By Isaac Espinosa

As the race for the Crystal Stars begins, will Mario be able to keep up in order to save Princess Peach? Or will she, along with the rest of the world, fall under the control of the sinister X-Nauts? The charming Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, first released in 2004, was an instant smash hit because of its simple yet captivating gameplay. Now, nearly two decades later, a remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, made for the Nintendo Switch, begs the question: will this remake recapture everything people loved about the original?

Here’s some context. I think it would be unfair not to mention the excitement with which many Nintendo fans greeted the announcement of this remake. The Paper Mario series had been on a steady decline. While games like Paper Mario: The Origami King made some strides toward rekindling the spark of the old Paper Mario, it was clear that there were many restrictions imposed on modern Paper Mario that limited its developers’ creative freedom. Kensuke Tanabe, director of the series since Sticker Star, even stated in an IGN interview that “Since Paper Mario: Sticker Star, it’s no longer possible to modify Mario characters or to create original characters that touch on the Mario universe,” making it clear that this creatively inert approach was the new vision. That’s what made the anticipation so high this time, the revitalized hope that Paper Mario would be as great as it once was. Not only would this be a way for a new generation of gamers to discover the series, but it would also be a chance for Paper Mario to reclaim the glory of its golden era. 

Before we render a verdict, it’s important to establish what this fictional journey entails. Princess Peach and Toadsworth are on vacation in Rogueport, a seaside town best known for its rowdy community, one that doesn’t exactly have the best reputation. Despite this gritty atmosphere, Peach tries to make the most of her trip, until she’s stopped by a mysterious hooded figure. This stranger bestows upon Peach a map that will guide her to a legendary treasure. Excited about the adventure ahead of her, Peach sends a letter to Mario with the map included, so that he can join her for the expedition. Once Mario arrives in Rogueport, however, he’s confronted by a sinister organization of crooks known as the X-Nauts, and Peach is nowhere to be found. Thankfully, a sassy university student named Goombella is there to show Mario the town and eventually take him to her professor. Professor Frankly tells Mario that he must use the map to guide his way toward the Crystal Stars, objects that will help to uncover the valuable goodies the map is hiding. And so, with the map at his side, Mario begins his journey, to find the Crystal Stars, the treasure, and most importantly, Princess Peach. 

The plot of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is elevated by its bustling locales, captivating individual storylines, and the immense amount of delight every sheet of paper holds. The characters are well-differentiated, allowing you to invest yourself fully in the population of the serene and relaxing town of Petalburg, or the folk over in the dark and dank Twilight Town. This is especially true of the main cast of characters. In addition to Mario and Peach, and Bowser (once he makes his appearance), you have characters like Koops, a shy but ultimately courageous Koopa who summons the nerve to try and save his Dad. Vivian, the youngest sister of the Three Shadows, stops working alongside her evil sisters once she’s been won over by Mario’s kindhearted and welcoming nature. And almost every character has some kind of new expression, one that wasn’t in the 2004 offering. It’s that extra level of detail that makes every interaction that much more smooth and fluid; the emotions of every line are emphasized by those new animations.

So this the best that Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door has ever looked, probably on par with Origami King as far as graphics go. Every element has a new coat of paint, so to speak, such as upgrades to the lighting, and that gorgeous papercraft style that makes the game look as if it sprung from the pages of a pop-up book. The music is a lot bigger and cinematic now, with Yoshito Sekigawa again as the lead composer. He was lead composer for Origami King and co-composer for the original Thousand Year Door, and here, every remade song has been elevated. The new Rogueport theme and the new X-Naut Fortress theme are particular standouts, in that each has been reimagined to better evoke emotion.

Wandering this new world is only one part of the game, of course. The original had a combat system that was simple on a surface level, but had so much depth and strategy to it that it became the gold standard for combat within the Paper Mario series. And thankfully, everything from the original has been maintained, with some minor tweaks. You have access to your Jump, your Hammer, and of course, Special Moves, due to the power of the Crystal Stars. Your attacking options don’t change much outside of these three, but you also have your allies, which all have their own attacks and moves to pull off. Each battle gives you Star Points that allow for you to level up once you reach a certain amount; you can upgrade either your Health, the Flower Points that allow you to launch stronger attacks, or your Badge Points, which give you the ability to equip badges for battle. These badges form the centerpiece of Thousand Year Door’s combat system, as they allow for many different strategies and techniques. You can equip the Power Bounce badge and jump on an enemy multiple times for extra damage. Or you can equip a P-Up D-Down badge and increase your attack power at the cost of your defense. Jumpman increases the power of your jumps but prevents you from using hammers, while Quake Hammer allows you to use your hammer to shake the floor and trip certain enemies. The possibilities for strategies are nearly endless! The combat’s system’s sheer amount of depth is what has made it so timeless.

Some of the changes I mentioned earlier have the effect of easing up on the difficulty. Most people that have been playing this game for a long time are aware of the strategies and how to use them, but the Thousand Year Door remake acknowledges that there are many people who are new to this kind of combat. Some of the alterations to the combat come in the form of things such as clear bonuses that reward with coins every time a boss is defeated: that really helps to enable players to buy more items for use in battle. And some enemies have more noticeable attack animations, which makes guarding against them easier. However, some changes have made the game more difficult, like the ones that give some of your attacks different timings. Attacks like the Power Bounce, and Goombella’s Multibonk attack, have become tougher to pull off as a result. These changes ensure that even if you’ve played this game for a very long time, as I have, there are still new things to enjoy, combat-wise. 

The remake of Thousand Year Door is, in my eyes, essentially flawless. The backtracking that people had a problem with has been fixed via the game’s fast travel system, which makes it easier to complete the game’s many side quests. I know some people will find fault with the game, however, because of what’s come to be known as the 30 Frames per Second debacle. For those who are unaware, the original Thousand Year Door ran at 60 FPS on the GameCube; the remake runs at only 30 FPS on the Switch. I had little trouble with the change, though, as it hasn’t felt sluggish to play through, and I’ve had a generally smooth experience so far. The game feels perfectly fine running at 30 FPS, and it doesn’t affect the game where it would really matter, in the Battles. 

To a lot of people, myself included, it is very important that the Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door Remake does well. It feels like a once in a lifetime opportunity to tell Nintendo that this is the kind of Paper Mario that we want. And rightly so, because this remake is phenomenal. Everything about it reflects an immense amount of respect for the original game. And that’s what a remake should be: fresh and exciting, but also a way for new people to experience the story that so many of us have fallen in love with. It’s time for a new generation of gamers to discover why Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is regarded by most as the best Paper Mario game of all time. 

Bronx native Isaac Espinosa is a Member at the New York Videogame Critics Circle. Along with being named the Circle’s first assistant Mentor, Isaac also coaches students for CEI Esports.

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