All is right in the world. Okay, that’s a lie, the world is kind of a mess right now. However, my Nintendo Switch library is exactly as it should be. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is the return of one of my favorite games of all time, and it is absolutely magical.

In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, you play as Mario (surprise) along with a cast of characters who join him along his journey. Mario only ever has a party of two (including himself) but can swap party members on the fly. Mario is given a map from Princess Peach that is said to lead to treasures known as the Crystal Stars. After sending Mario the map, Peach is kidnapped, and Mario must search for her and the stars simultaneously.

Paper Mario: TTYD plays like a standard RPG, with turn-based action. Each attack and defense (similar to Earthbound and other games) has a sort of QTE-style minigame/context action associated with it. These aren’t too difficult, though it can be stressful if you’re low on health and trying to defend against powerful attacks. As you progress you can level up and increase Mario’s health, FP (flower points, or basically MP), and the amount of badges that Mario can equip.

Badges provide a variety of things from new attacks, stat buffs, and even changing the way Mario’s abilities work. The combat system is simple enough for newbies to this type of RPG, while also being complex enough that veterans can get a lot out of it. Another aspect of TTYD’s gameplay is that it utilizes the papercraft of its world for environmental puzzles.

I think this remake looks better than ever. There are also a variety of additions and changes from the original. New bosses, badges, new mini-games, and a whole host of other things set it apart. Vivian, a character only hinted at being transgender in the original game, now has more overt acknowledgment of their identity as well.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door was a GameCube classic. This remake is another example of recent years where a classic has been remade, but in a way that is more like a restoration than a full reimagining. The nostalgia of playing through this adventure again has made me smile the entire time. Additionally, though, I can see a whole new generation of kids and teens falling in love with it just like I did.

If you’ve played other Paper Mario games and were curious about this one, I highly recommend it. If you loved the original and are thinking about picking it up, I recommend it even more. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a must-have for any RPG lover or classic Mario fan. It is also a fantastic addition to any Nintendo Switch library.

A Nintendo Switch review copy of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door was provided by Nintendo for this review.

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Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door

$59.99

10

Score

10.0/10

Pros

• Great Quality of Life Additions
• Simple yet fun gameplay
• Gorgeous enhanced graphics
• Interesting Story
• Engaging combat and puzzles.