From witty dialogue to charming paper-style graphics, Paper Mario: The Origami King shares similar elements with previous games in the series while also introducing new and exciting features for Mario lovers to explore. One of the most unique factors is the spinning board battle system. Using horizontal and vertical movement, the player must figure out how to properly line up their enemies to execute the most effective attack. This new combat system essentially makes every battle a puzzle in itself.  Let’s talk about some tips and tricks that will help you hone in your fighting skills for rescuing the princess. 

Battle tips:

1. Damage Boost: The player will be awarded with an extra damage boost in their attack if they are able to line up the enemies in either a straight line, or a side-by-side grouping.

2. Time: The use of buying time in battle has its advantages. By pressing the “+” button on the Nintendo Switch Joycons, you are able to exchange coins for more time on the clock. This can be done multiple times in a single battle. 10 coins is equivalent to one more second on the clock, which can really save the day in tough situations.  

3. Accessories: There are accessories you can buy and equip from different town vendors. These can help you increase Health Points, add time to the clock, reduce damage dealt by enemies, and boost ally attack. Make sure to equip your accessories before battle or they will not take effect. 

4. Cheering Toads: In the movement phase, you can use the “Y” button to have Toad cheer you on for an exchange of coins. Toad will either deal damage to enemies, heal Mario, move enemies around, or even supply you with weapons and items. Toad can only cheer you on once per round, but if you give generously you will receive a better reward.

5. Battle Lab: In the Battle Lab you can practice combat without the fear of losing your life. You can also unlock several items that will help you in battle such as the Time Extender and Puzzle Solver. 

6. Attack The Enemy First: If you hammer or jump on the origami enemies before the battle begins, you get a free bonus hit before the movement phase.

7. Keep your Weapon Inventory Stocked: excluding your beginning boots and hammer, your specialized weapons can break. Keep that weapon inventory restocked once when  discarding broken weapons. A good practice is only using your special weapons against stronger enemies. If you use a basic hammer or boots to kill weak enemies, you can preserve your specialized weapons for when you really need them. 

8. Items: Our item usage was more frequent in this game compared to other Paper Mario game titles. Keep your mushroom inventory stocked, there may not be a healing bench when you need one. Items like the POW Block and Fire Flower also became useful in combat because they can deal damage to multiple enemies at once. 

9. Allies: Throughout your adventure, you will team up with different allies that will help you in battle. When fighting alongside your ally, make sure to equip the “Ally Tambourine” accessory, this will boost your allies attack power. 

Boss levels: 

1. Letter Hints: With every boss battle, there will be a brown letter sitting on the spinning board that will give you a clue on how to most effectively defeat your enemy. This becomes very helpful because different strategies work against different bosses, and having a helpful hint will lead you in the right direction. 

2. Magic Circles: Make sure to step over the “On” button to activate the magic circles. Without switching it on, the circles cannot be used. If you need a certain magic circle that isn't on the board, open up a chest. Chests will place either hearts,coins, buffs, or magic circles on the battlefield. Magic circles are important to use because they are often the last attack used to finish off a strong boss. 

3. Use Buffs: Walking over a x2 square will double your damage attack, and walking over a blue “+1” square will give you an extra action turn. This becomes very handy in boss levels when every hit counts.

Remember to use your cheering Toads, accessories, and items!

When mastering this new combat style, every moment counts as time is of the essence. We found that by using FPS Freek Vortex Performance Thumbsticks on the joycons, we were able to move and react quicker to solve these brain busting puzzles before time ran out. After playing for hours straight, these thumbsticks provide extra comfort by reducing hand fatigue that can occur after long play sessions. Give yourself the advantage in combat and upgrade the way you play on Switch.