While the Switch may still be missing some beloved legacy titles like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, Nintendo’s seven-year-old console is about to get the remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door after years of fan outcry. I recently had the chance to check out a hands-off demo of this papery adventure that was first released on the GameCube 20 years ago to see if it was worth the wait – and if that storybook charm we fell in love with all those years ago remains intact.
Before I dive too deep into what’s new with this Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remake, we have to discuss the visuals because they are simply stunning. The art style of the original is still memorable for how it feels like a pop-up book come to life, but this new remake adds so many flourishes and touches to make it truly look like a modern game that I can’t wait to get lost in on my OLED Switch.
For example, a trip to the Boogly Woods was already a special one because of its striking black-and-white forest with a ground made up of colorful, but static, vines. Now, the ground shimmers and changes color as you move, like that rare holo Pokemon card that’s the star of your collection. Furthermore, leaves continuously fall from the sky and petals fly up around you as you enter the patches of vegetation, and it makes the levels just feel so much more real and alive.
I also noticed there is a lot more color all over this remake, even in the opening moments when you, as Mario, first arrive in the city of Rogueport. There are papers littered across the ground and, while they are mostly just grayish brown in the original, they pop a bit more with a vibrant yellow in the remake, adding up to an overall more beautiful and aesthetically pleasing experience. Oh, and the reflections are also noteworthy as puddles and even the shiny stage floors the battles take on will mirror back what’s above them.
Another reason I chose to start this preview on the visuals is that this remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a very faithful recreation of the GameCube classic. Don’t expect any new story content or levels, as Nintendo has chosen to focus more on bringing Thousand-Year Door up to 2024 standards rather than add massive new things, as it did for Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury.
However, Nintendo did add a fair share of quality-of-life improvements that should make this an even more welcoming RPG for players of all ages. This includes adding a partner ring that allows you to change party members with a button click instead of a visit to the menu, a gameplay hint system from the wonderful Goombella you can access at any time, and new entries in the Sound and Art Galleries that you can unlock by collecting Shine Sprites and Star Pieces.
There will also be new NPCs to meet along the way that will help you on your journey. One of these will be Rogueport’s Battle Master, a Toad who will not only tell you battle secrets in hopes you will become a legendary fighter, but who will also let you jump into a danger-free battle to practice all your abilities and timing-based attacks. Considering you can cause more damage and prevent a world of pain with a well-timed button press, this can be a valuable resource to those who need it.
Ian Foomus, the “infamous information mouse,” has also appeared in Rogueport at the Trouble Center and will be there to get you back on track if you are having a tough time with any of Paper Mario’s sidequests, some of which can get a bit confusing and involved.
A new badge will also join the collection of the over 80 found in the original, and it just so happens to be a Nostalgic Tunes one that will let players experience the music of the GameCube title instead of the newly recreated tracks made specifically for the Switch version. If you are unfamiliar with how the badge system works, it’s not so unlike the one found in Super Mario Bros. Wonder where you can equip certain ones to give you advantages (or disadvantages!) in battle.
I was able to see a few returning badges in action like the Multibounce badge that lets players jump from foe to foe, the Quake Hammer badge that deals damage to all enemies on the stage, and even a badge that makes your weapon attacks sound like a frog’s croak. Trust me, that last one will come in handy! Equipping these badges requires a bit of strategy as each has a cost (except the Nostalgic Tunes badge!), so it’s important to plan ahead for what you may need!
I also have to note that not everything is perfect in Rogueport, as there were a couple of instances of notable stutter – especially when there were a ton of NPCs on screen. There is one iconic moment from Thousand-Year Door where a ton of X-Nauts - the main enemies of this story - try to stop Mario and Goombella and there is some serious text slowdown and a drop in framerate. Did that take away from the hilarious moment? No. Is it worth mentioning and hoping these instances will get fixed in a Day One patch or otherwise? Yes.
Nintendo also wasn’t willing to unveil all of the new secrets and additions Switch’s Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door has within its pages, so there still should be some surprises waiting for those who are brand-new to the game or those who have played it more times than they can remember.
Overall, however, this remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is shaping up to be the definitive way to play this classic, and one that should make the wait for the Switch 2 just a little bit easier.
Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.
