**Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door – A Review of the Remaster on Nintendo Switch**
Originally released on the GameCube in 2004, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door was never made available on another console for two decades. Nintendo has addressed this shortcoming with a faithful Switch version with some improvements over the original. The game is the second chapter of the RPG series, after Paper Mario on Nintendo 64: although the gameplay is similar to that of the original, you can easily start from this one even if you have never played other episodes of the saga developed by Intelligent Systems , which translates Mario’s world into a vibrant paper kaleidoscope. For years, The Thousand-Year Door has been considered the quintessential game in the series, and after replaying it for the first time in decades, it’s easy to see why: it significantly improves on the RPG elements introduced in Super Mario RPG, standing out more than the first Paper Mario.
Unlike later titles in the series, The Thousand-Year Portal keeps the turn-based combat intact. As in Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario, players select moves and use timed key presses to deal extra damage. It’s a very effective system, which offers players several options to customize their experience. Pins can be purchased or found throughout the game and give Mario extra abilities. Some improve Mario’s defense, while others give him new abilities. Mario can equip more pins if he has pin points to allocate and flower points to use those moves in combat. As Mario levels up, players must choose which of these to increase, or whether to add HP points.
Mario is not alone in combat, nor in the journey itself. Throughout the game, players will meet an original cast of partners who join them, all with their own story. Each character offers a different power that can be used in the game world and has specific abilities to use in combat. Some of these are absolutely necessary at certain points in the fight, but players have a lot of freedom over who to use for the majority of the game. Not only that: players will also have the opportunity to control Peach and Bowser between chapters. Peach has been kidnapped once again, and her sections mostly focus on her escape. Meanwhile, Mario’s nemesis, Bowser, is on his own personal mission, with some levels reminiscent of 2D platformers, short but very fun sections.
Despite its playful aspect, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a game with a complex plot, and there is a lot of dialogue: for this reason, it is not the ideal choice for lovers of non-stop action. The gameplay is fun and the characters are full of personality, but there are times when you just want to move forward in the game, which isn’t always possible. The title itself seems aware of this, joking about itself through moments where Luigi details his solo adventure, putting Mario to sleep. There may also be a bit of backtracking, and the total absence of maps makes everything confusing at times. However, the visual improvements breathe new life into the game, and the improvements to the quality of graphics and sound are evident. The updated translation features notable improvements over the 2004 version, demonstrating that a lot of care has gone into this remaster, which undoubtedly represents the definitive way to experience a classic. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Portal is a classic that isn’t hard to enthusiastically recommend. For those who never had the chance to play the original, there’s no better time than the present, and the Nintendo Switch version is undoubtedly the best way to play it. The flaws that the game had in 2004 are still present, but if you are passionate about the characters and the adventure, it is impossible not to finish it.
Format: Switches publisher: Nintendo Developer: Intelligent Systems Vote: 9/10
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