

Tanabe last addressed this subject in an Iwata Asks interview, dug up today by Nintendo Enthusiast.

It's an interesting comment, as there are several new characters in The Origami King which could be classed as both modifications of Mario characters or original characters in their own right. "That means that if we aren't using Mario characters for bosses, we need to create original characters with designs that don't involve the Mario universe at all, like we've done with Olly and the stationery bosses." The Origami King's archaeologist party member Professor Toad. "Since Paper Mario: Sticker Star, it's no longer possible to modify Mario characters or to create original characters that touch on the Mario universe. In a VGC interview, Nintendo producer Kensuke Tanabe commented on how this shift impacted The Origami King: More recent entries Sticker Star and Color Splash reverted back to adventure RPGs, but focused almost exclusively on existing character designs. Unloved follow-up Super Paper Mario ditched companions completely for its dimension-hopping platforming gameplay.
#PAPER MARIO THE THOUSAND YEAR DOOR ROM STOPPED SERIES#
Since The Thousand-Year Door, the series has moved away from introducing original character designs to focus on existing characters, and more of Mario's main cast. Portrayed in the original Japanese release as a transgender woman mocked for her transition, the character was re-written for its English translation, and any references to her being transgender were removed.) Mario bids farewell to his party members at the end of Thousand-Year Door.

(Vivian, famously, also caused something of a headache for Nintendo in its localisation of the game. Many, such as Vivian, had memorable character arcs. That game had a university student goomba named Goombella, a genie-like wind spirit named Madame Flurrie, and the popular Vivian, a ghostly being who begins the game as an antagonist.Įach of these companions had their own unique designs. It's been a while since we've had truly individual companions in a Paper Mario game - the kind fans still remember fondly from The Thousand-Year Door. The Origami King begins to address this by having certain characters travel with Mario in a limited capacity, though these are noticably lacking in their variety. Recent entries have sidelined or removed party members - to the chagrin of long-term fans of the series.

Paper Mario: The Origami King is out today, and if you've read Eurogamer's review you'll know the game makes several tentative steps back towards its RPG roots - though it ultimately shies away from the series' old companion system.
