Since the year of 2001, we've had mainline entries in the Paper Mario series on almost every platform, from the Nintendo 64 featuring the debut title, through to the classic Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door which is arguably still one of the most enjoyable entries in the series and even titles for the Wii/Wii U which were certainly decent even if they did change things significantly, plus of course, Sticker Star on the 3DS in addition to various spin-offs.

Now, in the year of 2020, Nintendo has just announced Paper Mario: The Origami King, which will be releasing for the Nintendo Switch on July 17th, 2020 and here at N-Europe, we couldn't be happier as it looks to us, even at this early stage to be a much-needed return to form for the series.

Withoug further ado, check out the press release, launch trailer and some screenshots below...

PAPER MARIO: THE ORIGAMI KING UNFOLDS FOR NINTENDO SWITCH ON 17^th JULY

14^th May, 2020 – Are you ready for your fun to in-crease tenfold? Well, a special invitation to a colourful, paper-crafted world has arrived. Join Princess Peach, Mario and Luigi in attending the kingdom’s origami festival when Paper Mario: The Origami King launches exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on 17^th July. There’s one tiny wrinkle in the festivities, though: Princess Peach seemed to be acting a little strange lately. To learn more about her mysterious behaviour, check out the Paper Mario: The Origami King - Arriving July 17th! (Nintendo Switch) trailer on the Nintendo YouTube channel. Also, early purchasers can pre-load the game today from Nintendo eShop.

It seems as if King Olly – who claims to be the ruler of the Origami Kingdom – has hatched a devious plot in unleashing his plan to fold the entire world. It looks pretty dangerous on paper, so someone who’s a cut above the rest is needed to save the day! In Paper Mario: The Origami King Mario faces one of his most thrilling challenges yet. Just when matters couldn’t get worse, King Olly has bound Princess Peach’s Castle in giant, coloured 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. A new ability called 1000-Fold Arms allows players to interact with the landscape by stretching out and pulling, peeling and revealing new locations, helping you solve puzzles and uncover unexpected surprises. Along the way, players will enlist the help of allies old and new, such as King Olly’s very own good-natured sister, Olivia, along with a range of unlikely allies. Even Bowser himself hasn’t yet folded to the whims of King Olly’s origami will, and Mario will accept all the help he can find with open arms!

Paper Mario: The Origami King introduces a new ring-based battle system that allows players to flex their puzzle-solving skills to line up scattered enemies and maximise 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.

With a detail-rich world to explore, off-the-wall mini-game events and countless mysteries waiting to be solved, the next joyful Mario adventure on Nintendo Switch is ready to deliver huge helpings of laughs.

Early purchasers can pre-load the game today from Nintendo eShop. With so many titles available on Nintendo Switch, using Nintendo eShop’s Wish List function can be a good way to keep track of them. Now, to make it even more convenient, it’s possible to access, manage and add games to a Nintendo Switch Wish List via the official Nintendo website. Find out more on this new feature on the Nintendo Switch Wish List page via our website.

Paper Mario: The Origami King launches for Nintendo Switch on 17^th July. Join Princess Peach, Mario and Luigi in attending the kingdom’s origami festival and explore a detail-rich world with off-the-wall mini-game events and countless mysteries waiting to be solved.

What do you think of this latest entry in the Paper Mario series? Were you as surprised as us when it was revealed? Could it be that the true magic of the series is finally returning to the fold? (we certainly hope so)

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or join in with the currently unfolding discussion on our forum.