Paper Mario: The Origami King – first review from Famitsu translated

Paper Mario: The Origami King has a little more than a week to go until launch, but Famitsu published one of the first reviews in this week’s issue. Four editors gave out scores of “9” for a total of 36 out of 40.

We’ve gone ahead and translated the review from Famitsu in full. Continue on below for the remarks made by the magazine’s different editors.

Wu Wa Man: Building off of Color Splash’s graphic style, the game’s paper aesthetic has totally been upgraded this time around. The origami characters are super cute, too. The signature comedic tone of the Paper Mario series is here in spades, and there’s a ton of extra content like restoring the world with confetti, searching for Toads, etc. The “360-degree battles” definitely have a puzzle feel, but they’re fun and have a brisk pace. In addition to the boss battles being more of a challenge, the visual aspects of these battles have also had a lot of work put into them.

Ashida: The origami characters are excellent. They really bring something new to the series. From solving puzzles using the unique controls for the “1,000-Fold Arms” to moving enemies around and lining them up in battles, the whole game feels fresh and exciting. There are also tons of things to do aside from the story, like finding Toads and patching up parts of the overworld. The characters all have a ton of fun animations throughout – it really gave me the impression that this game was made from the ground up with a lot of care.

Honma: Between restoring destroyed parts of the overworld, puzzle-solving using various mechanics, and finding Toads disguised as other objects, I was absolutely enamored. They’ve also increased the challenge in battles with puzzle elements: evolving from traditional turn-based gameplay, you’ll need to move the stage around to position enemies in just the right way. The linking ladder-style* boss fights are particularly excellent. The navigation partner, Olivia, is also very charming.

*Oni Dino’s note: Read more about the puzzle style here. You’ve probably seen it in many Japanese-developed games before.

Uchizawa: Similar to previous entries in the series, the way paper is used to establish the world and solve puzzles is just brilliant. The “360-degree battles” feel fresh and exciting, and they really make you use your brain. It’s very satisfying when you figure out the solution and put it in action. The game is fairly straightforward, but it’s well-paced and well-structured with a good sense of excitement. It always feels like you’re reading a really good picture book. The maps are also designed well, making collecting stuff and combing over the fine details quite enjoyable.

Paper Mario: The Origami King launches for Switch on July 17.

Translation provided by Oni Dino on behalf of Nintendo Everything.

If you use any of this translation, please be sure to source Nintendo Everything. Do not copy its full contents.