![]() ![]() Plus: I highlighted the music once already, but goddamn, did the composing team on this sucker knock it out of the park. ![]() It's a shame, because the worlds designed by Intelligent Systems are charming, inviting, and, in fact, intelligent! I dig walking around and exploring each area more than I would in most dungeon-crawlers, proving the power of "fun" is still one worth tapping into. All of the character models, whether in appealingly cartoonish 2D (watching Mario flip around will never not make me smile) or surprisingly sinister "folded 3D" work like gangbusters, but because the graphics surrounding them don't quite lock the way they should, it all feels a little wonky. There are some unfortunate graphical problems throughout whereas Super Mario Odyssey worked within the Switch's limitations to present smooth backgrounds and environments throughout, Origami King's inherent "flatness" results in some blurring and clipping of polygons in ways that take me out of the sunshiney aesthetic. If previous Mario games are Pixar films, The Origami King is a LEGO Movie - hipper and funnier, with a similarly sweet core.įrom a presentation standpoint, The Origami King is also, mostly, a triumph. Plus, her status as our main villain's sister bakes in an inherent tragic element with emotional stakes. She is so freaking funny, her bright naïvete and headstrong enthusiasm resulting in some of the most pervasively humorous moments. And Olivia, a brand new character, is an absolute home run. At one point, you meet a Bob-omb with amnesia, and his journey of rediscovering himself and the power of friendship is earnestly touching, with gut-punching jokes along the way. Luigi and Bowser both amplify what we already "know about them," while poking and prodding at the absurd logic of their truths, too. ![]() I'm particularly impressed with the character development of the title: While Mario stays a "strong and silent" type, the characters around him are given a huge runway to play with and explore, even and especially our familiar ones. Intelligent Systems, the designer of the game also responsible for the previous Paper Mario titles, feels particularly unleashed in this one, eager to mess with what we typically know about Mario's formula in bold ways, while still giving us the familiar joys we keep coming back to. The five worlds you visit and unfurl each have different vibes, personalities, and exquisitely orchestrated soundtracks (more chamber orchestral arrangements in video games, please!), all under a crisp-and-goofy umbrella of comedic consistency. So, with the entirety of the Mushroom Kingdom in folded peril, Mario must, alongside a new friend named Olivia (Olly's sister, who's like Navi from Ocarina of Time crossed with Joy from Inside Out), travel to five areas of the world, unfold as many creatures as he can, eliminate the streamers King Olly has wrapped around Peach's castle, and save the dang day! Simply existing in this game's inherent premise sparks a boatload of joy. ![]()
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