Photo Courtesy of Nintendo
Many people argue that Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (TTYD) is the best game in the Paper Mario franchise. After playing it for myself, I can definitely agree with that statement.
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is a turn-based RPG originally released on the Nintendo GameCube during 2004, but recently got a remaster on May 2024. The game follows the adventures of Mario as he navigates through Rogueport to save Princess Peach from the X-Naut army. Due to Peach finding the map of an ancient treasure inside the Thousand Year Door, this malevolent army holds her captive while searching for the seven Crystal Stars, which are the pieces needed to open the door. With the help of useful partners along the way, Mario must collect all the Crystal Stars and take down the X-Naut army.
(Up) City of Rogueport, (Down) Altercation with the X-Naut Army. Photo Courtesy of the Super Mario Wiki
Talking about the partners mentioned previously, they are easily the most fleshed-out characters from any Paper Mario game that I’ve played. Nearly every chapter of the game is dedicated to one playable character with an intriguing backstory. Once these characters join your party, each one has unique abilities that are fun to utilize during battles. The fact that partners from TTYD are both likeable AND playable is what makes them superior to other characters from different Paper Mario games. Accomplices like Tippi from Super Paper Mario have an enriching backstory, but offer little to no playability other than joining Mario on the ride.
All playable characters from TTYD. Photo Courtesy of TV Tropes
The gameplay for TTYD, specifically the RPG battle system, is very enticing and unique. As mentioned previously, each playable partner has a multitude of abilities that are used to attack, heal, debuff, and even guard you. What makes the battle system unique compared to other RPGs is that there’s an audience watching as you fight, who can drastically impact the tide of the battle. Based on how well you perform in fights, audience members can give items, damage you with projectiles, affect performance stats, and help you charge up special attacks through appealing to them. I find it interesting that there’s interactivity inside of a gameplay format that’s mostly one-dimensional.
Official Gameplay of TTYD. Photo Courtesy of GoNintendo
While some may have complaints about the stereotypical plotline of “Princess Peach gets kidnapped”, I think this game’s arcs do a good job of making the adventure much more than that. The side stories from Peach’s point of view truly highlight the villain’s sinister motives and quirkiness during the main storyline. There’s also a huge twist in the end that turns everything upside down, which I choose not to spoil.
In my eyes, I highly recommend giving this game a playthrough, as its rich storyline and gameplay makes this the best installment in the series. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is available on the Nintendo Switch for $59.99.
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