Paper Mario: The Origami King - Easy Allies Review 

I wish square and Nintendo could get back together for super Mario RPG 2

The game is really fun, the level design is by far the best of the entire series. I just wish that Nintendo didn't deliberately sabbotage it with their arbitrary rules.

Finished it earlier this week and besides one mini-game (you'll know it when you hit it) I had a pretty good time. Writing was on point, partners while not on the combat scale of the previous games were all likeable and engaging for the most part and the music was PHENOMENAL. Soundtrack of the year so far easily. The combat can get repetitive which is a shame, but it's still fun to time your inputs and the bosses are all pretty fun to fight. I'd give it an 8/10 and I was definitely on the negativity train before it released. It pleasantly surprised me.

TTYD was so good that even good games like origami king is met with polarization. This game is fun though for the most part.

I will be a senior citizen before Nintendo puts Thousand Year Door on the eShop.

Now if only they would bring back the proper RPG systems.

Man this is the first review I've listened to with Game Trailers voice guy in ages. Holy crap he sounds older. Time passes you by...

That last song sold me. I'm still dancing :D

A little while ago while imagining what this review would be like, I remember thinking "Wouldn't it be great if they showed the score with the singing tree scene playing in the background?" Man, Ian gets me.

I had a blast. Finished it last week and it was a nice of pace. It's not an RPG. It's an puzzle adventure game.

My first Paper Mario game and so I don't have a frame of reference but I have to say this game was a delight for me from start to finish - fun, charming, humorous and with new surprises around every corner. I even found myself quite enjoying the combat.

Currently playing this with my 6 year old and we both love it. It is a great intro to Mario for him and he now loves all the characters. It's also the perfect speed for him and he loves helping me with the battles. I also think the temptation to 100% the game is something the game makes me feel I could achieve. It's got a ton of charm. I think 8/10 would be more fair.

I was waiting for this. Thanks, guys.

I've played all the Paper Mario games and I've had fun with all of them but origami King definitely stands out for me as being one of the best in the entire series! All the people that were trashing the game are just bitter that it's not the same as Thousand Year Door that came out 15 years ago! That's no reason to hate on a game

I think this is right up there with TTYD and Super tbh. I didn't dislike the combat. The bosses mixed things up plenty and i still found them challenging. (Just don't use guard and health accessories, they're more a thing to use if you're having trouble rather than expected upgrades) The writing was absolutely stellar, visuals and music were gorgeous, and exploration is great with so many different locations and the variety of ways you traverse them. This game is an easy recommendation in my book. One of the best this year i think.

6:20 Nintendo: Don't you guys have ARMS?

It really feels like just a month of tweaking could have dramatically improved the balance of battle. Even something as basic as making battle the best way to get confetti with making confetti holes provide more than just coins. The soundtrack though? Holy smokes. Really enjoy how many musical moments there are in general, particularly the incredible Swan Lake homage.

Well here is a question? Does changing the difficulty of the game change the cons of the battle system?

I feel like the summary at the end is spot on. The flaws of the battle system could result in the ultimate consensus that the game is bad but the polish and charm is so high that it results in a good game.

Thaks for the awesome review guys. So happy to see you back! #GameTrailers #isback

Totally fair score. It's my third favorite Paper Mario but it's definitely not without its faults. Good review!

I think they should add an Hard mode to the game, just like Huber said in Frame Trap.

I cant wait to play this game!

So the writing is "3-dimensional" (Origami) but the new gameplay ideas fall "flat" (paper)

levels, badges and though enemies like huff and puff or bowser. Thats what i want on my paper mario

I wonder if having a hard mode where you gained less coins, summoning toads cost more and the enemy a.i would hit harder would alleviate some of the gameplay issues. Because this seems like probably the best paper Mario game since TTYD (and I game I honestly want just for the humor alone)

I loved it. Combat was definitely easy and didn't punish you much, but the writing, characters and scenarios were all top notch.

The moment I digged deep into this game, I knew it was definitely a solid 7. Not everybody is going to like it, but if you give it a chance and go in with an open mind, there's a lot of good stuff hiding here.

As unique as the battle system is, I think I’d personally be more interested if the game had a standard turn-based battle system with RPG mechanics like EXP

I’ll forever love Brandon Jones voicing reviews. I’ve been a steady listener since I was I kid. I’d watch his Gametrailers reviews on my iPod video back in the day.

I hope it AT LEAST get's nominated for best music this year.

I love the combat. Make you engaged even if each battle last one or two turns. PS.: Bob was a joke at modern characters like New Lara Croft.

I just beat this game yesterday. I give it 9/10. First h was so bad and handholdy. That's my only gripe.

Ben Moore. Best in the biz

I would also give the game a 7 to a 7.5. I think this game is exceptional however there are elements that aren’t fully explored and some missed potential.

Why do we have to find the Toads? Can’t we just leave them unfound to die?

I put off getting this game because of the horrid looking battle system and horrible boss designs until watching the last episode of Friend Code. Domommy and company's enthusiasm and honest criticism while still getting across the good that outweighs the bad won me over. My copy just arrived in the mail today and I'm actually excited to play it now.

So it's easy? Great, exactly what I need

Game is great I finished it but feels shallow like items are low, I miss regular RPG battle and proper partners and special powers moves & badges and experience points, I’m not alone, everyone been saying this since super paper Mario Nintendo refuses to listen

I think the biggest issue is honestly that it looks like a high-res gamecube game. Yeah, graphics aren't everything and many things come first on the priority list, but I really think this one's just not very interesting to look at and that is something important. Maybe I'm alone on this one here, but my Wife also commented on how un-impressive it looks

I legit thought I had seen this video before and this was a reupload

Was really interested in this game.. seems a lot of fun. But the combat puts me off.. :/ And why a timer?

I've been watching a streamer play this. I'm not really impressed by it. This review basically summed up how I've felt about it.

I enjoyed every minute with this game.

No way this game deserves a 7.5... it should be at least 8.5 or 9.

Damn. Really sad to hear the combat is too easy and that it doesn't nail it. SMRPG and the Mario & Luigi GBA games were so much fun...they need to make the new Mario RPGs like those IMO

Best on since Super Paper Mario, but thats not saying much.

This game is basically Super Paper Mario. A game with some questionable design choices, but has a story that is basically emotional dynamite.

That's exactly how i feel about this game. It's good, but it fails to recapture what made the original games good. Plus that interview with the game's director from weeks ago doesn't exactly do this game any justice.

Yeah, that's about the score I would give this game. Some pretty good highs, but also some mediocre lows. Honestly, there would not be that much divisive opinions on this game if the Paper Mario name wasn't holding it back. If this game was called something else, it would have been much more welcomed, and could open the doors to a new future if they improve on the game's faults. Unfortunately, even Nintendo don't want to improve on the faults, since they basically want to scrap the battle system in each game for a new one, never improving on it, so that's a bummer.

the problem I have is their is little character variety, just toads and I don't like toads they're ugly

ME: I don't want a switch. Nintendo: Release Paper Mario. ME: Why can't find a switch!?

We need a new Mario RPG.

It's a shame about the combat. Could've been an incredible game if they didn't force you to do the ring puzzle nonsense for every battle.

#Remasterthousandyeardoor

It's hard for me to decide whether "a disappointment that could and should have been more" is worse than "outright trash". I recognize the steps they're trying to take towards making Paper Mario popular again, but it's still not enough. Nintendo needs to get a clue.

Great Review Ben ❤️

It's well documented that Miyamoto himself is the main one pushing back against Paper Mario games getting too complicated into the RPG genre. Until Miyamoto leaves Nintendo, we'll never get a true Mario RPG game.

CLASSIC NINTENDO....AMAZING GAMES for the first 3 years, then carelessness for the rest of the console life cycle.

I honestly can't wait till we drop the comparison to wind waker. Not everything with a boat is Wind Waker. Seems like it's come up often recently. Reminds me of how every open world used to be called GTA + X rather than simply "open world games".

Its an 8.5 from me, I loved it and I am one of the insistant fans that want a new game a la TTYD. But gotta be honest, I loved this game.

I honestly feel that the whole game should've been shifted forward by one streamer. The game takes too long to get good, both in flavour and challenge/complexity. The constant slow tutorials and general generic feel early on make it easily the weakest part of the game. I could easily see people being turned off from the game because of a lackluster first area, missing out on all the fun characters, unique settings, and crazy shenanigans later on. Plus, hypothetically, the new 5th streamer's area would be bring the combat to a perfect difficulty.

Easy 9/10 for me. Equal GOTY with FF7 remake. Maybe the funniest game I have ever played. Amazing variety between worlds, incredible music and moments I never saw coming and will not ever forget. Trust me do not sleep on this

“Late as usual” - Random Captain Orc from LOTR Return of the King (2003)

I always felt that paper Mario games were boring and too text heavy.

Almost finished this and in the final world. It's certainly designed for kids. It feel like it was meant to shine best with a child who is playing an RPG for the first time. The game is without a doubt easy, and goes out of its way to make it even easier for you. But if you don't mind playing an easy game, there truly is so much to keep you engaged.

This game is so massively underrated is not even fun. In some years it will be remembered as one of the best Paper Mario ever.

After all the bitching and moaning about the combat in Sticker Star and Paint Splash I'm not surprised they made it easier.

God dammit guys I already beat the game! Better late than never.

Was a good game but definitely not great

These "modern" Paper Mario games need to stop trying to reinvent the wheel. The original and Thousand Year Door were great, Super Paper Mario was fun, but the last three have been "meh" at best. The Mario & Luigi series was better, too bad they seem to be done with that one.

Personally, I hated Origami King. It does a lot wrong, but the most offensive part of the game is its horrendous combat system. You'll frequently go out of your way to avoid battles because they're so boring and unpleasant. The combat system also means that all enemies basically feel the same, since if you do the puzzle right you'll likely end up one-shotting them all anyways. There's little attack variety. Almost all jump and hammer attacks feel the same, and your special attacks just require you to press a single button and then watch an animation. Boss battles are nearly as bad, as they're just an exercise in trial and error. Easy Allies was right; either you get it or you don't, and if you don't it's fucking miserable feeling out how the fight is supposed to work. Included one boss that bafflingly one-shots you if you don't dodge his attack, guaranteeing that you'll die to him the first time you fight him The puzzles outside of combat are also hilariously bad. We have a sliding block puzzle that's so bad the game lets you pay a bunch of coins to skip it. We also have the Test of Courage, which can suck the biggest dick on the planet. And let's not forget Snifit Guessing Game, where you have to randomly guess the right answer or get a Game Over. Who designed this shit? The story had some potential which it missed entirely. Origami Peach was looking like she could be a very creepy villain, but she's barely in the game at all! Only at the very beginning and the very end. I love the story around Bowser and his minions but, again, you only see them at the very beginning and end. Olly and Olivia have an interesting dynamic, but Olly only appears, you guessed it, at the very beginning and very end (and one time very briefly in the middle). And Olivia on her own is just... boring. There's some good writing here and there, but only enough to tease you as to what was possible. Bobby's story could have been cool if it didn't blast open a MASSIVE plot hole in the entire Paper Mario canon, the emotional tone of which is completely undermined in the final chapter anyways. Speaking of companions, this is Origami King's flimsy attempt to try to appease the Thousand Year Door fans: put it these pathetic replacements for systems from TTYD. I guess it's kind of appropriate to call them paper cutouts. First is the companion system. Of which there are only FOUR in the entire game, and each is gated to a specific chapter. In several chapters you won't have any companions at all, not that it matters. Only one of them does anything outside of battle, and inside of battle not only do you not control them, but sometimes they just won't attack for some reason. Real wasted opportunity. And the other is the badge system, replaced with the accessory system. And it's entirely pointless. It asks you to choose which accessories you'll bring to battle, but there's really no choice to make. There are a few categories under which you can only equip one or two accessories, but in the categories you only equip one, they either don't do anything outside of battle or are the exact same, some just with strictly better stats than others. And in the category where you can equip two, only ONE of them does anything inside battle And the confetti is such a pointless system. Why is filling these random holes in the world a mechanic? What does it add? The answer is nothing. It adds nothing. It's even more embarassing that after completing a chapter the game decides to reward you by increasing the amount of confetti you can hold. Like, why? Who actually gives a shit? Not that it even feels like you actually carry any more. I swear by the end it felt like my capacity was barely any bigger than when I started. The only REAL character upgrades are Max HP Up (which can be found in the world and also increase your attack power for some reason) and finding new equipment. Equipment which can break for some stupid reason. It's like they're still attached to the stupid-ass system from Sticker Star, but decided that they should be more reasonable than making attacks single-use. But, again, I already talked about why this system is bad and why your attacks have no variety. The only thing I liked in Origami King was the music, the colorful visuals, and SOME of the writing. I don't score games on a 10 point scale, I do it on a 5 scale. And I'd give Origami King a 2/5. A really pathetic offering from Nintendo and a shadow of Paper Mario's legacy. I'm not mad, just disappointed, because we've seen what Paper Mario CAN be, and it seems like we're never going to get a traditional Paper Mario RPG again, which is especially unfortunate since it now seems like the Mario+Luigi series is dead as well.

MY BODY

Not trying to be negative at all, but Brandon seems low energy here, hope he’s getting enough rest!

Such a disgrace it needs to be called sticker star Mario the origami king

Ghost and this, 2 incredible dissapointments on the same day

I honestly did not like this game and I'm only like 30 minutes in. Which is a shame

is there any reason to make a review of a game that people already made their mind to get it or not?

Nintendo churns out another generic, mediocre Mario. I'm shocked.