Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Remake vs. Original

What is different in the new Thousand-Year Door?

Nintendo announced on September 14th that Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door will get a remake for the Nintendo Switch! The game follows the same heart-warming story, but with some upgrades. The biggest change will be the updated graphics. Nintendo is not just updating the old artwork, but making completely new HD-graphics based on the old material. 

Aside from the visual updates, the remake will also be enhanced with:

1. A new soundtrack
2. An updated hint system
3. New pieces of dialogue
4. An art and music hall where you can view sketches of the characters and listen to the original soundtrack
5. Quick-travel pipes
6. Partner Ring to easily change between characters
7. Battle Master that teaches you all the best moves
   
   

The original Thousand-Year Door

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door was originally released in 2004 for the GameCube. It is the second title in the Paper Mario game series and follows the Italian Plumber as he searches for a mysterious treasure while also saving Princess Peach, who has been kidnapped by the X-Nauts. 

Many fans see The Thousand-Year Door as the best game in the Paper Mario series. The Paper Mario franchise itself doesn’t rank high in top-selling Mario games, but it has quite a big cult-following. The Thousand-Year Door has been praised for its amazing story, witty dialogue, well-rounded characters and of course the unique design. If any game is worthy of a remake, it’s this one!

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Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Remake FAQ

Want to know more about this epic new Switch game? Check out the frequently asked questions below.

What is the release date of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door?

The remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door officially releases on May 23rd for the Nintendo Switch. You can pre-order the game now at Startselect so you’ll be one of the first to dive back into this papery Mario game! Do you prefer pre-ordering the game directly on your Switch? Our Nintendo eShop Cards make getting this game a piece of cake!

Nintendo eShop Card £50

Digital code

£50.00

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Nintendo eShop Card £75

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Nintendo eShop Card £100

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Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Switch

£49.99

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What characters will be in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door?

One of the best parts about the original Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, were the great characters. As Mario, you befriend six other creatures who will help you in your quest. Through clever and in-depth dialogue you get to know these characters quite well, which in turn makes the story even more engaging.

Fans will be happy to know that all the iconic main characters will appear in the remake. So, please meet:

• Goombella: An energetic Goomba who is an archaeology student and is looking for the same treasure as Mario.
• Koops: A clumsy and forgetful Koopa Troopa who joins Mario to find out what happened to his dad.
• Madame Flurrie: This wind spirit used to be a renowned actress, but now lives in a remote cabin in the Boggly Woods. Her wind powers will come in handy during the quest.
• Yoshi: Mario wouldn’t be complete without a Yoshi! This baby Yoshi will help you to arrive at your destination as quickly as possible.
• Vivian: One of the Shadow Sirens. Vivian is incredibly sweet, and her kindness will lead to a crisis of loyalty. 
• Admiral Bobbery: This retired Bob-omb admiral finds new energy when he joins Mario’s quest.
  
  

Is The Thousand-Year Door a remake or a remaster?

Is the game a remake or remaster? The online game forums are having a field with this question. Generally, a remaster follows the original game to a T. The game is copied frame by frame, with mostly visual updates being added and some upgrades to gameplay elements for enhanced playability. Whereas, a remake is when a game gets redone from the ground up.

In what category The Thousand-Year Door belongs is hard to say. You could argue that since the sketches have been completely redone and there are gameplay elements that weren’t in the original game, this is a remake. But the story of The Thousand-Year Door is, as far as we know, completely the same as the old game.

Gaming news platform, Game Rant, might have the answer. They write in an article that whether The Thousand-Year Door is a remake or remaster, depends on the code of the game. If the developers use the original GameCube code, the game can be considered a remaster and if they don’t, it’s a remake! Unfortunately, we won’t know whether Nintendo used the old code until the game officially releases.

Why is The Thousand-Year Door the best Paper Mario game?

Most players consider The Thousand-Year Door the best Paper Mario game. It took all the good elements from the first game in the franchise and improved it. The Thousand-Year Door introduces a more complex battle system with more new moves and actions. 

Where we think the game really shines is in the storytelling. The Thousand-Year door is filled with incredible characters, but all of them feel unique and get their time to shine. However, the amount of characters doesn't overcomplicate the story. The Thousand-Year Door also uses more edgy humour than the first game, an addition that we always appreciate. It set such a great standard that the later Paper Mario game just couldn’t live up to.

Why did Nintendo remake Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door?

In recent years, Nintendo has been remaking (or remastering) quite a lot of their classic games. These remakes allow gamers to replay their beloved games on the newest consoles, and they also introduce the stories to a new audience.

Lately we have seen games like Super Mario RPG, Pikmin and The Legend of Zelda getting a fresh coat of paint. Since The Thousand-Year Door is a beloved game by many Nintendo fans, it makes sense that this game was up next!