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Here on Popzara we’re all about being open and vulnerable with our readership. That’s why I’m going to admit to a secret shame: I was not a GameCube kid. I had one toward the end of the console’s life cycle, sure, but it was mostly a Phantasy Star Online machine and by and large I didn’t mess with any of its heavy-hitting exclusives. In fact, I didn’t even really get into the console until years later, post-college, right before the console and games started becoming prohibitively expensive to collect.
It took a while (two decades, actually) before I was able to experience classics like Super Mario Sunshine, Eternal Darkness and F-Zero GX. That also includes Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, which I’m finally able to enjoy thanks to its remaster on the Switch without having to take out a second mortgage. Sorry, big finance, you’re gonna have to find another mark, my Switch and I are staying out of the poor house.
via YouTubeTales have long been told of the Thousand-Year Door found deep under the city of Rogueport. It’s said that by collecting the seven Crystal Stars, the Door can be opened, and a fabulous treasure lies hidden behind it. Our plumbing hero Mario arrives in Rogueport in search of Princess Peach, as always, but this time he’s also armed with a magical map that can lead the way to the Crystal Stars. By teaming up with a variety of quirky companions and putting on a great show for a live studio audience, Mario hopes to find the Stars, seek out Peach and maybe even figure out what that fabulous treasure could be.
The Thousand-Year Door is a Mario RPG in the style pioneered by the original Paper Mario on the N64. It’s a more grounded sort of Mario experience than the sometimes-bizarre Super Mario RPG…which, incidentally, you can also play on the Switch these days. You’ll engage in standard Mario activities like jumping on platforms, jumping on baddies and jumping over pits, of course, and Mario’s classic smashy hammer returns as well. Beyond that, there’s some new paper-themed abilities that expand the plumber’s powers over time, such as turning into a paper airplane for a quick glide here and there.
The aforementioned quirky companions are also a big help while exploring, offering information and removing obstacles. Special mention goes to Goombella, the first companion, whose colorful descriptions of pretty much every NPC and enemy in the game add a huge amount of flavor.
Naturally, Mario’s going to have to deal with hordes of baddies along the way as well. This is handled via simple turn-based combat with a focus on timed button presses; both Mario and his partner have a variety of attacks and skills to use that can dish out damage, heal injuries, guard against enemy assault and more. Progression also unlocks new Special abilities that run off a limited pool of energy that’s recharged by impressing the audience present for each battle, typically by pulling off timed attacks or skipping a turn to appeal.
Character customization, meanwhile, largely revolves around equipping Badges that consume a limited pool of BP to modify the heroes’ performance in a variety of ways. Defeating foes earns Star Points and enough of these allow Mario to level up and increase his stats, by which I mean you’re going to dump those points into BP. More Badges, please and thank you.
As for The Thousand-Year Door’s presentation, it’s just as fantastic as it always was. The Paper Mario style is timeless and the GameCube version of this title still looks incredible with intense colors and a unique design aesthetic, so it’s no surprise that the Switch remaster also shines. Speaking of the remaster aspect of things, there’s tons of small visual and gameplay changes scattered about – particularly in making more tedious backtracking moments a bit less painful – but as I’m not especially familiar with the original game I couldn’t pinpoint them all. Long-time fans sound happy about the changes, and for everyone else this makes a marvelous introduction.
It’s hard to think of many Mario games that don’t stand the test of time. Well…maybe Mario is Missing. Or Hotel Mario. Point is, there aren’t many of them you still wouldn’t want to play decades after their release. With that in mind, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door on Switch is a fantastic remaster of an RPG that still holds up to this day. Returning fans are due to give this one another go, while newcomers like myself can experience an adventure that’s just as fresh as the day it came off the printing press.