Paper Mario: The Origami King

 PAPER MARIO: THE ORIGAMI KING

So, this really should have been part of the previous section, but hey, my timing and Nintendo's timing didn't exactly line up so to speak, so we're doing it here. Paper Mario: The Origami King is a brand new title in the Paper Mario series that, while not quite being a return to form for the series, is the closest we've gotten in a long while, introducing new characters that were at least as layered as those in the 64 game and giving us a pretty solid story with some genuinely great humor and emotion thrown in, while also using some of the creativity prevalent in the later Paper Mario games, so, I like it. It's a good game.

Paper Mario: The Origami King tells the story of how the Mushroom Kingdom was taken over by a tyrannical dictator made of origami, who folds others into origami, somehow brainwashing them in the process. Mario must join forces with new allies and old enemies to free the castle from the ribbons that bind it and overthrow King Olly's tyranny.

So anyway, Mario is of course our main character once again, doing a lot of his basics like running, jumping, and smacking with a hammer, but he also has a few origami-oriented moves as well (which will likely add to his companion Olivia's moveset more than his own, just like with Kersti and Huey before her. These include a bag full of confetti from which he can pull a burst of confetti to fill in holes, as well as the 1000-fold arm technique that extends his arms out to ridiculous lengths with which he can pull sections of wall or unleash a massive punch. In battle he can also use items to fight like fire flowers and so on. A few other smaller items come up here and there like the boot car he can use to cross the desert and so on.

Olivia is his main companion, the sister to King Olly, from whom Mario seems to get most of his origami moves, so like Kersti and Huey, I think it's fine for her to inherit them. She can also fold herself into one of the four Vellumental beasts you fight throughout the game upon your defeat of them, supplying her with a solid final smash at least. Your other companions who kind of help you in battle include Bobby the Bob-Omb (sniff), Professor Toad (who actually made me reconsider Captain Toad a bit (more on that later)), a handful of random other Toads, and a random Spike and Goombone at one point. None of them really do that much in battle, their attacks being more or less basic tackles and so on. Bobby does, um, blow up at one point, and Professor Toad will dig up items with a shovel, so there is that.

A few returning characters hand around the game, some even as "partners" at points, but I wanted to group them all here. Luigi appears frequently, driving his Mario Kart at the beginning, and then just at random points trying to find the key to get into the castle. Princess Peach spends most of the game folded into origami and thus working for King Olly, while Birdo does her standard weird cameo thing again, putting on a performance for you at one point. Finally we have Bowser, Bowser Jr., and Kamek, who all act as additional allies to you. Bowser spends much of the game folded into a tiny square form, but can still breathe fire. At the end of the game, he grows gigantic to take on King Olly for you. Bowser Jr. and Kamek do a lot of their standard Klown Kar and magic spell thing. Other allies include the giant tree Ol' Grandsappy and the pirate Captain T. Ode.

King Olly is the main villain of the game. He is very similar to Olivia but he does have some things of his own. Most likely he and Olivia will be echoes to each other. He can fold others into origami, he can fold into a vellumental just like his sister, he becomes a giant to fight bowser, he throws paper airplanes at you, smacks you with giant hammer fists, and can turn his arms into fists.

The bosses in the game are mostly divided into two groups: the four Vellumentals who you defeats in order for Olivia to gain the form of, and the Art Supplies who work for Olly. The Earth Vellumental is a giant turtle that whips up a sandstorm and can cause earthquakes. The Water Vellumental is a dragon that summons water spouts and tidal waves. The Fire Vellumental is a giant Fenghuang bird (like a phoenix, kinda) that breathes fire. And the Ice Vellumental is a polar bear that will freeze, rolling to a spiky ball, and drop chunks of ice. Olly's art supply bosses include a colored pencil kit that fires colored pencils as missiles or fires them all together as a rainbow cannon; a giant made of rubber bands that will flick its bands and tie you up with them; a hole punch that, well, punches holes and then spits the little paper remains at you; a tape dispenser that sticks you with tape and rolls around once the dispenser is destroyed; a pair of scissors that cuts you (duh); and a stapler that staples things together. Two other bosses include Gooper Blooper, who does the standard thing of slapping with tentacles and spitting ink; and a giant paper hand/snake thing called Handaconda that tries to grab you.

Most of the regular enemies you face (both regular, origami, and the giant "Paper-Macho") include Koopa Troopas, Goombas, Shy Guys, Snifits, Hammer, Fire, Boomerang, Ice, Sledge, and Sumo Bros, Spikes, Dry Bones, Buzzy Beetles (with a Paper Macho version that fires a frickin' laser beam from its front), Swoops, Scaredy Rats, Monty Moles, Spinies, Cheep Cheeps, Thwomps, Galoombas, Sidesteppers, Goombones, Chain Chomps, Ninjis, Piders, Pokeys, Boos, Crowbers, Piranha Plants, Dino Rhinos, Nippers, Mechakoopas, Bloopers, and Chargin' Chucks. little paper cutout soldiers are really the only new ones.

The game is mostly divided into six different sections, but with different areas within. We start with Toad Town and Peach's Castle as the central hub area. Overlook Mountain is the first major area, with Whispering Woods, Picnic Road, and the Earth Vellumental Temple being major areas leading up to it. After that you cross over to Autumn Mountain and the Water Vellumental Shrine, before heading down the Eddy River to Shogun Studios and the Big Sho' Theatre. After that you cross through Breezy Tunnel and out to Scorching Sandpaper Desert, including Shroom City, Fire Vellumental Cave, and the Temple of Shrooms. The Great Sea is your fourth area, a huge sprawling area with a ton of random islands, an abandoned ship named The Princess Peach, and the Ice Vellumental Mountain. After collecting all four Vellumentals, you head up to Shangri-Spa, a spa in the clouds with a number of special springs like the Spring of Jungle Mist and the Spring of Rainbows. Once you get through that, you have levels in Bowser's Castle, Bowser's Airship, inside a volcano called Hotfoot Crater, and finally into King Olly's Origami Castle.

There are a number of items floating around the game, some more or less just tied to whatever's going on in the game, like a camp speaker and a manhole hook, and others are more basic, like mushrooms and flowers.

Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Paper Mario: run, jump, hammer, flowers, confetti bag, 1000-fold arms, pull, punch, boot car

Luigi: Mario Kart

Princess Peach

Bowser: folded, breathe fire, grow giant

Bowser Jr.: Koopa Klown Kar

Kamek: spell, broomstick

Birdo: blow kiss

Olivia: all origami based moves, Vellumental transformation

King Olly: fold, Vellumental, grow giant, paper airplanes, hammer fists, sword arms

Toad: a lot of basics, dig up coins

Koopa Troopa

Goombas

Shy Guys

Hammer Bro

Spike

Dry Bones

Buzzy Beetle: laser beam

Monty Mole

Cheep Cheep

Thwomp

Chain Chomp

Ninji

Pokey

Boo

Piranha Plant

Mechakoopa

Blooper

Chargin' Chuck

Bosses:

Earth Vellumental

Water Vellumental

Fire Vellumental

Ice Vellumental

Colored Pencils

Rubber Band

Hole Punch

Tape

Scissors

Stapler

Gooper Blooper

Handaconda

Stages:

Peach's Castle

Overlook Mountain

Shogun Studios

Scorching Sandpaper Desert

The Great Sea

Shangri-Spa

Bowser's Castle

Hotfoot Crater

King Olly's Origami Castle

Items:

Mushrooms

Flowers

Various Incidental Items

Thanks for reading! Next up, we begin the Mario & Luigi series with Superstar Saga!