy River, which the trio travel down to reach Shogun Studios, a popular theme park.
Mario, Olivia, and Bob-omb enter the park, finding it almost entirely deserted. They are tasked with finding the park's master key to rescue the park staff, who are trapped in the high castle tower. After traveling through the whole park, they rescue Luigi in the employee area of the Ninja Attraction, who found the master key, mistaking it for the key to Peach's Castle. The trio unlocks the tower gates and enter Big Sho' Theatre. After participating in three performances, they face off against Rubber Band, another one of Olly's generals. After defeating Rubber Band, Mario destroys the blue streamer, saving the park and bringing them closer to saving Peach's Castle. The park celebrates with a fireworks ceremony, which jogs Bob-omb's memories.
Yellow streamer[edit]
Mario, Olivia, and Bob-omb continue down the Eddy River, no longer blocked by the blue streamer, to Sweetpaper Valley. They are confronted by Olly and Olivia gets crushed by a massive boulder. Bob-omb recalls a way to save Olivia and takes Mario to the Great Sea. They sail out to a deserted cruise ship known as the Princess Peach. The duo find the suite Bob-omb originally stayed in. The lockbox inside, which Bob-omb was looking for, is snatched by Paper Macho Gooper Blooper, which Mario fights off at the deck of the ship. Retrieving the lockbox, the duo return to Sweetpaper Valley, where Bob-omb reveals the lockbox contains his late friend's fuse. He uses the fuse to blow himself up, destroying the boulder and freeing Olivia. Olivia runs off, devastated by Bob-omb's sacrifice, and is only cheered up by Mario donning a Goomba Mask after the suggestion of Bob-omb's ghost.
Mario and Olivia head into the Scorching Sandpaper Desert, where the sun is cut out of the sky. After traveling through the desert and obtaining information in Snif City, they rescue the ancient historian Professor Toad from the insides of a Mega Paper Macho Pokey. The professor is pursuing the legend of Khap'taan Teeowed and tags along with the duo, utilizing his ability to reach ancient writings to solve the ruins' puzzles. The trio perform an ancient ritual in the desert to open the Fire Vellumental Cave and defeat the origami Fire Vellumental within. Olivia gains the ability to fold into the Vellumental and light fires, which she uses to light fires in three Toad monoliths and unearth the Temple of Shrooms.
Inside the temple, the Mario, Olivia, and Professor Toad discovers many zombie-like faceless Toads and a DJ being held hostage. The trio find the "Thrills at Night" disc, round up the faceless Toads, and summon the next of Olly's enforcers: Hole Punch. After defeating Hole Punch, Mario destroys the yellow streamer and frees the desert sun. The trio head to the newly-opened Sun Altar, and find Captain T. Ode preserved in a block of ice. Olivia frees the captain, who heads off in search of his old submarine, the Super Marino. Mario and Olivia follow the captain, while Professor Toad stays behind in the desert.
Purple streamer[edit]
Returning the Toad Town, Mario and Olivia find Captain T. Ode, who reclaims ownership of his own submarine. The sub is attached to Sea Captain Toad's ship, and T. Ode, Mario, and Olivia head out into the Great Sea. After clearing the thick fog that covers the sea, they discover the source of the purple streamer at the Sea Tower, but are unable to enter without the three orbs located in Diamond Island. They travel between many islands, eventually meeting up with Luigi on Mushroom Island, who holds the key to Diamond Island. The brothers decide to find the island's resident and free the Origami Craftsman from the walls of his workshop. The craftsman reveals he created King Olly for the Origami Festival using the forbidden Fold of Life. Olly turned on his creator and set out to fold the world in his image, using the Origami Craftsman's notes to fold Olivia. The craftsman shares a set of notes with Olivia before she heads back to the ship with Mario.
Mario and Olivia use the key Luigi obtained to access the submerged Diamond Island, where three temples stand, housing the Trials of Power, Wisdom, and Courage; and the nearby Ice Vellumental Mountain. The duo must travel up the mountain and defeat the Ice Vellumental at its peak. After defeating the final Vellumental, Olivia gains the ability to fold into it and utilize its ice powers to access the Trials of Wisdom and Courage. After completing all three trials, Mario and Olivia turn to the Sea Tower and climb up to its peak. At the top, they face off against Tape, and upon the stationery's defeat, Mario destroys the purple streamer.
Green streamer[edit]
Mario and Olivia notice the green streamer peeking out from above the clouds. A mysterious light appears on top of the Sea Tower, and stepping into it transports them to Shangri-Spa, where Bowser's Castle had crash-landed. The duo meets up with Kamek, who is unable to return to the castle due to the folded Boss Sumo Bro guarding the entrance. Bowser Jr. flies in, whose Junior Clown Car would allow access to Boss Sumo Bro, but is shredded by another one of Olly's generals: Scissors. Kamek reluctantly joins up with Mario and Olivia, and the group travels to four of the spa's springs in order to revive Jr. However, when Jr. soaks in the Spring of Jungle Mist for too long, he ends up losing his color. The group travels to the Spring of Rainbows, which involves winning the game show Shy Guys Finish Last. The spring restores Bowser Jr.'s color, allowing him to take Mario up to Boss Sumo Bro. The boss is defeated, allowing the group and all of Bowser's minion access to Bowser's Castle again.
Bowser's minions start a large clash with the Folded Soldiers, while Mario, Olivia, and Kamek search for the key to the throne room, which Kamek believes to be in his quarters. Along the way, Kamek disappears, but Mario is able to find the castle key in the hands of Luigi, who once again mistook it for the key to Peach's Castle. Soon after, Olivia is snatched by a shadowy hand and all of Bowser's minions disappear as well. On the way to the throne room, Mario battles Big and Li'l Cutout Soldiers, until reaching the creature that captured Olivia, the Handaconda, whom Mario defeats in a game of rock paper scissors. In the following room, the duo finds the cut-up remains of Bowser's minions. They then face off against the Paper Mistake Buzzy Beetle, created by Scissors, before fighting Scissors itself. After defeating both bosses, Mario is able to revive Bowser's minions, free Bowser, and destroy the green streamer.
Origami Castle[edit]
Bowser mobilizes his army, along with Mario and Olivia, onto a new airship, which they use to travel to Peach's Castle. However, they are intercepted by the Paper Plane Squadron, and one large jet dives into the airship, causing the ship to crash into Hotfoot Crater. Mario, Olivia, Kamek, and Bowser Jr. are chased up the volcano by a horde of Paper Macho Goombas, with Kamek and Bowser Jr. staying behind to keep back the horde. Mario and Olivia meet up with Bowser, and the three use the airship cannon to launch to the ground outside of Peach's Castle. Luigi meets up with them, who inadvertently had the key to the castle lodged in his kart's tailpipe. Inside, the group is greeted by Origami Peach, before Olly refolds Peach's Castle into Origami Castle.
Mario, Olivia, and Bowser travel through the newly folded castle and eventually reach Olly, who summons the Stapler. After defeating the final Legion of Stationary member, Bowser finally manages to unfold himself. After a pep talk from Bowser to raise Olivia's spirits, the trio confronts King Olly in his throne room. Inside, they attempt to reason with Olly, who reveals Peach has been folded into the rear wall of the throne room. Olly reveals that his grudge against the Toads originates from a scribble the Origami Craftsman left, which Olly believes was left carelessly. He has already folded 999 origami cranes and intends to use Mario to create the final crane, which will grant him his wish to turn every Toad into blank scraps. Olly engages in battle against Mario and Olivia, using his own versions of the Vellumentals. After being defeated by Olivia's Vellumentals, Olly folds himself into a large sumo wrestler, which Olivia counteracts by folding Bowser into a giant origami sumo wrestler. Mario assists Bowser in knocking Olly off the platform, but Olly rises again as a giant version of his normal self and unleashes his inner rage which turns into a poisonous gas. Olivia summons a massive Magic Circle, which when completed, transforms Olivia into the design given to her by the Origami Craftsman: a giant hammer, defeating Olly for good.
In Olly's final moments, Olivia discovers the scribble on him and reveals it was actually a hopeful message that he become a good king. Repentant, Olly entrusts his 999 cranes to Olivia and allows her to use his body as the final one. Luigi, Kamek, and Bowser Jr. arrive with the Origami Craftsman who instructs Olivia on how to make a paper crane. She then wishes to undo all the origami her brother folded, including herself. The thousand cranes grant her wish and carry Peach's Castle back to its proper place in Toad Town. Everyone lands outside the castle along with a restored Princess Peach, and realizes that Olivia is absent.
That night, the Mushroom Kingdom and Bowser's army celebrate the Origami Festival together. The Origami Craftsman reveals his contribution: the original, scaled-down Origami Castle, complete with thrones for the two origami siblings. Mario expresses his sadness over Olivia's sacrifice, but Peach insists that she is still with them in spirit. To finish the celebrations, everyone releases paper lanterns into the night sky in honor of origami. Afterwards, the Mario Bros. drive home as the credits roll.
If the player achieves 100% completion and defeats the final boss, the photos receive golden frames, and a post-credits scene plays in which the Origami Craftsman places miniatures of Olly and Olivia beside each other on his castle in the center of Toad Town.
Gameplay[edit]
Overworld gameplay[edit]
The overworld exploration is quite different from the series' standard; whereas the previous three games were either sorted into individual chapters or levels, Paper Mario: The Origami King switches to a completely open-world style of progression, with Mario being able to travel to any of the game's locales completely on foot like the first two games. The main quest of the game is to destroy the five streamers that King Olly has wrapped around Peach's Castle by tracking down a spool, defeating the Legion of Stationery boss guarding it, and then smashing it.
Mario's basic moveset consists of jumping and being able to hit things with his hammer. If Mario attacks an enemy with one of these moves, he either deals bonus damage to them at the start of the battle, or defeats them outright if his health is high enough. When items are struck with the hammer, they usually drop small amounts of confetti. This confetti can be used to repair Not-Bottomless Holes found throughout the world, which rewards Mario with coins or repairs objects. Early in the game, Mario gains the special 1,000-Fold Arms ability, which can be triggered by standing on Magic Circles and is used to solve puzzles or defeat bosses. Mario's partner Olivia gains the ability to use various elemental-themed powers by collecting Bibliofolds, which are activated when standing on their respective Magic Circles. Additionally, Mario can ask Olivia for hints at any point on the overworld, or use any items he has collected.
Each area has a variety of collectibles to find, which are tracked in the pause menu. In addition to Not-Bottomless Holes, Toads are hidden around most areas, either being folded into different shapes, crumpled, or otherwise in trouble. If Mario rescues a Toad, it will join his audience in battle. Rescuing certain Toads can also progress the game's plot or provide access to extra facilities in Toad Town. Other collectible items include ? Blocks, which give Mario coins and helpful items when struck, and Collectible Treasures, optional trophies of characters or objects which are either found hiding in treasure chests or can be purchased from shops.
Other items that can be used on the overworld are purchased from the Fun, Funky, and Functional accessory stores or gained from the Sensor Lab. The accessory stores sell items that alert Mario to collectibles, make gathering confetti easier, give discounts at stores, or provide cosmetic bonuses. The Sensor Lab gives tools that either help Mario find hidden objects or disguise himself from enemies. The Scorching Sandpaper Desert allows Mario to use a Boot Car to traverse the desert faster.
In the settings menu, there is an option to control certain aspects of the game with motion controls or entirely with the controller buttons. This applies to the 1,000-Fold Arms, fishing, and the Super Marino. Three settings are locked with four question marks. They are unlocked by going to the Battle Lab. The first unlockable setting offers hints for battles with the Puzzle Solver, the second adds time to each battle's clock with the Timer Extender, and the third lets the player control the amount of coins the Timer Extender will spend.
Battle system[edit]
The combat system of The Origami King is overhauled compared to the previous game. In this game, enemies appear on a circular battle arena with 4 rings going outward, each consisting of 12 spaces. Mario stands in the center, and enemies must be arranged in the intended formation by sliding and rotating the panels on the rings. A correct formation is usually a straight line of enemies or a 2x2 square and gives Mario a 1.5x damage boost for the next turn if he successfully arranges the enemies. The line-up phase of battles also has a timer and a limit of how many moves Mario can make, although he can undo his moves until he has spent all of them or the timer runs out. During this phase, Mario can also ask Olivia for a hint, attempt to flee, or spend coins to increase the timer.
An audience of Toads that have been saved watches Mario during battle and makes comments throughout. During the line-up phase, Mario can Cheer by throwing a maximum of 999 coins towards the Toads. The more coins that have been spent, the better the effects of the Cheer are. A Cheer will have the Toads throw trash to damage some enemies, move the rings closer to the correct solution, and give Mario healing and items. Cheering can only be done once per turn.
Once the enemies have been lined up, Mario gets to attack using his weapons. He has permanent Boots and Hammer attacks, in addition to stronger weapons with durability that break after a few uses, and one-use battle items. The Jump, Iron Jump, Hurlhammer, Fire Flower, and Ice Flower attacks hit a straight line of enemies, Hammer attacks and the Tail hit a 2x2 square, and the POW Block hits every grounded enemy on the board and stuns. Mario is allowed to use extra attacks or items per turn if there are more enemies and if he has lined them up properly. Action Commands can be landed by pressing the buttons at the right time, making attacks deal more damage.
If Mario is attacked by multiple enemies at once on the overworld, this may initiate a Wave Battle. If the Vellumental powers have been unlocked, these Wave Battles will often have a Magic Circle being held by one of the enemies. Lining up the enemies properly and then defeating that enemy will cause the Magic Circle to drop at Mario's feet, where he can then activate the circle on his following turn, defeating all of the enemies on the board.
Any equipped accessories activate at the start of a battle, and can either reduce how much damage Mario takes, give him extra time, or give him extra health. Some enemies may enter battle angry, giving them access to special group and team-up attacks. If there are only a few enemies remaining, Mario is given a damage boost and the line-up phase is skipped. Mechakoopas have a chance to replace an enemy at random in certain areas, and give extra coins when defeated.
During enemies' turns, they attack Mario individually or as a group. Groups of enemies have access to special team moves that usually do more damage and attack in unison. Mario can Guard attacks to take reduced damage if the player times a button press before the attacks land. After attacking, the enemies move to different positions on the board.
If Mario has an active partner, they attack at the end of the turn. They have a pre-set formation, and the player cannot influence which enemies are attacked. The partner's attack damage can be boosted with the Ally Tambourine. Most partner attacks have a chance to miss at random.
At the start of the game, enemies start off battle by being placed in their correct positions, then jumping into shuffled positions. Once Mario destroys the red streamer, battles always start with the enemies being shuffled.
Bonuses[edit]
There are various bonuses that affect the amount of coins Mario earns after battle. Every applicable bonus is summed up at the end of battle:
- Clear Bonus: A different Clear Bonus is assigned to each battle encounter, although it is usually 100, 160, or 180 coins at a base level. Any coins Mario earns from defeating enemies are added to the sum. Three extra conditions will add 10 coins each to the counter: if Mario First Strikes the enemy, if Mario Guards an enemy attack at least once, and if Mario lands at least one Excellent Action Command.
- Puzzle-Completion Bonus: Earned for solving a puzzle. This bonus is up to 100% of the Clear Bonus depending on how efficiently Mario arranged the rings.
- No-Damage Bonus: Earned for finishing a battle without taking damage. 50% of the Clear Bonus.
- 1,000-Fold Arms Finisher: Earned for finishing a battle with a Magic Circle attack. 50% of the Clear Bonus.
- Wave-Battle Bonus: Earned for finishing a Wave Battle. 50% of the Clear Bonus.
- Boss Clear Bonus: Earned for beating a boss. 100% of the Clear Bonus.
Miss points[edit]
A running total of "miss points" is held throughout the game, incrementing when Mario performs poorly in battle. The amount of miss points is not visible in-game and is only tracked internally. Earning miss points is purely beneficial, and they cannot be subtracted from the total once added. The following actions grant Mario miss points:
- Cheering: approximately[a] +1 point per 300 coins spent
- Adding time to the timer: approximately[b] +2 points per second added
- Getting a Nice action command: +5 points
- Using a Mushroom, Shiny Mushroom, or Flashy Mushroom: +10 points
- Failing to block an attack: +50 points
- Failing to solve a puzzle in battle: +150 points
- Failing to solve a boss puzzle: +150 points
- Getting hit by a boss's charged attack: +400 points
- Using a 1-Up Mushroom: +1000 points
- Getting a Game Over: +3000 points
Earning enough miss points applies a discount to all battle accessories still available for purchase. This discount is 50% at 15000 miss points, 80% at 30000 miss points, and 90% at 50000 miss points. In-game announcements notify Mario of discounts, although these tend to be delayed and do not activate the moment the discount applies.
Additionally, the Puzzle Solver can be unlocked early by earning 10000 miss points. Otherwise, it will unlock after destroying the yellow streamer.
- Footnotes
Boss battles[edit]
Boss battles operate on a variation of the main battle system: rather than Mario being in the center and needing to arrange the enemies around him, Mario stands on the outside of the rings and must arrange a path to reach the boss in the center. Arrow Panels will send Mario walking in a direction until he runs into another arrow or reaches an Action Panel or Magic Circle. If Mario runs over the same panel twice, he trips and his turn ends without him getting the chance to attack or use items.
The position that Mario ends in after his turn is important to the battle. If he is on the outer two rings, he cannot hit the enemy with a Hammer or Tail attack. Some bosses are most vulnerable in certain spots, such as Colored Pencils, whose case can be shut by hitting him from behind. Bosses tend to deal more damage or have different moves if Mario ends a battle on the inner two rings.
Helpful panels are spread across the board, depending on the battle. The most common are ones that give Mario 2x attack power that turn and give him one extra action. Treasure chests can be opened to spread hearts, coins, and other panels on the boards. All Magic Circles must first be activated by hitting a green "ON" switch. Most bosses require the use of 1,000-Fold Arms attacks or elemental Vellumental powers to be defeated.
The ability to flee will always fail during boss battles. The player cannot ask Olivia for hints, but Mario can pick up Hint Envelopes on the board that provide clues on how to beat the boss. Cheering is modified, so that Mario still gets healing and items, but it also highlights the path the Arrow Panels will take him in.
Controls[edit]
| Field | |
|---|---|
| Actions | Controls |
| Check Notes (with Professor Toad present) Open Sea Chart (in The Great Sea) |
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| Toss Confetti | |
| Help | |
| Menu | |
| Move | |
| Dig (with Professor Toad present) Dive underwater (in The Great Sea) |
|
| Ask Olivia | |
| Jump | |
| Hammer | |
| Items | |
| Battles | |
| Actions | Controls |
| Switch between Rotate and Slide (lineup phase) Switch between Weapons and Items (attack phase) |
|
| Help | |
| Buy Time (lineup phase) Change Weapons (attack phase) |
|
| Select | |
| Change View | |
| Hints from Olivia | |
| Confirm Action Commands | |
| Flee | |
| Cheers from Toads | |
Mario's stats[edit]
| Stat | Initial value | Max. value | Function | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mario | |||||
| Coin | 0 | 999,999 | The amount of coins Mario currently has. | ||
| Confetti | 500 | 2000 | The amount of confetti Mario can carry, which increases after each streamer is destroyed. | ||
| Heart Point | 50 | 200 | The maximum health Mario can have. Each multiple of 20 HP reached increases damage by one. | ||
| Toad Point | 0 | 416 | The number of Toads Mario has rescued, visible after entering the Art Gallery. | ||
| Jump | 3 | 11 | The amount of damage Mario can do with the jump First Strike. | ||
| Hammer | 4 | 12 | The amount of damage Mario can do with the hammer First Strike. | ||
Stats after each streamer[edit]
| Streamer destroyed | Confetti Capacity |
|---|---|
| None | |