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Summary
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is an incredible remake of an already wonderful game.
- Combat is simple yet effective, and remains the best in the series.
- Revitalized graphics tell a colorful tale that challenges traditional Mario conventions.
remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is proof it was massively ahead of its time - it feels like a 2024 game in nearly every way.
The concept of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is quite simple, with the shift in graphical depiction also allowing for the game to have a much different tone than more mainstream games like Odyssey. For whatever reason, the decision to make Mario a 2D paper version of himself unlocks the ability to tell a far wittier, sometimes shockingly dark narrative that challenges what's possible in the Super Mario series. For many, the original Thousand-Year Door is the premier instance of a Paper Mario game, standing among the best in the franchise as a whole - and the remake doesn't change that at all.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
- Released
- October 11, 2004
- ESRB
- E For Everyone Due To Mild Cartoon Violence
- Developer(s)
- Intelligent Systems
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Engine
- Origami King's engine
- Franchise
- Paper Mario
- Crisp, 30fps graphics revitalize a colorful world
- Combat is simple but effective, and remains the best in the series
- Story is captivating and unique, challenging Mario tropes
- No major changes might make this less appealing to repeat players
- Simplicity of combat does eventually make it feel fairly straightforward
A Story That Withstands The Test Of Time
TTYD's Cheeky Tale Remains One Of The Franchise's Best
The charm inherent to Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door begins immediately, when oft-ignored brother Luigi trudges out of a house labeled "Mario" and reads a letter to his brother from Peach rather than simply handing it to him, allowing Mario to remain silent and the story to progress. It sets the tone at breakneck pace, showcasing a game that has no issues poking fun at its larger series while delivering a memorable story full of loveable characters. If there's one sole reason to revisit TTYD as a veteran of the original, it's to relive the narrative, which remains an entertaining romp through a world capable of some shockingly emotional beats.
While Mario is the star in name, it's his ing cast that steals the spotlight. Goombella the archaeology student and iral Bobbery the Bob-omb are two standouts, with the latter featuring the kind of mature, interesting backstory that feels shocking in a Mario game. They each bring their own unique skillsets to combat as Mario assembles his party, but more than that, they bring sub-stories and personalities that help flesh out the city of Rogueport and its surrounding areas, establishing this world as one that's well worth exploring in depth.
Paper Mario: TTYD Reveals 3 New Features To Make The Switch Remake Its Definitive Version
The Nintendo Switch version of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door will have multiple new features for players to enjoy as they collect key items.
While no significant changes have been made to the world at large, both characters and environment are gorgeously reproduced and revitalized by the Nintendo Switch, especially when playing on the OLED screen. While its only 30fps, that's hardly an issue for a 2004 game that isn't concerned with hard-hitting graphics so much as it is establishing the right sort of vibe - which it certainly does. There's a relaxation and joy present in the world of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door that is so easy to want to return to, and a welcoming cast of rogues and heroes that make doing so intriguing each time.
Combat That Remains Entertaining, If A Little Simple
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Still Feels Fresh
The combat in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is turn-based with some action inputs, rewarding good timing with extra damage or other effects. Players build a party using Mario and the allies he collects along the journey, and further customization is available through badges, which can either enhance abilities that Mario already has or give him entirely new ones to form a new strategy. They're not nearly as deep as some other RPG customization systems, but the badges and party member options do help keep the simple approach to battles fresh for long enough that it never feels like it overstays its welcome.
That said, it certainly would've been the best place to aim a significant improvement for TTYD, even if it maintains its iron grip on the crown of best Paper Mario game in spite of the fact. There's a welcome element to the lack of bells and whistles that makes the game feel appropriately retro, but every other characteristic of the remade Paper Mario feels right at home in 2024 - it would've been great if the combat could've been brought up to that level too, even if it is well above standard and never becomes a negative during gameplay.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Almost Had A Much Better Remake 9 Years Ago
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is eagerly anticipated for its 2024 release, but a fake 2015 trailer convinced many a port was coming to the 3DS.
Beyond battling, exploration of the world of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is an absolute delight. There are plenty of items hidden behind cleverly disguised, 2D bushes and other objects, rewarding people who give each scene a once-over. These items can be used outside or inside combat, adding another layer of depth to a game that definitely needs a few early on. As time progresses and more experience is gained, Mario and friends find a groove that makes both exploration and battling a well-oiled cycle of satisfying gameplay.
I do wish there was an additional level here, some really substantial addition to the experience. But preservation of a classic within the series is a noble endeavor in its own right, and it's better to make due with the limited scope of additional content - there is some, after the end - than to have had a more weighty extra somehow been not up to snuff.
This is the definitive way to play Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
Final Thoughts & Review Score
4.5 - A "Must-Play" By Screen Rant's Metric
There's this indescribable sense while playing Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door that you're engaging with history. It feels much more impactful now, in 2024, than it did in 2004. Two decades later and with retrospect, this is the definitive Paper Mario game, one that the series has attempted to iterate upon and improve but never really succeeded in doing so. While there are other great Paper Marios, this is the great Paper Mario. And its 2024 remake is evidence that it is timeless in its excellence.
While more content additions would be welcome, the small improvements - mostly ease-of-life additions that helps clean up archaic systems or UI - do at least amount to something, and the graphical improvements are jaw-droppingly beautiful, provided you're a fan of the art style in the first place. This is the definitive way to play Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and, beyond that, the definitive Paper Mario game in a franchise spin-off that should look to the past to discover its future following this remake.
Screen Rant was provided with a Nintendo Switch code for this review.
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Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
- Released
- October 11, 2004
- ESRB
- E For Everyone Due To Mild Cartoon Violence
- Developer(s)
- Intelligent Systems
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Engine
- Origami King's engine
- Franchise
- Paper Mario
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo GameCube
Your comment has not been saved