Midway in the series’ life cycle, something about Paper Mario just…changed. Most of the RPG pretenses were dropped, morphing the series into a more action-adventure package. People were pissed, but the world kept turning.
No, Nintendo didn’t magically change its mind with The Origami King and bring the original formula back — but like Color Splash, it’s still a fun romp in its own right.
Source: Destructoid Review: Paper Mario: The Origami King