Round Up: The Reviews Are In For Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

So yes, it’s fair to say that we rather like the new remake. But what did other outlets make of it? Well, as per the norm with major Switch release, we’ve compiled a handful of opinions from the interwebs to hopefully give a bit of a flavour of the general consensus.

So without further ado, let’s dive right into it…

First up, VGC has given the game a full score of 5/5 stars, citing the ‘consistently engaging RPG mechanics’ and quality of life improvements, but noting that some levels feel slightly dated:

“Thousand-Year Door is an adventure that remains as memorable and captivating as any of Mario’s many spin-offs to date. It’s a consistently inventive and entertaining adventure that stands up brilliantly on Nintendo Switch, and feels genuinely unique among the mascot’s library. We’re grateful for the opportunity to experience it again.”

Gamespot awarded the game a lovely score of 9/10, praising the visuals and new fast-travel system, while criticising the lack of accessibility options, which it says might make some of the quick-time events difficult for some:

“The Switch version of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is the definitive way to play the best turn-based RPG starring Mario. More of an enhanced HD remaster than a full-fledged remake, The Thousand-Year Door has small yet meaningful quality-of-life features that ease some of the bloat from the original GameCube version. The catchy remixed soundtrack wonderfully complements the thoroughly entertaining and dynamic turn-based battle system. Throw in a stellar cast of characters and consistently playful writing, and The Thousand-Year Door has all the ingredients of an incredible turn-based RPG. Well, it always had them, but now they are blended a bit better.”

IGN said ‘hold my beer’ with its own 9/10 review and highlighted how loyal the remake is to the original while praising the various updates:

“Paper Mario has finally returned to its RPG roots with an amazingly loyal and visually dazzling remake of The Thousand-Year Door. Everything fans have been begging Nintendo to bring back is here, including a delightfully varied turn-based battle system with satisfying real-time elements and unique, lovable party members who are essential to both the story and gameplay. Rogueport and its surrounding areas are bursting with personality thanks to writing that’s just as sharp and funny today as it was in 2004. It also introduces a host of modern improvements that streamline (but don’t eliminate) the original’s backtracking issues, easily making this the best way to experience Mario’s quest to gather the Crystal Stars. There’s a reason The Thousand-Year Door has been considered one of the greatest Nintendo games for the last 20 years, and this brilliant remake ensures it will maintain that reputation for at least a thousand more.”

Destructoid offered up a score of 8.5/10 and praised the originality of the game and how it stands apart from the later titles, but also mentioned that the updated visuals have a ‘glossy’ feel that some might find a bit odd:

“The weirdest is actually the graphical upgrades. A lot of small details have been redone, which is nice. But for some reason, part of the overhaul is to make everything slightly reflective. Like, it’s still paper, but it’s glossy or laminated for some reason. To be fair, it looks really good. It was very pleasing to my brain to see these gentle reflections on every surface. However, I think the idea behind the Paper Mario aesthetic is that it’s a collection of hand-crafted dioramas. I don’t know anyone who crafts with glossy paper.”

Finally, TheGamer’s 8/10 review called Thousand-Year Door the ‘definitive way to play a classic’:

“Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door will probably be the last Mario game to release (solely) on the Switch. While Wonder will take the plaudits, porting this cult classic means that a new generation of players can experience it. New fans will have a ball, laughing along with Mario & co., even if their experience will be slightly marred by the backtracking and pacing. Old fans will enjoy the quality of life improvements and some new additions. Whether you’re a Paper Mario veteran or this is your first time entering his origami world, this is the definitive way to experience The Thousand-Year Door.”

So all in all, it’s been pretty positive across the board and the game is currently sitting at a respectable 89 on Metacritic. It sounds like a must-play whether you’re a fan of the original or not, and it may well be one of the last essential Mario titles for the Switch before the upcoming new hardware.