With this year markingMario’s 35th anniversary, news broke that Nintendo was looking to celebrate the iconic plumber mascot by re-releasing a number of his most popular games. Alongside this, it seems fans will also be getting a new entry in the covetedPaper Marioseries, with the last game in the franchise hitting consoles back in 2016. Naturally, fans were slightly dubious, with a number of the series' previous entries meeting heavy criticism for moving away from the beloved formula that made the earliergames so special.
However, it seems eagerPaper Marioplayers shouldn’t worry about the game’s direction, with a source allegedly informing Venture Beat that the title will look to return to the series roots. According to Venture Beat, the game will supposedly be taking a lot of influence from the Nintendo 64 and GameCube takes on the series, which most fans unanimously agree were the strongest entries in thePaper Mariolineup.
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For those who are unaware of the franchise’s long and divisive history, the original releases ofPaper Marioon the N64and the highly-regardedPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Dooron the GameCube were both seen as two of the best releases in the history of theMariofranchise. Both stood as incredibly accessible and infinitely entertaining RPGs, with the character taking on a paper version of Mario as they navigate the Mushroom Kingdom while amassing skills, party members, and items to help save Princess Peach.
However, the franchise eventually changed drastically in the years followingThousand-Year Door’srelease, with many complaining that the series lost its magic when it began to slowly move further and further away from its traditionally RPG roots. BothPaper Mario: Sticker StarandColor Splash, in particular, became widely renown as the games that lost what made the series so special, with many begging Nintendo to return to the style, tone, and moment-to-moment gameplay of the originalPaper MarioandThe Thousand-Year Door.
Although it’s worth taking the potential leak with a pinch of salt, there’s definitely precedent to imagine that Nintendo will want to return to the formula established in the N64 andGameCubeversions of thePaper Mariofranchise. The major publisher has begun to listen a lot more to what players want from its constantly recurring franchises - with titles likeThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildandSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateboth listening to a lot of fans wishes and criticisms - so it seems somewhat likely that they’ll take on board the consensus surroundingPaper Marioand deliver a more traditional entry in the franchise.
A newPaper Mariois rumored to be in development, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
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