Out of nowhere, Nintendo announced Paper Mario: The Origami King for the Nintendo Switch, unveiling the game with a tantalizing trailer that showed off gameplay, story, and much more. Some fans have noticed that Paper Mario: The Origami King also references some other Nintendo franchises, with some thinking that these references are potentially teasing future announcements.
At the very end of the Paper Mario: The Origami King trailer, players see Mario wearing a Samus helmet. The dialogue in the scene suggests that the helmet is actually a virtual reality device of some kind that Mario is playing. It should be noted that months ago, a leaker claimed that a new Paper Mario game would be coming to the Switch this year as well as a 2D Metroid, and some fans have speculated that this scene is Nintendo hinting at the upcoming Metroid reveal.
There's another Nintendo franchise reference in the same room as the Metroid helmet. On the side of the screen, fans will notice that a papier-mache Donkey Kong head is sitting in plain sight, though it's unclear how this or the Metroid helmet will factor into the overall Paper Mario: The Origami King experience.
At another point during the Paper Mario: The Origami King trailer, fans can see Mario sailing in an open ocean, able to pull out a sea chart and seemingly sail at his leisure. The scene bears a striking resemblance to The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, leading some to assume that this is also a direct reference to that game. However, this could be more of a reach; it could just be a coincidence that this part of Paper Mario: The Origami King resembles Wind Waker.
In the meantime, Paper Mario fans will no doubt pore through The Origami King trailer in search of other references and clues as to what the full game will entail. Luckily, fans only have to wait a couple of months to get their hands on the game, so they'll get answers sooner rather than later.
Reception to Paper Mario: The Origami King has been largely positive so far, which is great since fans weren't thrilled about Paper Mario: Color Splash on Wii U or Sticker Star on 3DS. Here's hoping Paper Mario: The Origami King lives up to expectations.
Paper Mario: The Origami King launches on July 17, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.