Paper Mario: The Origami King was released about a month ago, but Nintendo actually announced the game a couple of months prior to its release; needless to say, it was quite the surprising announcement for fans of the long-running, and beloved Paper Mario series.
Some fans were cautiously optimistic about the game, although they needed some convincing, since the combat system could make or break Paper Mario: The Origami King — which is actually quite fair, since the previous couple of entries in the series have been very poorly received by longtime fans.
Paper Mario: The Origami King features a brand-new combat system that hasn't brought back experience points — which have been MIA since Paper Mario: Sticker Star released in 2011 — and that is considered to be quite gimmicky, although it has been positively received by fans; still not ideal, though.
Those still holding their breath for Nintendo and Paper Mario series developer Intelligent Systems to bring back the classic RPG turn-based combat system may want to take a deep breath, since it seems that this will not be happening any time soon; if at all, as disappointing as this may sound.
During a recent interview with German website PCGames, Paper Mario series producer Kensuke Tanabe revealed that Paper Mario games should feature different combat systems.
"Striving to find new and innovative systems is the foundation of the philosophy my team and I are following when developing games. As such, I think it’s a necessity that the combat system changes in every game," Tanabe replied when asked about the possibility of the Paper Mario series going back to its RPG roots in regards to its combat system.
This is rather disappointing, especially when the quality of the writing in Paper Mario games, particularly in Paper Mario: Colour Splash and the recently released Paper Mario: The Origami King, is quite stellar; the series' original combat system, however, will likely never come back.
The kingdom has been ravaged by an origami menace! Join Mario and his new partner, Olivia, as they team up with unlikely allies like Bowser and the Toads to battle evil Folded Soldiers.
Paper Mario: The Origami King is currently available exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.