© NintendoIn all honesty, I fell off Paper Mario: The Origami King faster than I hope I would. But while I may not remember the last checkpoint I reached in my second playthrough, or exactly who accompanied me, I did to do remember how much the game made me laugh. In the end, it was the whole battle system that struck me true love the game, but the top-notch comedy at least kept me going until the end of the story.
It all started in the early game. As soon as I saw a full Bowser struggling to follow Mario up the stairs, and as soon as I heard him remark, ‘Hey, slow! I walk here with my face! ‘I was sitting in pieces. And for the rest of the Origami King, the funny moments just kept going. Whether it was Mario’s adorable animations or the razor-sharp quips from which the NPCs came out, this was a game with perhaps the best gag rate I’ve ever experienced.
And with 2020 being the year it has been, I think we can all agree that a good laugh was much needed.
King of comedy
But why is the humor in Origami King just as successful? Now, the way I see it, there are two different kinds of humor to be seen: visual slapstick and dialogue jokes. Slapstick humor is defined as a kind of physical comedy that contains absurd situations and exaggerated movement. To take another example from the early game, Mario finds that he turns from Peach’s Castle only to land on top of the sky in the hood of a pine tree, whose small boots sway wobbly in the air. Of course, it’s a struggle to escape, and we all giggle until he safely lands on the forest floor and adjusts his hood, like nothing has happened. This is classic slapstick humor, and just one of many such moments that are beautifully executed throughout the game.
While the slapstick humor in Origami King is undoubtedly excellent, I would argue that the dialogue is even funnier. In fact, the lines from which NPCs emerge are my favorite moments of the game. Mario’s time with each character is sometimes short, yet always memorable. Exchanges like Bob-omb explained his illness as ‘You know that thing with memory loss? What’s it called … Ambrosia? Amnesty? Thinky Thinky Panic? ‘come thick and fast, and sometimes let me down the controller because I was sitting in laughter.
Even more impressive, Origami King is an extremely accessible game and the written jokes are designed to be consistently funny, regardless of the age of the player. The writing is truly fantastic, and the stream of gags never dried up, although the video game medium cannot rely on improvisational humor, such as say, TV or stand-up comedy.
House of Fun-ny
Those are the other Nintendo franchises that are as funny as Paper Mario? Considering Nintendo Switch and its first-party titles, Luigi’s Mansion 3 is probably the only other game that has consistently made me laugh. Luigi’s Mansion 3 primarily uses slapstick animation to pick up humor. Title character Luigi is not like most heroes you see. With a very consuming fear of anything spooky, he is the least likely member of Mario’s alliance to be the hero in a very ghost story. Seeing Luigi every time he encounters a ghou is what makes the game so hilarious. Plus, because I’m the type of person who’s scared of everything, I can relate. All things considered, with less productive dialogue and written jokes, Luigi’s Mansion 3 did not make me laugh as much as Origami King did.
Of course, there are other Nintendo Switch games that can be classified as comedies. De South Park games are very funny, but in order to really enjoy them you probably need to have seen the show and love it. I’ve only dipped into the comic strip, and the humor is sometimes a little too harsh for my taste. There are also a few indie experiences that deliver a good laugh as well Untitled Goose Game. Playing like a spicy goose and terrorizing a village and its peaceful inhabitants is an experience that every owner of the Switch should have, but the game is actually pretty short, and I was left wanting more.
Can they take a joke?
While there are third-party and indie comedy experiences, is there room for more first-party AAA comedies Nintendo? As you may have thought, I think there is! I assume Nintendo could rebuild old comedy-oriented franchises or develop new ones. As far as old franchises are concerned, the first thing that comes to mind Kid Icarus: Rebellion.
The last installation of Kid Icarus came in 2012 for the 3DS. Pit and Lady Palutena’s priceless banter is up there with some of the best video game dialogue of all time. In fact, the game sparked with moments recorded just for laughs, the intense field battles and fast-paced gameplay. Animal Crossing is another Nintendo staple that just begs for an injection of laughter. In New horizons the pool of nearly 400 villagers grew by only 8, and no new personality types were added at all. What if Nintendo added a comic personality type? With so much dialogue in play, a group of villagers just designed to make the player laugh would be a welcome addition.
When it comes to Nintendo developing new comedy franchises, what about a potential Wario and Waluigi game? These pantomime villains are ripe for their own comedy adventure, often with the two reluctantly collaborating to save Mario and Luigi on the management of a Princess Peach they seem unable to say no to. But there are other famous Nintendo characters who also seem to be moving towards comedy. What about a Donkey Kong playing with the focus on giggles instead of platforming? Wouldn’t that be a barrel of laughter? (Pardon me.)
Do you know of any other fun games available on the Switch? Let us know in the comments!
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