Friday, May 22, 2020

Paper Mario: The Origami King — Are there partners?

Best answer: It's unclear whether Paper Mario: The Origami King will feature partners like with the original Paper Mario or Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. However, the game description on Nintendo's site indicates partners may be a possibility in the newest franchise entry on the Nintendo Switch.

Grab your partner

Nintendo recently announced the release of the newest Paper Mario franchise entry, Paper Mario: The Origami King, and fans are begging for more information. This long-beloved series has been a roller coaster ride, since the games have experienced so many changes, only keeping the paper-inspired style over the years. One feature that players have been hoping would make a return is the partner system from the first two games: Paper Mario and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.

The beloved partner system paired Mario with a rag-tag group of unique characters, such as Bombette, Kooper, Goombella, and Vivian (depending on which game you're playing). These partners featured special abilities that helped Mario solve puzzles on the overworld map, like breaking through a cracked wall or hiding from passing enemies.

They also assisted in battle with distinctive attacks for each partner. For instance, Goombella from Thousand-Year Door could "Tattle" on enemies and reveal their stats and weaknesses, while Kooper from Paper Mario could attack multiple enemies at once. Each partner proved their worth during the adventure, and it was fun to switch up the battle experience by swapping characters.

Unfortunately, to the devastation many fans, the partner system was changed and eventually done away with in favor of different helpers. These "new" partners would act more like a sidekick, throwing out wise-cracks and granting Mario new abilities. Olivia seems to fit this mold in The Origami King, but that doesn't necessarily mean that partners aren't a possibility.

Reading between the lines

While it isn't 100% clear whether partners will return in Paper Mario: The Origami King, it's likely. Nintendo's website features the details of the game and one specific section may hint toward more than just Olivia joining the fray. The final description states,

Join Mario, Olivia, and their companions on a journey of laughter and emotion, thrills, and a whole lot of folding.

While this line doesn't reveal much, it does mention additional companions will join in. Additionally, the announcement trailer shows Mario exploring a tomb with a treasure hunting toad and chatting with a very vocal bob-omb, who is also featured in multiple parts of the trailer. I guess only time will tell unless Nintendo decides to share some more info.

Keeping the hope alive

What makes me skeptical as a long-time fan is the lack of available unique character design for distinct partners. The previous games that featured partners typically designed them to stand out from the typical Super Mario characters like goombas and Koopas.

However, if partners are a part of the game, the design choice could simply be story related, especially since these companions may be some of Bowser's underlings. Either way, I'm hoping for a return to form and that partners play a part in this new adventure. Of course, we will keep a watchful eye and update as more information becomes available.

Paper Mario: The Origami King is set to release on July 17, 2020.

Creased kingdom

Paper Mario: The Origami King

$60 at Best Buy

Partnering with the enemy

Mario faces a brand new foe in this new paper-inspired adventure where things in the Mushroom Kingdom unfold unexpectedly. Our hero must partner up with Olivia of the Origami Kingdom, Bowser, and his minions to save Princess Peach and stop the intricately creased villain, King Olly.


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