As Paper Mario: The Origami King arrives on the Switch, we check out everything you need to know about the new game and Mario's ever-changing design!

By Virgin TV Edit

“It’s a me!” No, not Adele – MARIO! Correct, everyone’s favourite Italian-American plumber (of Japanese origin) and gaming icon is back. And, impressively for an icon as timeless and acclaimed as Mario, he’s looking better than ever.

Paper Mario: The Origami King not only bags the title for 2020’s strangest yet most captivating gaming title, but also looks set to be one of the year’s most eye-catching, insatiably playable titles, too. Watching the trailer below, it’s safe to say the old boy has come a long way since his Paper Mario debut back in 2000…

Like, seriously… Did you see that? “An origami plot unfolds”? IT’S GENIUS! There is – literally, at this point – no bounds to just how darned clever and creative Nintendo’s consistently captivating ideas can be. For this reason alone, we think Paper Mario is well worth playing.

The plot, in a nutshell, follows Paper Mario as he sets out to reclaim the world from an origami-d, shape-shifting (well, shape-folding) evil king who is hell-bent on turning it all into a neatly folded nightmare. Expect cuteness, head-scratching puzzles, glorious platforming and environments so cute you wish you were a small, cartoon-like piece of paper who could move there and buy a three-bedroom bungalow with a sea view.

Serrated edges on sections of objects and buildings allow Paper Mario to grab, tear and (dare we say it) unfold secrets hidden with the game’s brilliantly varied overworld. Plus, after Paper Mario: Colour Splash’s less action-oriented gameplay, The Origami King sees the franchise return to its tried and trusted action-RPG roots.

It looks buttery smooth, cartoon-tastic and as jaw-droppingly innovative as Nintendo’s recent offerings. They’re on a hell of a run since the Switch’s arrival back in 2017. A run we’re certain will continue with The Origami King.

And, as if often the case with a new Mario title, The Origami King sees the beloved character gain an all-new ability/redesign, of sorts, with his “1000-fold arms”. Though it’s a subtle and relatively minor change to 2000’s original Paper Mario iteration, it’s a hell of an overhaul to the 8-bit, OG Mario seen back in 1981’s Donkey Kong.

Which, in turn, got us thinking… How has the legendary character’s appearance varied over the years? We all know and love his red hat and overalls (joke time – what are Mario’s overalls made of? Denim denim denim… We’ll see ourselves out), but how – and when – has the design changed, over the years?

Well, dear readers, with the handy graphic below, now you can find out…