Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Reviews

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is ranked in the 98th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
90 / 100
May 21, 2024

Thousand Year Door is a remake done right. The new sound and visuals look terrific. The game’s essential identity has been preserved. Plus, the original release is able to shine through with no distractions. It’s exactly as wonderful as you remember it being. I’m still impressed with the writing, and the level design is mostly excellent. I still hate the tournament arc, though. And I wish some of the puzzles didn’t involve scouring a dungeon until a forgotten button or door is dragged into the sunlight. Although the original release is amazing, it’s also nearly impossible to play anymore. For new and old fans, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is an essential addition to the Nintendo Switch library.

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8.7 / 10.0
May 21, 2024

Summing up, what you are faced with when you start the remake of Paper Mario - The Thousand-Year Portal is an even more refined and pleasing version of the title that appeared on the GameCube two decades ago.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Will Greenwald
Top Critic
May 21, 2024

The Nintendo Switch remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a fantastic Mario RPG that's every bit as good now as it was on the GameCube.

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Gameblog
KiKiToes
Top Critic
8 / 10
May 21, 2024

It is sure to delight fans of the license and will greatly please the old hands who have already played the original game 20 years ago on Gamecube.

Review in French | Read full review

Atomix
Top Critic
90 / 100
May 21, 2024

If you have never tried the Gamecube one in your life, it is my obligation to inform you that you must purchase it no matter what from its first day of release, because you are going to enjoy every second of this endearing story. On the other hand, if you are old school like me, I can only tell you that buying it again is something that is totally worth it, that magic from two decades ago remains intact, even improved.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

May 21, 2024

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a fantastic and faithful remake of the beloved GameCube gem with enhanced visuals, reworked music and quality-of-life improvements elevating this classic to the same standard as modern Switch games. Whether you’ve never played it before or you want a dose of nostalgia, The Thousand-Year Door is an essential purchase for Mario fans.

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4 / 5.0
May 21, 2024

While I wasn’t there for the original, I now completely get just why Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is so revered among Mario fans, and why demands for a remaster were practically ceaseless. It’s the absolute pinnacle of Mario RPGs, and if it was a bit more focused as an overall narrative experience, in the discussion as one of the plumber’s best-ever games.

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8.5 / 10.0
Jun 16, 2024

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door lives up to the hype as a "page-turning adventure." It's also a long adventure, so be sure to pencil in the time, especially if you're a completionist. With memorable bosses, much to find, and plenty of extras, this game will keep Switch players busy.

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RPG Fan
Top Critic
89%
Jun 8, 2024

While its seams keep it from perfection, Mario’s lauded papercraft adventure lives up to its legacy.

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95 / 100
Jun 2, 2024

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door on Switch shows why the game is considered one of the best in the first place. It's a magical, fun, and hilarious adventure with some dark turns that give a new perspective on Mario's world. Additions and changes are sometimes small, yet very significant, but this remake doesn't quite make the game a painless experience. Even so, it's well worth playing again and again for a reminder of why we fell in love with Paper Mario in the first place.

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RPG Site
Top Critic
9 / 10
May 21, 2024

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a good re-release of a good game, and adjustments made only improve upon it in small but substantial ways. It's an easy recommendation for general audiences and RPG fans. Now, where's my Luigi in Waffle Kingdom RPG?

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Jun 7, 2024

Paper Mario The Thousand-Year Door is everything you wanted it to be on Nintendo Switch and more. Numerous quality-of-life improvements and additions help make the game both more fun and accessible to gamers of all generations.

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9 / 10.0
May 21, 2024

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is an excellent remake of an excellent game with enough modern additions to make it feel fresh and new.

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9.5 / 10.0
May 21, 2024

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year-Door is a masterful remake that improves on the original in practically every way while keeping everything that made it a mainstay in the Nintendo canon. While its timelessness is reflected in the strength of its humour, wit and story, a major visual overhaul and much needed quality of life improvements make The Thousand-Year Door an adventure that can't be skipped.

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9.5 / 10.0
May 21, 2024

Nostalgia goggles haven't failed us: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is still a masterpiece. With vastly improved graphics, a great rearranged soundtrack, and a few tasteful gameplay touchups, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for Nintendo Switch is now the best version of this fan-favourite classic. The only thing missing is extra content for those who have already played it, but for everyone else, there's no reason not to pick this one up.

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Ben Salter
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
May 21, 2024

The Thousand-Year Door remake is a triumphant return for Paper Mario. It turns back to an earlier chapter in the series that knows exactly what it’s trying to achieve and does it masterfully.

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6.5 / 10.0
May 26, 2024

The charm and top-notch comedic writing shine bright despite the hollow combat and repetition.

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8.2 / 10.0
May 21, 2024

The Switch version of Paper Mario and the Thousand-year door is a rare delight, just like the GameCube one before it: it's a funny and clever mix between a turn based RPG and a platform game, full of jokes and memorable characters. The price might be a little bit steep and the frame rate is halved if compared to the original, but it's still worth to dip your toes into it even twenty years later.

Review in Italian | Read full review

7 / 10.0
Jun 6, 2024

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door looks great on Switch, making it exciting to move from one location to the next, each interesting in its own way. Its writing is brilliant, too, with some genuinely funny jokes that will have you grinning as you play. It's just a shame that its turn-based combat gets old quite fast, and is devoid of challenge.

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A
Aug 26, 2024

TTYD on Switch is a good case study in how to do a remaster well. While it’s not perfect, it by and large does right by the original game by making improvements where necessary without negatively impacting what made the original so good in the first place. In my humble opinion, this game is by far the strongest in the Paper Mario series.

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