Paper Mariois one of seven N64 titles Nintendo teased as future content when it revealed the Expansion Pack, with others on the way beingBanjo-Kazooie,F-Zero X,Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards,Mario Golf,The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, andPokemon Snap. No concrete releases came in November 2021, though corporate documents were uncovered suggestingNintendo hopes to improve the Expansion Pack going forward. Today’s trailer spotlightingPaper Mariois great for fans of the game, but may not bode well for the service going forward.
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Nintendo Giving Paper Mario the Spotlight is a Great Sign
As with many of Nintendo’s popular franchises,Paper Mariohas had something of a rocky history. The N64 original and its GameCube successorThe Thousand-Year Doorare widely acclaimed as some of the best beginner RPGs ever made. They eschew the huge numerical values and complicated spells of games likeFinal Fantasyin favor of simple, action command-centered battles; wrapped up in a unique papercraft aesthetic that creatively uses theSuper MarioIP.
Super Paper Marioon Wii changed up the formula by presenting more of a traditional platformer with RPG elements, all in service of its 2D-to-3D flipping gimmick. After that came what many would consider to be a “dark period” with the release ofPaper Mario: Sticker Starand thecrossoverMario & Luigi: Paper Jamon 3DS, as well asPaper Mario: Color Splashon Wii U. None of those titles are fondly remembered by fans, as they turned their attention to the paper aesthetics as selling points and were more homogenized examples of theSuper Mariobrand.
ThoughPaper Mario: The Origami Kingon Switch is generally seen as a more positive entry that injects a lot of creativity back into the series, it continues moving away from the RPG roots that fans loved in favor of its own puzzle-based combat system. The general scarcity of “traditional"Paper Mariocontent has led tofans asking for re-releases ofThe Thousand-Year Door. Thus, seeing Nintendo give the N64 original its own spotlight in 2021 with a brand-new trailer just before making the game available again is hopefully a sign it recognizes the fanbase’s desire for more.
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Nintendo Switch Online’s Drip-Feed May be Getting Worse
Unfortunately, as much as one may want to celebrate the release ofPaper Mariofor Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, its standalone announcement is potentially evidence that Nintendo is doubling-down on one of the service’s biggest criticisms. Many have given the company flak for howslowly it releases new NES and SNES gamesvia Nintendo Switch Online - and for how many iconic games likeEarthboundare still missing.
Assuming the pattern possibly established byPaper Marioholds true, it being the one new N64 game confirmed for Switch Online’s Expansion Pack within two months of its release, fans may have reason to be concerned. More games may joinPaper Mariolater in December, and it would make sense for Nintendo to bolster its service as much as possible leading into the first big holiday season theNintendo Switch OLED model is on the market. However, just one game being added every few months wouldn’t be great given how many are already skeptical of the Expansion Pack’s price.
Paper Mariowill release as part of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on December 10.
