There were more than a few The Legend of Zelda fans who thought that we would get to play Breath of the Wild 2 this year. As we know by now after nearly eight months of total silence from Nintendo on the series, that will not be the case (although Cadence of Hyrule DLC and Age of Calamity look great!). It was a pretty quiet year for The Legend of Zelda, but the series’ adventurous charm was channeled to perfection in at least one new game thanks to Nintendo’s most iconic mascot. If you’re looking for the traditional Zelda experience of puzzle solving and exploration in 2020, you may be pleasantly surprised by a certain chapter in Paper Mario: The Origami King.
The Legend of Zelda and Mario have a history of making reference to one another in their games. Link was sleeping at an inn in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Mario and co. had their portraits hanging inside Hyrule Castle in Ocarina of Time; the list of amusing cameos goes on and on. Paper Mario: The Origami King was well prepared to continue the longstanding tradition, and if you happen to find one particular folded Toad on Autumn Mountain, you’ll see a hilarious jab at Breath of the Wild early into the adventure.
It’s around the midway point of The Origami King that Mario and his lovable partner Olivia set sail across a region with a very familiar name to Zelda fans. The Purple Streamer which Mario and Olivia must follow stretches throughout The Great Sea — a vast, watery realm that is dotted by a variety of tiny islands, and where copious amounts of sunken treasure sits beneath the waves.
The Purple Streamer chapter of The Origami King is one great homage to The Wind Waker, as Mario and his companions go on an island-hopping tour to fill out his Sea Chart. A regular sight on these islands are angelic Toad statues hewn out of white stone. Four of these bear unique markings that are key to uncovering a great secret hidden at the bottom of the sea. On your map, you’ll find that these special statues and the islands they reside upon form a diamond. Head to the center of their formation, dive down in your submarine, and suddenly you’re transported to Diamond Island — a gigantic hedron resting on the Great Sea’s floor.
Inside that hedron is a serene paradise shielded from the waters of the Great Sea, no different than the pocket of Hyrule that was protected by a diamond-like barrier beneath the depths in The Wind Waker. Diamond Island’s stone pathways are pristine, the vegetation is verdant, and the air seems positively unspoiled. Columns of solid ice jut out of the mountains in the distance, and while there is no Hyrule Castle to speak of, the enormous polar bear effigies representing the Ice Vellumental are just as awesome.
There are also three structures that will instantly catch any fan’s eye. Their design isn’t out of the ordinary, with their exterior lined by pillars, an arched roof topping them, and a single angelic Toad statue hanging from the facade. But it’s their color schemes that stand out. One building is a fiery red shade, another is a cool blue, and the third is a forest green.
Diamond Island plays host to the Trials of Power, Wisdom, and Courage, a series of challenges for Mario named after the three pieces of the Triforce. The Trial of Power tests how savvy you are with The Origami King’s real-time combat mechanics, asking you to be quick yet precise with dealing out hammer swings, jumps, and ground pounds. The Trial of Wisdom is a quiz that mixes up its questions with ones based on the adventure up to that point, along with some that have nothing to do with the game, and are simply tricky brain teasers.
The Trial of Courage feels like a combination of the other two, testing players’ reaction times and patience while under pressure. You either need to be ready to hit a specific button at a split moment’s notice, or be really good at counting down a timer in your head. Mario, meanwhile, has to exhibit a complete lack of fear as he puts himself at risk of being flattened by a falling Thwomp multiple times.
Your reward for completing the trials are three colored orbs, and it’s only right that these orbs open the way to a grand dungeon just like the Goddess Pearls did in The Wind Waker. The Sea Tower is The Origami King’s tribute to the Tower of the Gods, being a tall spire of divine purpose that stretches all the way to the clouds hanging over The Great Sea. It’s a long climb up the Sea Tower, which includes all kinds of puzzles, platforming sections, and a boss battle against another member of King Olly’s Legion of Stationary — the spunky, sharp-tongued Tape. Where Link opened the way to a submerged Hyrule while at the pinnacle of the Tower of the Gods, Mario and Olivia open the way to Shangri Spa while at the Sea Tower’s peak, taking to the skies in their next step to save Mushroom Kingdom from being folded to doom.
Be sure to check out the rest of our articles from Super Mario Week, our weeklong celebration of Super Mario Bros.’ 35th anniversary!
