Five Years Later, Paper Mario: The Origami King Feels Like…

Spoilers for Paper Mario: The Origami King ahead.

While it is debatable that Paper Mario hasn't lived up to the greatness of its first two games back in 2019, Paper Mario: The Origami King released and changed the conversation. The classic RPG series might not be at the forefront of the Super Mario franchise's priorities right now, but the future of many of Mario's turn-based adventures looks bright at the moment. Going by what came after it, Paper Mario: The Origami King marked a significant shift for those who enjoy the cut-out adventures.

Paper Mario: The Origami King left much to be desired in the lead-up to its release. Even now, asking players what they think of Origami King will lead to different responses. The lack of a traditional battle system like the original Paper Mario games is one of the more divisive aspects about it, and the way that the stationary bosses lean into the newer arts and crafts brand identity is a step too far for some fans. Yet, despite the way these details felt egregious, there's an emotional heart to Origami King that was a breath of fresh air following Color Splash and Sticker Star. The story and careful use of characters in the 2020 RPG exceeded initial expectations, and this may have been necessary before the Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remake.

How Paper Mario: The Origami King Gave the Series Its Heart Back

Where it could be said Paper Mario: Sticker Star marked a new image for the series that fans weren't entirely fond of with a bang, The Origami King brought the opposite change with an unassuming entrance all its own. Not much of its marketing, which focused heavily on the stationary bosses and origami transformation of Princess Peach, gave much room for fans to think The Origami King would be different compared to the other modern Paper Mario games.

However, it's arguable that the well-written humor of the series had been missing, a colorful cast despite their stationary exteriors, and emotional moments that even turned the lack of varied NPCs Paper Mario had been criticized for into something that mattered to the narrative.

Outside of its story elements, Origami King does tend to be a bit more polarizing even five years later. Paper Mario: The Origami King has interesting secrets to find, and the world it portrays is worth exploring every nook and cranny of if players find it fun. At the same time, the adventure is typically dragged down by its battle system, which always comes off more like a puzzle than a fight.

When Origami King ended up resonating with new and old Paper Mario fans alike, players were quick to hope that the positive reception to the series going back to the well-written and heartfelt adventures it was known for could lead to something else further down the line. It wouldn't have been out of the realm of possibility, either, if The Origami King's relative success could give Nintendo the support it needed to see to bring back previous entries like The Thousand-Year Door.

Now that The Origami King is indeed a neighbor to the Switch's Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remake and Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack's Paper Mario 64, it seems that may have been the case. There likely won't be any news about the Paper Mario series for the next while, yet players can at least take solace in the fact that Paper Mario: The Origami King managed to bring back many things that made the RPGs so special even if it took a bit to get there from its more humble beginnings.

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