Paper Mario: The Origami King

Paper Mario: The Origami King is the sixth installment in the Paper Mario series, 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
The game begins with Mario and Luigi driving 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 Peach, who has been folded into origami. 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. There, Mario hears a noise, and by landing on a Magic Circle, he initiates the 1,000-Fold Arms for the first time, using them to peel the wall to reveal a trapped Olivia. Afterward, the duo go to a dungeon area and free a folded Bowser attached to a clothespin.

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, Mario and Olivia, who wake up on a forest hill far from Toad Town, both set out to destroy the five streamers, find Luigi, and defeat Olly.

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. Once a Vellumental is defeated, Olivia can transform into the Vellumental 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

Partners

 * Olivia
 * Bobby
 * Professor Toad
 * Kamek
 * Bowser

Supporting

 * Luigi
 * Princess Peach
 * Bowser Jr.
 * Birdo
 * Toads
 * Captain T. Ode
 * White-spotted Toads dressed like s
 * A Toad wearing a conical hat
 * A Toad wearing a karate gi
 * A Blue Toad with a rubber band from the eponymous boss wrapped on his head who holds a script
 * A Toad in a ninja outfit
 * Ol' Grandsappy
 * Buzzy Beetle
 * Bone Goomba
 * A Chain Chomp Mario can pet
 * Goomba
 * A Goomba wearing a
 * Hammer Bro
 * Koopa Troopa
 * A Koopa Troopa with a white mustache and goatee, hat, and staff
 * Mini Goombas
 * Monty Moles
 * Ninjis
 * Shy Guys (Red)
 * Sledge Bro
 * Snifits (Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Pink)
 * A Snifit wearing a samurai outfit
 * Spike

Enemies

 * Folded Soldiers
 * Troops:
 * Blooper
 * Bone Goomba
 * Boo
 * Boomerang Bro
 * Buzzy Beetle
 * Chargin' Chuck
 * Cheep Cheep
 * Crowber
 * Dry Bones
 * Fire Bro
 * Fly Guy
 * Fuzzy
 * Galoomba
 * Goomba
 * Hammer Bro
 * Jumping Piranha Plant
 * Koopa Paratroopa
 * Mechakoopa
 * Mini Goombas
 * Ninji
 * Nipper Plant
 * Paragoomba
 * Piranha Plant
 * Pokey
 * Ptooie
 * Scaredy Rat
 * Scuttlebug
 * Shoe Goomba
 * Shy Guy (Red and Yellow)
 * Sidesteppers (Blue and Red)
 * Snifit (Red)
 * Spike Top
 * Spike
 * Spiny
 * Stingby
 * Sumo Bro
 * Swoop
 * Thwomp
 * Paper Macho enemies:
 * Goombas, including some wrapped like mummies
 * Red Shy Guys, including some wearing tutus
 * Chain Chomp
 * Red and Green Koopa Troopas, including some wearing sunglasses
 * Pokey
 * Spike
 * Gooper Blooper
 * Red Snifit
 * Boo
 * Paper Mistake Buzzy Beetle
 * Big Cutout Soldier
 * Li'l Cutout Soldier

Bosses

 * The Vellumentals:
 * Earth Vellumental, a giant quadrupedal turtle that can spew sand and manipulate earth, similar to
 * Water Vellumental, a water-spouting dragon similar to
 * Fire Vellumental, a giant similar to
 * Ice Vellumental, a giant polar bear with large claws similar to
 * Legion of Stationery:
 * Colored Pencils
 * Rubber Band
 * Hole Punch
 * Tape
 * Scissors
 * Stapler
 * Boss Sumo Bro and 2 Sumo Bros
 * Handaconda
 * King Olly

Unknown

 * Yellow Toads without faces
 * Big Cheep Cheep
 * Fire-breathing bird-like statues
 * 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
 * Spring of Rainbows
 * 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
 * Shroom City, 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. When Mario tries on the helmet (called the "Space Warrior Mask"), Bobby tells Olivia it does not suit Mario's style and remarks, "It'd probably look perfect on some other kind of M, though."
 * Super Mario Bros.: When Mario grabs the goal pole and slides down the first time, a firework shoots to the sky and several Toads popped out and playing the theme when Mario completes a level in the original game.
 * 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.
 * 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. 3: Olivia mentions the sun being angry in Scorching Sandpaper Desert.
 * 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.

Critical response
Paper Mario: The Origami King received slightly positive reviews from critics, who praised the expansive overworld and detailed paper graphics, but criticized the repetitive battling system.