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On September 14, 2023, the Nintendo Direct broadcast ended on what is surely an explosive announcement for a number of Nintendo fans.
The company confirmed that it’s working on a remake of the beloved GameCube-era RPG Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Nintendo plans to put the game up for sale sometime in 2024 on the Switch, but interested players can already pre-order it if they wish.
Nintendo also released a trailer for the Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remake, showing off the game’s updated visuals and classic gameplay:
The trailer shows off moments from the game, rendered in HD and in a new screen aspect ratio that matches that of the Nintendo Switch. The Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remake is a similar project to Nintendo’s upcoming Switch remake of Super Mario RPG, in that the changes made to the game will be largely cosmetic rather than mechanical.
In this case, it means an updated graphical engine, but fundamentally the same gameplay and narrative. Nintendo didn’t elaborate on whether or not it plans to add additional content to the game.
Why Are People Excited About The Paper Mario Switch Remake?
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door originally released in 2004 on the Nintendo GameCube. Developed by Fire Emblem studio Intelligent Systems, The Thousand-Year Door built on the design of the original Paper Mario title on the Nintendo 64, but also incorporated more of the RPG elements from the classic Super Mario RPG on the Super NES.
The game also leaned further into mechanics that took advantage of Paper Mario‘s unique 2D paper and craft-based aesthetic.
The game’s story follows Mario and his companions as they explore a number of worlds and the Mushroom Kingdom in search of the legendary Seven Crystal Stars, which will unlock the titular Thousand-Year Door.
The door is said to hide the treasures and ruins of a fantasical ancient kingdom, and it’s there Mario needs to go to rescue Princess Peace from the nefarious X-Nauts.
The game also introduced new characters to the franchise, including Goombella the Goomba, Koops the Koopa, a nameable Yoshi companion, and more.
After the game’s release in 2004, The Thousand-Year Door received critical acclaim, with the 8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (now called the DICE Awards) calling it the best Console Roleplaying Game of the Year.
Fans of the series also consider The Thousand-Year Door to be the best of the Paper Mario titles and one of the best Super Mario franchise games.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door releases on the Nintendo Switch in 2024.
Further Reading
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