Here we go! In a surprise announcement, Nintendo revealed the release of a new installment of the popular Paper Mario franchise. The new entry, titled Paper Mario: The Origami King, is slated to hit shelves and the eShop on July 17th.
Fans of the series have long been awaiting news of a wholly new Paper Mario game since the crossover title Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam for the 3DS and Paper Mario: Color Splash on the Wii U. Going by the trailer, The Origami King boasts breathtaking graphics and art design that the series has come to be known for.
Nintendo released a statement to announce the game as well, saying:
Mario faces one of his most thrilling challenges yet in Paper Mario: The Origami King when the dangerous King Olly unleashes his plan to fold the entire world. Just when matters couldn’t get worse, he’s bound Princess Peach’s Castle in giant, colored 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.
Luckily, Mario is equipped with a range of new tools at his disposal to help secure victory. One of Mario’s new abilities, called 1000-Fold Arms, allows you to interact with the landscape by stretching out and pulling, peeling and revealing new locations, helping you to solve puzzles and uncover unexpected surprises. Along the way, you’ll enlist the help of characters old and new, such as King Olly’s good-natured sister, Olivia, along with a range of unlikely allies, including Bowser himself! If they haven’t yet folded to the whims of King Olly’s origami will, Mario will accept all the help he can find with open arms!
Paper Mario: The Origami King also introduces a new ring-based battle system that lets you flex your puzzle-solving skills to line up scattered enemies and maximize damage. While the enemies may be crafted from paper, these dynamic, turn-based battles are far from stationary. It’ll require a sharp mind to make short work of these crafty enemies.
You can check out the trailer below: