Nintendo has announced the latest entry in the RPG series Paper Mario, the first since Paper Mario: Color Splash released on the Wii U in 2016. Called Paper Mario: The Origami King, the game sees Mario partner with a new character, Olivia, to save Princess Peach"s castle from the hands of King Olly. The characters will also count on unusual allies such as Bowser to fight against the evil forces in a "comedy-filled adventure".
The trailer shows off a variety of scenes, with Mario visiting Princess Peach"s castle and a number of locations, some of which are apparently traversed in vehicles such as cars and boats. It also shows off new abilities, such as the 1000-Fold Arms, that lets players interact with the environment in new ways to solve puzzles.
The combat system is also briefly shown off, with some more information shared on the game"s official website. Nintendo says there"s a new ring-based combat system, which might be good news for those disappointed with recent entries in the franchise, and it"s possible to line up enemies and plan attacks in order to deal more damage.
Paper Mario: The Origami King is slated for release on July 17. The announcement confirms a previous report that a Paper Mario game would be announced this year, which in turn lends more credibility to the rest of the report. It"s been suggested that Nintendo is preparing to launch a collection of older 3D Mario titles remastered for the Nintendo Switch, plus a port of Super Mario 3D World. The latter has also been spotted in a Best Buy listing in the past.