Survey shows Nintendo considering returning to unique character designs for the Paper Mario series

Somewhere along the line, Nintendo decided to make a shift in the Paper Mario series that some fans have been quite upset about. A new survey shows that at least in some regard, Nintendo is considering reversing course.

Earlier Paper Mario games gave players unique takes on classic Mario characters and enemies. You can see that all throughout Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, with partner characters that offer interesting takes on Goombas, Koopa Troopas, Yoshis and more. That element has been removed from subsequent Paper Mario games, which still feature cameo partners, but without any special design aspects or characteristics.

In a new survey from Nintendo, it seems Nintendo is thinking about returning to the ways of old. This survey, centered on Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, asks players if they’d like to see future Paper Mario installments return to altered character designs for companions. They also ask which type of character you like the most, with one answer specifically saying “I like characters that look like other familiar characters, but have a unique appearance or personality.”

This poll should be a glimmer of hope for franchise fans who want a return to partner characters with more personality. Let’s hope Nintendo pays attention to respondents and returns to this old approach for whatever the next Paper Mario game ends up being.