As the flattened version of everyone’s favourite plumber grows origami concertina arms, grabs onto a boss made out of rubber bands, yanks back and pings his foe across the arena, it is hard not to be wrapped up in Paper Mario’s charms.
Nintendo’s most unusual interpretation of its famous mascot –like many of the Japanese giant’s games– has made a habit of reinventing itself with each new outing since its role-playing debut in 2000. From full blown RPG to side-scrolling action, Paper Mario has always looked to draw outside the lines, finding inspiration from its gorgeous hand-crafted milieu by raiding the arts box.Coins are made of chunky cardboard, water runs like a rip of blue-paper, while its games often find unique twists with stickers, paint and pencil marks.
This time it is, as the title suggests, origami. The titular king is this game’s villain, descending on the paper Mushroom Kingdom with the intent of folding everyone to his whim; turning goombas and shy guys into subservient ‘folded soldiers’ and even folding up Princess Peach and whisking her and her castle away on a sea of tangled streamers. Off goes Mario in pursuit, aided by the King’s endearing sister Olivia.
Its adventure is an unusual hybrid of puzzling, action-role-playing and Zelda-esque dungeoneering. Mario travels to each corner of the world, looking to untangle the five streamers that will return Peach and her castle. You will fill in holes punched in the world (delightfully revealing its spindly wireframe structure underneath) in a burst of confetti collected from battles and rustled from trees and peel dog-eared corners of walls to reveal secret entrances.
