Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a masterpiece of storytelling and turn-based strategy that finally made its way home to the Switch. It is the long-awaited remake of a GameCube masterpiece, and it delivered in every possible way. After playing the original GameCube version on my Wii back in 2019, I was desperately hoping this game would see a remake. It honestly feels way ahead of its time for a 2004 release, and seeing it modernized like this is a dream come true. This is arguably the peak of the Paper Mario franchise, combining a turn-based combat system that rewards rhythm and timing with a narrative that is actually funny, dark, and deeply engaging.
The game is a brilliant piece of art with incredible music, and while the new rearranged tracks are fantastic, I love that they even gave us the option to listen to the original 2004 score with a special badge. It takes the paper aesthetic to the next level with updated lighting and textures that make the world look like a real pop-up book. The writing here is just brilliant and actually funny. While it doesn’t fold under the pressure of constant paper puns like later entries, the story still managed to stay crisp and keep me hooked from start to finish. You can even transform into things like a paper boat or a paper airplane to navigate the environment, and unlocking these new abilities feels almost like a Metroidvania as you return to previous areas to explore sections you couldn’t reach before.
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