Nintendo struck gold when they made the first Paper Mario. They figured out how to take a beloved series like Super Mario, put a slight twist on it, and create something entirely new that doesn't feel stale, doesn't feel like a flimsy spin-off, and best of all, is better than most Super Mario games. Yeah. It is. Fight me.
Fast forward to today, and Nintendo has really painted itself into a corner with success. Zelda and Mario rule the Nintendo kingdom, with other series like Metroid, Kirby, and Animal Crossing as their princes and princesses. Everyone wants sequels and ports, and who can blame them? I also want to play Wind Waker on the Switch. I also want another Animal Crossing. I also can't wait until Tears of the Kingdom comes out.
But let's imagine for a second that we're some Nintendo exec — and we'll have to imagine pretty hard, because Nintendo doesn't let anyone in on its secrets. Imagine that one of your blockbusters — like, say, Splatoon 3 — is finished and released, and minus the people you need to keep working on the game for live service stuff, you've now got several hundred game developers without a project. You can reassign them to something in the works like Super Mario Odyssey 2 or Animal Crossing: In Space, but you notice that there's a spot on the release calendar in 2026 that isn't full yet. You need a new game.
But god, it takes so much R&D to create a totally new project, and half the ideas either get scrapped in favour of "another Zelda" or they get announced at some games event to a response so lukewarm that you just quietly cancel them and hope no one notices (cough, Project Giant Robot).
How can you be sure that your new game doesn't completely sink beneath the high tides of Zelda and Mario? Easy... you make it a Zelda or a Mario.
Hitch your game to the ever-rising star of one of Nintendo's big franchises, and you're guaranteed good marketing and plenty of attention. And that, friends, is where Paper Mario comes in. Remember Kirby's Epic Yarn? Or Yoshi's Woolly and/or Crafted World? I'd be willing to guess that at least one of those games was borne from a developer wanting to try something new, and wisely deciding to have a well-known protagonist so the project would get greenlit. [That's true! Epic Yarn started out with Prince Fluff as the protagonist before Kirby barged in and stole the spotlight - Ed.] That's what I'd do in this hypothetical developer's shoes.
But I have to wonder why we've never had a spin-off in the vein of Epic Yarn, Woolly World, or Paper Mario for the Zelda series. Sure, Aonuma and co. have dabbled in new art styles, but never changed the tone, setting, or mechanics as much as Paper Mario has.
The closest, perhaps, are Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, which went harder on the comedy of the Zelda stories and shrunk a lot of the danger down to DS size, and Majora's Mask, which is closer still, with an entirely new, non-Hyrulian antagonist, no Zelda, and no Triforce, too. But it's still canon. I'm thinking of something that's self-contained entirely — and maybe that's why Zelda has never had something quite like Paper Mario, since the Canonical And Very Serious Timeline is practically a dogmatic document by now.
(Well, I guess there's Hyrule Warriors. Sorry, I genuinely forgot about Hyrule Warriors until now. But that's more about the Warriors part — the punching and fighting and all that. And it's not very light-hearted, which is what I'm going for.)
But imagine a Paper Zelda with me now. Much like Paper Mario, Link is still the hero — and he's still mute, too, since that works perfectly well in Paper Mario. Naturally, he has a companion from the beginning, whether that's Midna, Tetra, Navi, or someone totally new, and along the way, he makes new acquaintances willing to fight alongside him, from the Deku, Goron, Rito, and Zora tribes, as well as fairies, Sheikah, and just about anyone who would be fun to write. They each have their own powers and strengths, and they're each related to one of the chapters in the story.
The story is a little harder to determine. Link usually has to do one or more of several things: save Zelda, find the Triforce, collect MacGuffins to open a big door or similar, defeat the Big Bad. Since Link is most likely going to pick up his combat companions from their respective realms, perhaps each tribe can help him in these overall quests — the MacGuffins, much like Paper Mario's Star Spirits/Pure Hearts/origami streamers etc., or like Ocarina of Time's Spiritual Stones, even.
You could even add in an explanation as to why Link's all two-dimensional, like Link Between Worlds — it's a horrible curse, obviously. Or a special sword that gives him the power to roll up like a tube. Or a Midna-like companion who helps him realise his inner papery nature!
The thing is that Link is a bit boring in most games. Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass gave him back a personality, but we haven't seen much of that goofy side of the Hero of Various Things since. A Paper Zelda would give him the opportunity to emote like he did in cutscenes of yore, and while we're at it, we could bring back Linebeck, too.
I miss the side of Zelda that wasn't afraid to be a bit silly, even when the stakes were high, and I wonder if its popularity has made that hard to do. After all, comedy is taken less seriously by the world in general, despite the fact that it's way harder to be genuinely funny than it is to sound smart (trust me, I'm a writer), and comedy is much harder to translate across languages and cultures, too (trust me, I have a degree in languages). But Nintendo has the chops for it. They've got some of the best writers and the best localisers in the biz, and they've got Paper Mario developer Intelligent Systems' phone number, too. Go on, Nintendo. Trust them. I know I do.
Comments 68
I would buy a Paper Zelda game immediately.
I would jump at this.
That video is just brilliant especially with paper link on an origami loftwing.
For what, so Arlo can complain about Zelda too?
They should probably focus on making a Paper Mario game that isn’t rubbish first.
Paper Mario doesn't even get the Paper Mario treatment anymore.
I hope the game matches the graphic of the article so it's just Paper Mario with Zelda character faces taped on.
Paper Mario should get The Thousand-Year Door Treatment.
I'm here to fight
I miss the partners from 64/TTYD, and the turn based fighting style. They keep trying to change things and shake the Paper Mario series up but each new entry fails to live up to TTYD. What a fantastic game that is.
Side note, I'd also enjoy a Paper Metroid.
I prefer Paper Mario style games by 3rd party developers instead.
Paper Zelda would be cool. That parody video looks great.
I think another IP that could do well in a paper universe would be a Paper DK.
Strong disagree. Ew. No.
1 - I would buy this instantly
2 - A lot of love went into this video! Really nice work.
I’d rather have something new.
I like most of the Zelda style games. Zelda 64, Skyward sword HD, Link to the past, Link between worlds, Phantom hourglass and Spirit tracks. Paper Zelda maybe if Nintendo have a good plan and idea.
The aesthetics and characters look great, but I'm not sure if turned-based RPG combat would be the way to go.
As others have said, Paper Mario needs the Paper Mario treatment first...
I don’t really get the sentiment that Zelda has lost its sense of humour or silliness. Breath of the Wild has some very quirky characters, side quests and even story beats. The game prior to that, Triforce Heroes also intentionally has one of the goofiest plots in the Zelda series. I think you just miss Tingle and that’s fair.
Also, it’s not Nintendo that cares about the timeline. It’s a certain type of fan that cannot enjoy something without knowing whether or not it’s “canon” or where it falls in the timeline and Nintendo accommodates. I wish we can put the thought of having a connected universe away. But even Nintendo has stated that their timeline can be changed around at any point.
what a great idea will buy it day 1
I'd settle for a Zelda game where everything is made out of candy & pastries. Kinda like Yoshi's Wooly World but called Link's Lollipop Infinity ...
I like the idea, and I'd absolutely play it. One of the things I liked most about The Origami King was its exploratory environments and occasional puzzle-y dungeon, which all felt VERY Zelda-esque to me.
Too bad the Paper Mario fanbase would have yet another target for its endless campaign of hate.
@nessisonett You should play The Origami King. In many respects, it's one of the best games in the series. Of course, people IMMEDIATELY dismiss it because "level no go up when defeat enemy," even though these same people have no issue with the "pointless combat" in any other game that's not an RPG.
I don't think Zelda works as an RPG. The games are all about puzzles, combat, and dungeon exploration. While these elements could occur in a Zelda RPG, it would still not be enough to detract from the core Zelda experience. I mean, Zelda's other outings as a platformer (Zelda II), rhythm game (Cadence of Hyrule), and hack/slash (Hyrule Warriors) were not as well received, so I don't think it's the franchise to be experimental with. Not that I don't want it to be tried, but it has to be really good. Now Kirby on the other hand would make for a fantastic RPG!
I mean it looks charming, but nah there's no need for it if you ask me. They have the Paper Mario franchise which is selling ok I guess. Also I guess I am pretty darn tired of all the spinoff Zelda stuff.
If they made a Zelda spinoff RPG game then I would prefer if it focused on some other character than Link, Perhaps a new Tingle game, actually make that a R-rated Paper Tingle game, that would be delightful.
I would definitely be into a Zelda RPG (whether in the Paper Mario style or otherwise), but what I really want is a brand new, fully fleshed out top-down Zelda game. Could be in the style of the Link's Awakening remake or pixel art (like Cadence of Hyrule). It's sad to think that with the merging of Nintendo's home console and handheld lines, (new, non-remake) top-down Zelda may be a thing of the past...
"Tears of the Kingdom" already works as a Paper Zelda title.
Or perhaps "A Link to Paste?" "Origami of Time?" Regardless of title, I'd play a game like that.
No thanks looks awful!
It should, but I don't trust them to do it justice anymore considering the state of paper mario itself. This series has met a terrible fate, hasn't it
Cadence of Hyrule and A Link Between Worlds are the closest we'll ever get to seeing a flat Link in a Zelda game. Take it or leave it.
wouldn't that be more like a next Fire Emblem?
Instead of a sword, Link has to use stickers or cards to attack! Visually it looks great but I prefer the way Zelda is now.
No, I have to disagree. Even the 2D, top-down Zeldas offer a lot of multi-level depth to their puzzles. It would REALLY be stretching things to incorporate Zelda in a Paper Mario style.
The only way I see a turn-based iteration working be in a tactical sense, such as what would have been if Ubisoft had included Link and his world (along with Samus/Metroid and other Nintendo IPs) in a Mario & Rabbids game.
@Ralizah Totally agree! Origami King had many nods to Zelda, including Wind Waker.
Ever since that first trailer for the Link's Awakening remake with the opening cutscene, I've wanted a hand-drawn 2D Zelda. I feel like Paper Zelda would just be another chibi style like they've been doing forever with the 2D games. If we're going to get a new art style, I'd rather it try to be beautiful for once rather than just cute.
I would definitely go for a Zeldavania (or rather a Linkvania) game.
Until then, check out RPG Time: The Legend of Wright.
I’d totally play a Paper Zelda game.
Link between worlds doesn't count? Also Link is mute, he would not work in a paper mario game unless you give him a fairy again. Or put a different person in the lead.
I don't think that Nintendo should just copy and paste styles though. I like that their dev innovation has come up with crazy but fitting styles like yarn for yoshi or the toy diorama for link's awakening. And that's because nobody goes, you should make paper zelda.
Ok, hear me out for a second. INSTEAD of a Paper Zelda game, how about a game where Link commits deforestation for his paper factory? Sounds fun.
Anyways, TEARS (as in torn paper) of the Kingdom. (cue unfunny sitcom laugh track)
@Anti-Matter If you want to be nitpicky, every Paper Mario has been developed by a third party. Intelligent Systems has never been a fully-owned subsidiary of Nintendo, just a close affiliate by choice.
That having been said, I know what you meant.
I honestly love how that video mashes up the different games for a “best of” type thing. I guess Hyrule Warriors did a similar thing, but doing away with the multiverse/timeline shenanigans in favor of a non-canon paper world where everyone’s favorites are at play would be a ball!
I'd settle for Paper Mario getting the Paper Mario treatment at this point.
For real though I've thought the approach would work well for Zelda for a loooong time.
How about we get a new 2d Zelda instead. I would much rather Nintendo build upon Origami king than make a paper Zelda game.
in my opinion Origami King is the best in the series. The only things j I would change are:
1. The battle system. It isn’t bad, but I do like the old style a bit more.
2. Character designs could be more unique. This isn’t to say that the characters themselves are bad, but their designs are lacking.
3. A story along the lines of Super Paper Mario.
Make those changes and you have the perfect Paper Mario game.
Paper Mario needs to be given the Paper Mario treatment!
I would buy the heck out of that.
They would need to keep it an action rpg.
This would work so well, but they really need to give the Paper Mario games the Paper Mario 64 & Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door treatment again.
nintendo must be adamant since most loz games are more insistent on a "grounded" timeline and story. they'd have to completely ditch canon if they make an artsy craft world with mechanics and aesthetics to go with it
as for PM im fine with the paper-focused mechanics and aesthetics. we have better stories now which is good, they just gotta ditch the gimmicky battles that are still disposable. it brings down an otherwise great game like TOK
While I am not against it completely, I just don't know how a traditional RPG would work in the Zelda series. The closest we came to that was Zelda II, and out of the entire franchise (not including the CD-i games), that one is the most hated.
But that's assuming they even go that route. Now, if they kept the Paper Mario-like art style, but still kept it a traditional Zelda game, with the action-adventure gameplay, then I could get behind it.
@Ryu_Niiyama Mario is also mute so if it worked for him it could work for Link, too. And more than one series can use a certain kind of aesthetic, just look at Kirby's Epic Yarn and Yoshi's Woolly World.
While I personally wouldn't mind other Nintendo series try the paper aesthetic and/or gameplay style of Paper Mario games (hopefully the traditional one since it's my favorite despite overall enjoying even the more recent games), definitely keep the crazy experiments coming!
@blindsquarel Would love to see a new 2D Zelda and/or a remake of both Oracle games!
My ideal Paper Mario game would have the level design of 64/Color Splash/Origami King, the battle system of TTYD, the story of Super, the aesthetic of Color Splash/Origami King, the music of any of them (minus maybe Sticker Star, definitely not because it has a bad soundtrack, but I think it's less varied in comparison)!
I would quite like to see the art style seen in the end credits of Age of Calamity.
@Member_the_game
them's fighting words.
@JohnnyMind mario isn’t mute. He simply doesn’t have (much) voice acting. The characters react to him as if he can speak. Link is mute. Either way the entirety of my comment still stands.
A lot of people basically summed it up for me considering the current state of Paper Mario I wouldn't trust Nintendo to give Zelda the same treatment.
I just finished Origami King and man that was one incredible game. I genuinely had a blast from start to finish. How Nintendo havent done a Paper Zelda yeah ill never understand. It would be like printing money
@Ryu_Niiyama The same applies to Link in the games where the player can pick different dialogue choices.
Like I said, other than that I actually agree with your comment!
I would prefer if they just made a new paper Mario. It would be pretty disappointing to wait six more years for a new Zelda game, only to find out it was a paper Mario clone
@JohnnyMind In what Zelda game do you pick dialogue choices that aren't yes or no and don't involve a fairy?
I don’t get why people like the battle system so much in the original paper Mario games. It’s fun to battle at the beginning of the game, but it eventually gets tedious just like in the new games. However, in the new games I can just skip the battles. In the old games I feel like I’m forced to battle so i am at the the required level
@Ryu_Niiyama Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild immediately come to mind.
@JohnnyMind Don't remember actual dialogue choices in either of those (as in beyond yes or no or a simple binary) but it has been a few years so I'll take your word for it.
@Ryu_Niiyama Of course don't expect them to have real consequences (most of the time), but they can lead to some funny moments, for example when you tell Groose he has nice hair instead of confronting him about the disappearance of your Loftwing.
Removed - flaming/arguing
Would play the hell out of a Paper Zelda
Yeah, I’m definitely excited to see where Nintendo takes Zelda, apart from the current “mainline” games.
Instabuy
I could also image a Zelda & Link game (like Mario & Luigi RPG Series)
I think remaking Zelda 2 in a paper style is their best bet.
I'll settle for a paper anything so long as it's good like the first three paper mario games...
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