In an announcement that came out of absolutely nowhere, Nintendo confirmed that a new Paper Mario game, Paper Mario: The Origami King, is scheduled to launch for Nintendo Switch on July 17, 2020. You can check out the official trailer below, which features all the foldy bits you would expect from a Paper Mario game. It also features a character who is presumably the eponymous Origami King, who sort of re-folds himself into a really grumpy expression, which makes it very clear he’s the bad guy. “Paper Mario: The Origami King delivers a comedy-filled journey packed with puzzles, strategic ring-based battles, quirky characters and unique visuals,” reads the official press release for the game. The press release also confirms that people who purchase the game early can pre-load it from today.
In terms of plot, here’s what we’ve got to work with so far (from the press release): “It seems as if King Olly – who claims to be the ruler of the Origami Kingdom – has hatched a devious plot in unleashing his plan to fold the entire world.” “In Paper Mario: The Origami King Mario faces one of his most thrilling challenges yet. Just when matters couldn’t get worse, King Olly has bound Princess Peach’s Castle in giant, coloured streamers and transported it to a distant mountain. He’s even transformed Bowser’s minions into Folded Soldiers and enlisted them in his treacherous cause.”
With the announcement of Paper Mario: The Origami King, it seems Nintendo could react to the cancellation of E3 in a similar way to Square Enix, which is focusing on individual game reveals as opposed to one, massive showcase. Paper Mario: The Origami King is set to launch for Nintendo Switch on July 17, 2020. If you’re keen, you can already pre-load it via the Nintendo Switch eShop.
