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Open Up, Walk Through, Adventure Awaits!
Nearly 20 years after its original GameCube release, this full HD remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door for the Switch revitalises its engaging story and gameplay with welcome updates.
Legend of the Seven Stars
Receiving a magic treasure map from the once again mysteriously disappeared Princess Peach, Mario’s sent on a worldwide race against an alien force, the X-Naughts (plus Bowser and his minions, too), to discover her whereabouts and claim the seven Crystal Stars, the keys to finding a treasure locked behind an ancient barricade deep below the crime-ridden city of Rogueport…. the Thousand Year Door.
What makes this story work wonders is the expansion to the Mushroom Kingdom’s world-building, leading to creative scenarios like fighting a dragon, entering a battle tournament while solving a mystery behind the scenes, breaking a curse that turns people into pigs, and many more! You’ll meet tons of charming characters on your star-studded quest, including your quirky, captivating “Partners” with their own special abilities, including Goombella, the snarky aspiring archaeologist with a book detailing everything in the game! All this makes for a memorable story full of heart, humour, and magic, its stakes heightening as the treasure’s secret slowly uncovers.
The Greatest Show-Plumber
After approaching an enemy (or better yet, attacking it before it gets you!), now’s your chance team up with your partner and take the stage! Wow the audience with action-based attacks and protect yourself with well-timed guards against enemies and perform helpful and powerful special moves using “Star Points”, which you can get from appealing to your audience with poses and perfectly timed attacks.
This simple turn-based battle system gives you many approaches to consider. Which attacks are the most effective in each situation? When’s the best time to use items? Is it worth the risk trying to negate damage with a tightly timed “Superguard”? This level of strategy gives the show as much substance as it has spectacle, not to mention the luck-based elements changing the stage, for better or worse. The inspired battle system feels as fresh as ever and holds up tremendously from its GameCube release.
Every enemy requires a unique approach to battle, and each combat situation feels different to the last. Whether it’s fighting spiky enemies you can’t jump on, adapting to the Glitz Pit’s strict battle guidelines, or taking out the game’s epic, challenging bosses, Thousand Year Door really knows how to freshen up the fight!
Mario can also wear badges that aid him in battles: some increase strength, health, and flower points, and a handful give plenty of new moves to experiment with. Some badges are even risk-reward based, like one which doubles the damage that you and your enemies deal. This level of customisation gives the game depth and lets you play it however you want.
A Magical Diorama
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door’s world has exploration galore and feels just as alive as ever. Everyone in each world is brimming with personality and has something to say, with Goombella diligently noting it all down for you. Plus, the game’s mail feature provides notifications on the news of the world, hidden details, and cute messages from all your newly made friends.
Using Mario and his partner’s abilities outside battles is useful for story progression and puzzles, and you can gain upgrades showing Mario’s unique “paper” side, like the ability to crease up before a spring jump. Sometimes, you’ll get tricked into being cursed by an evil spirit, but at these times Mario will fold his flat paper body into a plane, tube or boat which is crucial for progression on his adventure. Search every nook and cranny for badges, “Shine Sprites” to upgrade your partners, and “Star Pieces” you can trade with a shady salesman for more badges.
There’s fun stuff to do in Rogueport outside of main story: help various people in each world by accepting side quests from Rogueport’s “Trouble Centre”, use tokens to play paper minigames or gamble away at the “Pianta Parlor”, and have the hot-headed cook, “Zess T” make recipes for you with any item you can find. Think you can survive the Pit of 100 Trails? Perhaps it’s best to attempt this gauntlet of powerful enemies after you’ve beaten the game.
The Thousand-Year Overdue Upgrades
As great as the original was, its biggest issue was the immense amount of backtracking required, both for side quests and parts of the main story. Thankfully, this is drastically reduced here thanks to the inclusion of warp pipes: one leading to the Boo Mansion can now be found in Twilight Town, and there’s a whole warp room under Rogueport, with pipes to every area slowly unlocking after each chapter beaten. This much-needed quality-of-life improvement makes Chapter 7 far less tedious.
This version also makes changes to the original to better appeal to newer generations. Hint systems are a welcome addition, and the Battle Toad gives tips on how to master your combat skills, even letting you test them out during “Battle Training”. This is great for players wanting to master these flashy attacks and know the exact right timing to make stylish poses that appeal to the audience.
Visually, Thousand Year Door has a diorama-like world, which looks better than ever thanks to its newly gorgeous HD visuals, making the lower framerate compared to the original a worthy sacrifice. Plus, the entire soundtrack has been remixed fantastically and, taking a page from Paper Mario: The Origami King, the main battle theme changes depending on which world you’re in, a sweet attention to detail not featured in the original.
Verdict
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a fantastic remake, with its improved gameplay and enhanced visuals breathing new life into the original’s still excellent storytelling, combat, and customisation two decades later. Mario fans young and old will love wrapping themselves up in this paper masterpiece!
