Paper Mario: The Origami King

Paper Mario: The Origami King is the upcoming sixth installment in the Paper Mario series, set to be released on the Nintendo Switch worldwide on July 17, 2020. The game follows the aesthetic style of its predecessor, Paper Mario: Color Splash, and follows Mario opposing an evil army of origami characters known as Folded Soldiers, ruled by the Origami King, King Olly, which have taken over the Mushroom Kingdom.

Plot
Mario and Luigi drive into Toad Town on the latter's kart, looking forward to the Origami Festival that Princess Peach has invited them to. Upon arrival, the brothers notice that the town is deserted, but continue on anyway, assuming that they arrived early. Luigi pulls up at the suspiciously empty Peach's Castle, and once he and Mario are inside, the doors lock behind them. While Luigi runs off to search for a key, Mario heads into the foyer, where he meets an origami'd Peach. Peach asks Mario if he wants to see the kingdom fold, and if he will fold himself as well, but regardless of his answers, she dismisses him by dropping him into a hidden dungeon beneath the floor.

Inside the dungeon, Mario meets some members of the Koopa Troop, with Shy Guys calling them to something unexpected. Afterward, Mario hears a voice, which turns on a Magic Circle, initiating the 1,000-Fold Arms for the first time, using them to peel the wall to reveal a trapped Olivia. Afterward, Mario finds a spare hammer and uses it to break a crate revealing a crack to escape their dungeon cell. Peeking to a hole of another cell, they see a folded bowser with a silhouette of something unexpected transforming a Koopa Troopa. As the Shy Guys leave the cell to do other stuff, Mario and Olivia sneak in to free Bowser on a clothespin. Afterwards, Mario uses the 1,000-Fold Arms to reveal a secret exit out of the dungeon.

Escaping the dungeon to the upper outskirts of Peach's Castle, Mario, after refusing to accept a Yellow Shy Guy's request to fold again, is ambushed by a group of Origami Goombas. After defeating them, the Yellow Shy Guy next to Origami Peach reveals himself as Olivia's older brother, King Olly. He initiates the takeover of Peach's Castle by pulling the five streamers elsewhere in Mushroom Kingdom, wrapping the castle enough to have it separated from the ground. Mario, Olivia, and Bowser successfully escape via Koopa Clown Car, piloted by a Red Shy Guy. In addition to noticing Luigi's hat falling from the castle, the three on the car make a desperate attempt to reach the floating castle, but are approached by streamers. The red one inadvertently hits the car, sending the three flying out in the sky, as the Red Shy Guy rescues Bowser and heads off elsewhere, with the castle now in the mountains.

Soon after, Mario falls into a pine tree, but manages to free himself out of it. Walking elsewhere to find Olivia, he manages to spot a Bottomless Hole for the first time, and tosses a empty Confetti Bag, which mario fills up in the forest, and uses it to fill up the hole to reach to a stuck Olivia, who is pulled out by Mario. After using creating a path with a tree branch, they eventually see a better view of Peach's Castle on the volcano, which they then set out to stop Olly and find Luigi. Passing through a healing pond, they meet Ol' Grandsappy and the talking trees, who find out that he changed after he was cut down, with the duo set out to help him. Mario then opens a gold pod to reveal a shriveled seed. Mario uses the healing pond to turn it into the Soul Seed, though Ol' Grandsappy already got eaten by giant Goomba walking away after it happened. Using the confetti to revive him, he eats the seed, causing him to return to a full grown tree. He reveals a exit out of the forest.

Exiting the forest, the duo encounter their first Toad stuck to a bush, which Mario then rescued. While returning back to Toad Town, they are blocked by a group of origami Goombas. After defeating them, they return and spot the Paper Macho Goombas that created the holes in the land, and defeat several of them. Checking a secret warehouse found, they found a manhole hook and use it to traverse to the sewers to go to the area of Peach's Castle. After changing the drain after defeating several enemies, they arrive at the castle area and find Luigi's hat. After hearing his voice, they go to one of the debris and peel off a wall, revealing a folded-up Luigi. Mario unfolds him and returns his hat, as he still sets out of find the castle key.

The Red Streamer
Entering a path east of Toad Town, Mario and Olivia end up at Picnic Road,where the Red Streamer follows and ends at a tower on Overlook Mountain, which has been raised by dirt. This causes the duo to seek the Earth Vellumental temple located in Picnic Road, though Mario needs to find the remaining 4 Shell Stones in order to enter.

Entering the temple it is set up as a tourist attraction, thow the duo uncover the entire temple beyond a fake wall. Traversing through the temple, mario goes to the Velumental's spot, where he falls off a broken ledge, with olivia following him, as he lands on the shell of the Earth Vellumental, a turtle. After defeating the Vellumental, it drops the first Bibliofold, allowing Olivia to learn the powers of the Earth Vellumental. They use the power to alter the land the tower at Overlook Mountain, making it enterable.

Entering in Overlook Tower, which contains a gift shop, the duo use the elevator, which malfunctions as a member of the Legion Of Stationary, Colored Pencils tear holes in it. The elevator falls down, and when they drop back to the first floor, a bunch of origami Goombas appear to fight them. After defeating them, Mario and Olivia use the stairs instead. On the second floor, there is a massive hole on the stairs, which required more confetti than Mario has now. Mario, instead helps a restaurant in the same floor after finding a Toad in the stairs who who works there. After defeating a bunch of origami Mini Goombas in the restaurant, the Chef Toad gives Mario a bag refill to fill up the large hole.

Reaching the top of Overlook Tower, they must avoid the Colored Pencils while waiting for a slow ladder to drop down to reach them. Reaching the Colored Pencils, Mario and Olivia defeat them, causing a Magic Circle to drop so that Mario uses the arms to destroy the Red Streamer.

Gameplay
The overworld exploration is quite different from the series' standard; whereas the previous three games were either sorted into individual chapters or levels, 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 game's combat system has also been overhauled: at the start of each turn, Mario can rotate and slide rings of a circular battle arena, lining up enemies for consecutive attacks, although the number of ring moves and allotted time are limited. Mario has permanent Boots and Hammer attacks, and may equip stronger variants that break after a while. Attacking enemies on the overworld will grant Mario an extra attack in battle, and timed button presses can increase damage when attacking. Lining up the enemies successfully will increase Mario's attack power by a factor of 1.5. Coins can be spent to extend the time limit (at a rate of 10 coins per second), or call the Toads that have been saved to assist Mario in battle. Boss battles use a different system in which the player rotates and slides the rings to line up arrows, making a path for Mario to attack. In a similar vein to the two previous installments, this game has no experience points or level up mechanics, and coins are the only reward.

Olivia, a character new to the franchise, has a role similar to Kersti and Huey from Paper Mario: Sticker Star and Paper Mario: Color Splash respectively. She grants Mario extended origami arms that are used to interact with the environment. Once certain bosses are defeated, Olivia can transform into the boss while standing on Magic Circles, an ability that carries over into battle. Additionally, partners return to ally with Mario and aid him in battles, including Koopa Troop members such as Bobby (a Bob-omb), Bowser Jr., and Kamek. Various partners join and leave Mario's party at various points in the story.

Accessories (which seem to function similarly to Badges from the first two games) grant Mario benefits both in battle and on the overworld. Toads can be found on the overworld, folded into various shapes. Hitting these Toads with the hammer will cause them to unfold and return to Toad Town, some of which open shops. The Toads that have been saved can even help in battle if the player spends coins using the Cheer command. These Toads will fight enemies, heal Mario, give items, and solve puzzles. Mario can gain confetti by using his Hammer on trees, grass, and enemies. This confetti can be used to fill Not-Bottomless Holes torn in the landscape, revealing Coins or a Toad.

Playable

 * Mario

Supporting

 * Bobby
 * Bowser
 * Bowser Jr.
 * A Chain Chomp Mario can pet
 * Goombas
 * A Goomba wearing a
 * Kamek
 * Koopa Troopas
 * A Koopa Troopa with a white mustache and goatee, hat, and staff
 * Luigi
 * Mini Goombas
 * Monty Moles
 * Ninjis
 * Olivia
 * Princess Peach
 * Shy Guys (Red)
 * Sledge Bro
 * Snifits (Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Pink)
 * A Snifit wearing a samurai outfit
 * Ol' Grandsappy
 * Koopa Troop members
 * Goombas
 * Koopa Troopas
 * Shy Guys
 * Buzzy Beetles
 * Hammer Bros
 * Spikes
 * Spinies
 * Koopa Paratroopas
 * Bob-Ombs
 * Toads
 * Professor Toad
 * Captain T. Ode
 * White-spotted Toads dressed like s
 * A Toad wearing a conical hat
 * A Toad wearing a karate gi
 * A Yellow Toad wearing glasses who runs a museum
 * Scientist Toads (Yellow, Green, Purple)
 * A Blue Toad with a white captain's cap and a bandana
 * A Yellow Toad wearing a chef's hat
 * Blue and red Toads wrapped to chairs by rubber bands
 * A Blue Toad with a rubber band wrapped on his head who holds a script
 * A Toad in a ninja outfit
 * Store runners with overstuffed bags
 * Toad
 * Monty Mole

Antagonists

 * Folded Soldiers
 * King Olly
 * Legion of Stationery:
 * Colored Pencils
 * Rubber Band
 * Hole Punch
 * Tape
 * Scissors
 * Stapler
 * Troops:
 * Goomba
 * Koopa Paratroopa
 * Shy Guy (Red, Yellow)
 * Red Snifit
 * Pokey
 * Hammer Bro
 * Boomerang Bro
 * Fire Bro
 * Boo
 * Thwomp
 * Ninji
 * Fuzzy
 * Swoop
 * Chargin' Chuck
 * Paragoomba
 * Bone Goomba
 * Ptooie
 * Spike
 * Buzzy Beetle
 * Cheep Cheep
 * Blooper
 * Crowber
 * Blue and red Sidesteppers
 * Mini Goombas
 * Spiny
 * Shoe Goomba
 * Nipper Plant
 * Galoomba
 * Stingby
 * Sumo Bro
 * Boss Sumo Bro
 * Mechakoopa
 * Spike Top
 * Fly Guy
 * Scaredy Rat
 * Scuttlebug
 * Jumping Piranha Plant
 * Dry Bones
 * Piranha Plant
 * Paper Macho enemies
 * Small and large Goombas, including some wrapped like mummies
 * Red Shy Guys, including some wearing tutus and holding buckets
 * Chain Chomp
 * Red and Green Koopa Troopas, including some wearing sunglasses
 * Pokey
 * Spike
 * Gooper Blooper
 * Red Snifit
 * Boo
 * Giant Koopa Paratroopas
 * Big Buzy Beetle
 * Vellumental bosses:
 * A giant quadrupedal turtle that can spew sand and manipulate earth, similar to
 * A giant similar to
 * A water-spouting dragon similar to
 * A giant white tiger with large claws similar to

Unknown

 * Yellow Toads without faces
 * Big Cheep Cheep
 * Fire-breathing bird-like statues
 * Birdo
 * Bone Goomba
 * Sombrero Guy

Locations

 * Peach's Castle
 * Toad Town: The main hub of the game, which is ravaged and deserted in the aftermath of King Olly's attack. It contains several shops, which can be reopened as Mario rescues more Toads.
 * An underground sewer that has graffiti and a valve that controls the drain
 * A room with six colored, numbered Warp Pipes, which can be used to quickly travel around the interconnected world. A seventh, white pipe can be used to access the local museum.
 * Whispering Woods:  A lush, green forest in the mountains, which is rumored to contain sentient trees.
 * A plains area with cabins and a yellow Toad house with a generator similar to Green Energy Plant
 * A series of white tents
 * A wooden swing
 * A gazebo with picnic tables
 * A large cabin with a woodpile
 * Picnic Road
 * Shangri-Spa: A misty jungle that holds a mysterious secret.
 * A large, jungle tree with Toad statues sitting around it
 * A chain of Greek-like floating islands inhibited by angel Toads in the sky next to a Bowser castle similar to Bowser's Sky Castle and Black Bowser's Castle
 * A Greek-style interior
 * The Great Sea: An open sea that Mario can explore by boat, containing multiple distinct, explorable islands. The player follows the purple streamer through here.
 * A large island with a large, white skull head similar to Fortune Island.
 * A beach area
 * Club Island
 * An interior covered with black, sticky ink from Gooper Blooper
 * Scorching Sandpaper Desert: A desert that's been shrouded in darkness, sporting an ominous hole in the sky. The yellow streamer is found here.
 * A -like tower resembling a Toad
 * A desert town occupied by Snifits with an oasis and casino-like building
 * Desert ruins with hieroglyphics similar to the ones in Drybake Stadium
 * An Arabian-styled hotel
 * Shogun Studios: An Asian-inspired, mountaintop theme park with a threatening castle as its main attraction.
 * A ninja school with Ninjis
 * A castle in the mountains
 * Autumn Mountain: A forest filled with autumn-colored trees and tall, grassy fields. The blue streamer travels through here.
 * A sky tram leading to the mountain area
 * Rapids where Mario can ride a canoe
 * A tall, autumn grass field
 * A dried lake
 * A volcanic area
 * A storage room with paper mache headpieces resembling a Goomba, Donkey Kong, and Samus's helmet
 * An icy glacier area
 * A restaurant with paintings
 * An auditorium with a Western play
 * Shy Guys Finish Last, a game show similar to Snifit or Whiffit
 * An airship with a Bowser figurehead
 * An elevator leading to the Colored Pencils boss arena
 * An interior with a model display of Toad Town inside

Weapons

 * Boots
 * Shiny Boots
 * Flashy Boots
 * Iron Boots
 * Shiny Iron Boots
 * Flashy Iron Boots
 * Hammer
 * Shiny Hammer
 * Flashy Hammer
 * Hurlhammer

Battle items

 * Fire Flower
 * Tail
 * POW Block
 * Flashy Mushroom

Accessories

 * Heart Plus
 * Guard Plus

Overworld objects

 * Confetti
 * Coin
 * 10-Coin
 * Giant coin
 * Brick Block
 * ? Block
 * Super Star
 * Save Block
 * Heart
 * Warp Pipe
 * Boot Car
 * King (tape)

Useful Items

 * Soul Seed
 * Royalty Pass
 * A hook-shaped rake

Nintendo eShop description
 The kingdom has been ravaged by an origami menace! Join Mario and his new partner, Olivia, as they battle evil Folded Soldiers, repair the damaged landscape, and try to free Princess Peach's castle from the clutches of King Olly in this comedy-filled adventure, only on the Nintendo Switch system.

Mario and Luigi receive an invitation from Princess Peach to attend an origami festival and excitedly hurry to Toad Town...but something's amiss. After investigating the eerily empty town, the duo finds a fearsome (and folded) Princess Peach-she's been turned into origami by King Olly, ruler of the Origami Kingdom! With five giant streamers under his control, King Olly binds Princess Peach's Castle and transports it to a distant mountain as part of his plan to re-fold the world.

On his journey to liberate Peach's Castle and repair the ravaged paper landscape, Mario meets Olivia, King Olly's sister, and the two join forces to put a stop to Olly's origami onslaught. Even Bowser falls victim to Olly's plot when his minions are turned into origami Folded Soldiers and betray their Koopa king, forcing him to ally with Mario and Olivia!

Battle the Folded Soldiers in ring-based battles the challenge you to strategically line up enemies to maximize damage! Out of battle, Mario can use the arm-extending 1,000-Fold Arms ability in specific spots to interact with the landscape to pull, peel, hit, and more! Join Mario, Olivia, and their companions on a journey of laughter and emotion, thrills, and a whole lot of folding. 

References to other games

 * Metroid series: Mario can wear a papier-mâché version of Samus's helmet at one point in the game.
 * Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic: When trying to recall the term "amnesia", Bobby mentions "Thinky Thinky Panic", a reference to this game's title.
 * Super Mario Bros. 2: The Ninjis in the game, or at least their origami counterparts, are derived from their original design from the NES version of the game and their original artwork.
 * Super Mario World: The fireball and spin jump sounds are reused from this game.
 * Paper Mario: The castle's interior looks similar to the one used in this game, and Peach's design from this game appears as a photo.
 * Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door: Peach's design from this game appears as a photo.
 * Super Paper Mario: Peach appears in a photo with her parasol and a background resembling Lineland.
 * Paper Mario: Sticker Star: Shiny and flashy attacks return from this game. In addition, Peach appears in a photo, surrounded by stickers.
 * Mario Kart 8: Like in Paper Mario: Color Splash, Luigi drives a Standard Kart resembling the ones in this game.
 * Paper Mario: Color Splash: The game runs on a similar graphical engine to that of this game. Peach appears in a photo with her design from this game.

Similarities to other Paper Mario games

 * Like the original game and its sequel, Mario and Luigi receive an invitation from Princess Peach.
 * Although Peach gives Mario a letter in Color Splash, said letter is actually a color-drained Toad.
 * In combat, Mario's basic jump and hammer attacks are permanent, like in the first two games.
 * Partners return from the first three games.
 * Just like in the second and third games, Bowser is not the primary villain. Rather, Mario and Bowser team up, as they do in Super Paper Mario.
 * Just like in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Peach is turned evil by the main antagonist similar to Shadow Queen.
 * Like the previous five games, there is a part that plays like a game show.
 * NPCs based on enemy species return from the first two games.
 * Mario can use confetti to fill in Non-Bottomless Holes similar to paint to fill in colorless spots in Color Splash. Like paint, confetti is limited.
 * Like the previous two games, there is a performance starring Birdo.
 * Like the first game, Peach's Castle gets taken over by the main antagonist.
 * The Fan thing from the previous two games makes a small appearance when it blows the fog off The Great Sea.
 * Bowser's Castle is a floating one, like the previous two games.

Differences from other Paper Mario games

 * When getting a Game Over, it no longer directly takes you to the title screen. Rather, it asks you to restart from the last save, or in the case for the final boss, try it again.
 * Voice clips from Samantha Kelly and Caety Sagoian are used for Princess Peach and Bowser Jr., respectively.