Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | |
---|---|
Single-player |
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[a] is a 2004 role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. The Thousand-Year Door is the second game in the Paper Mario series following Paper Mario, and is part of the larger Mario franchise. In the game, when Mario and Princess Peach get involved in the search for a mystic treasure that holds great fortune, Peach is kidnapped by an alien group called the X-Nauts; Mario sets out to find the treasure and save the princess.
The Thousand-Year Door borrows many gameplay elements from its predecessor, such as a drawing-based art style, and a turn-based battle system with an emphasis on timing moves correctly.[1] For the majority of the game, the player controls Mario, although Bowser and Princess Peach are playable at certain points.[2] The game was announced at a 2003 Game Developers Conference and was released late-July 2004 in Japan and late 2004 for the rest of the world.
The game was praised by critics, generally lauded for its engaging plot and gameplay. The Thousand-Year Door won the "Role Playing Game of the Year" award at the 2005
Gameplay
The Thousand-Year Door is a role-playing video game (RPG) with other nontraditional RPG elements. The player controls a two-dimensional version of Mario and explores a variety of worlds designed to look like paper.[2] In these locales, he is tasked with retrieving seven Crystal Stars which involves Mario completing puzzles and defeating enemies to proceed.
In the
Combat
Similar to its predecessor, combat in The Thousand-Year Door follows a
Each character has its own heart points (HP) that decreases each time it is attacked by an enemy. When a partner's HP is reduced to 0, the partner becomes inactive and cannot be used until revived. If Mario's HP is reduced to 0, however, the game ends and the player must start again from the last saved point.[7] Stronger attacks require Flower Points (FP) to execute and are shared among Mario and his partners. Special attacks, which are unlocked each time the player acquires a Crystal Star, are more powerful and require varying amounts of Star Power to execute. If the player wins the battle, the player is awarded Star Points; for every 100 Star Points, the player levels up and chooses to increase Mario's maximum HP, FP, or BP.[1]
Also during battle, a spectating audience reacts to how well the player performs. If the player performs well, the audience's cheers will replenish Star Power. If the player performs spectacularly, they may throw items to the player, such as a mushroom. Conversely, the audience may throw damage-causing objects at the player or leave if the player performs poorly in a battle.[2] The audience starts with a maximum size of 50 and can grow up to 200 as the player levels up during the game.
Plot
The Thousand-Year Door is set in the
Characters
The Thousand-Year Door contains several characters, the majority of whom are not playable. Progression in the game is sometimes dependent on interaction with
Mario is the main character of The Thousand-Year Door, although the story also rotates between portions where the player plays briefly as Princess Peach and Bowser. Most of Peach's story is spent on her interaction with the X-Nauts' computer AI TEC, who falls in love with Princess Peach despite not fully understanding the concept of love. Princess Peach agrees to teach TEC about love in exchange for the ability to contact Mario via e-mail.[13] The series antagonist Bowser tries to collect the Crystal Stars before Mario does, instead of directly opposing Mario, though his attempts mostly become comedic relief.[1]
Story
The game opens with an introduction about a seaside town that was destroyed by a cataclysm and consequently sunk into the depths of the earth. Rogueport was later built at this site, with the fortunes of the lost kingdom fabled to exist behind the eponymous Thousand-Year Door, located in the ruins of the old town. Peach mails Mario a magical treasure map she had purchased in Rogueport, beckoning him to come.[8] Before Mario arrives, she is captured by the X-Nauts, led by Grodus, who had intended to obtain the map. With the help of Goombella and Professor Frankly, Mario learns that the map can potentially reveal the location of the seven legendary Crystal Stars, which are required to unlock the Thousand-Year Door.[9] Mario then sets out and collects all the Crystal Stars, acquiring new partners on the way.
Meanwhile, Peach is held captive at the X-Nauts' base on the Moon. She gradually learns about the X-Nauts' plan, and she e-mails her findings to Mario.[13] Meanwhile, Bowser attempts to steal the Crystal Stars for himself to attempt to take over the world. The "treasure" is the dormant Shadow Queen, the demon responsible for the ancient cataclysm. Grodus intends to resurrect the Shadow Queen by using Peach's body as its new vessel, believing that he could control it and conquer the world. Peach is removed from their base before Mario arrives. Mario unlocks the Thousand-Year Door with the Crystal Stars but is unable to prevent the Shadow Queen's possession of Peach. With the help of the Crystal Stars, Mario defeats and exorcises the Shadow Queen. The game ends with Mario and Peach returning home together.[14]
Development and release
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
Nintendo Life | [26] |
Nintendo Power | 4.6/5[27] |
Nintendo World Report | 8/10[6] 9.5/10 (Japanese version)[28] |
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door was well-received, with review aggregators Metacritic and GameRankings giving the game an 87/100 and 88/100 respectively.[22][21] Critics particularly praised the plot: GameSpot's Greg Kasavin stated that "each [chapter] provides a thrill of discovery.",[1] while Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell welcomed the whimsical storyline in comparison to traditional role-playing games, commenting that "[it is] something closer to Finding Nemo than Final Fantasy, which is very much a compliment."[24] The game's characters were also well received, with reviewers complimenting the use of NPCs and text.[2] Despite this, some commentators complained that the story developed slowly in the game's beginning stages.[2][29] Eurogamer rated the large amount of text as "the only major stumbling block" of the game.[24]
One of The Thousand-Year Door's main features, the use of a paper-based gameplay mechanic, was welcomed by reviewers.
The game's visuals received a mixed response from critics. GameSpot enjoyed the game's presentation, writing that "it exhibits a level of visual artistry and technical prowess matched or exceeded by few other GameCube games."[1] Conversely, other reviewers complained that the graphics were not much of a visual upgrade from its predecessor, Paper Mario.[2] For the game's use of audio, IGN declared it "game music at its purest", but proceeded to question the absence of voice acting in the text based game.[2] RPGamer commented that the music "for the most part is done very well", but that the perceived repetitive battle music was "one of the biggest flaws" of the game.[29] The game won "Console Role-Playing Game of the Year" at the 8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (now known as the D.I.C.E. Awards),[32] and was nominated for GameSpot's 2004 "Best Story", "Best Graphics, Artistic" and "Funniest Game" awards.[33] The game was ranked 56th in Official Nintendo Magazine's "100 Greatest Nintendo Games" feature.[34] Edge Magazine placed the game 93rd on their 100 best video games in 2007.[35] In 2023, Time Extension included the game on their "Best JRPGs of All Time" list.[36] In 2023, GameSpot writer Brandon Hesse rated the game as the best Mario RPG of all time, describing it as the "pinnacle of the Paper Mario series" and "one of the best RPGs ever made".[37]
In its first week of release in Japan, The Thousand-Year Door was the best-selling game, selling about 159,000 units.
Legacy
The Thousand-Year Door is considered by many to be the best game in the
Remake
A remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for the Nintendo Switch was announced during a Nintendo Direct presentation on September 14, 2023. The remake will feature redone graphics, animations and music.[53][54] It is scheduled to release on May 23, 2024.[55][56][57] Nintendo Life reported that the game runs at 30 frames per second as opposed the original's 60, but noted that it did not majorly affect their gameplay experience.[58]
Lawsuit
In 2008,
Notes
- ^ Originally released in Japan as Paper Mario RPG (ペーパーマリオRPG)
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kasavin, Greg (November 12, 2004). "Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for GameCube Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on July 30, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Schneider, Peer (October 11, 2004). "Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Review". IGN. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
- ^ a b Clayman. "Game guide for Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door p. 5". IGN. Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2008.
- ^ Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door instruction booklet. Nintendo. 2004. p. 26.
- ^ Clayman. "Game guide for Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door p. 7". Archived from the original on August 1, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2008.
- ^ a b Cole, Michael (October 24, 2004). "Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
- ^ a b Clayman. "Game guide for Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door p. 2". Archived from the original on August 1, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2008.
- ^ a b Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door instruction booklet (PDF). pp. 6–7. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
- ^ a b Clayman. "Game guide for Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door p. 6". IGN. Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2008.
- ^ a b Clayman. "Game guide for Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door p. 12". IGN. Archived from the original on May 29, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2008.
- ^ "Cheats for Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (GameCube)". eLOOK.org. Archived from the original on February 27, 2008. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
- ^ "Our Favorite LGBTQ+ Characters In Games - IGN". August 25, 2019. Archived from the original on August 25, 2019. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^ a b Iwasaki, Koji (May 1, 2005). "RPGFan Reviews — Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door". RPGFan. Archived from the original on October 20, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
- ^ Clayman. "Game guide for Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door p. 17". IGN. Archived from the original on May 27, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2008.
- ^ a b "GC 2003: Paper Mario on paper". IGN. August 21, 2003. Archived from the original on April 3, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
- ^ "Paper Mario 2 Official". IGN. March 31, 2004. Archived from the original on April 3, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
- ^ "Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Preview". IGN. May 14, 2004. Archived from the original on August 10, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
- ^ "Paper Mario 2 Playtest". IGN. July 22, 2004. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ Bramwell, Tom (August 25, 2004). "Paper Mario 2: The Thousand Year Door". Eurogamer. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- Nintendo Australia. November 17, 2004. Archived from the originalon February 4, 2005. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ a b "Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for GameCube". GameRankings. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
- ^ a b "Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for GameCube Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
- ^ MacDonald, Mark; Intihar, Bryan; Pfister, Andrew (December 2004). "Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 185. Ziff Davis. pp. 168–169.
- ^ a b c d e f Bramwell, Tom (November 12, 2004). "Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door review'". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
- ^ Mason, Lisa (October 11, 2004). "Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Review". Game Informer. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2009.
- ^ Chan, Trevor (March 22, 2010). "Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Review". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on August 15, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ "Now Playing". Nintendo Power. Vol. 186. December 2004. p. 140.
- ^ Arushan, Zosha (September 15, 2004). "Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
- ^ a b Whitehead, Anne Marie. "RPGamer: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Review". RPGamer. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
- 1UP.com. Archived from the originalon January 5, 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
- ^ Lopez, Miguel (October 7, 2004). "GameSpy: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Review". GameSpy. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
- ^ "8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
- ^ "Best and Worst of 2004". GameSpot. January 5, 2005. Archived from the original on March 7, 2005.
- ^ "60–41 ONM". ONM. February 23, 2009. Archived from the original on February 25, 2009. Retrieved February 24, 2009.
- Future Publishing. August 16, 2020. p. 20.
- ^ Bell, Lowell (February 25, 2023). "Best JRPGs Of All Time". Time Extension. Hookshot Media. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ Hesse, Brandon (June 23, 2023). "Every Super Mario RPG, Ranked". GameSpot. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
- ^ "Paper Mario 2 Dominates charts". IGN. August 2, 2004. Archived from the original on April 3, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
- ^ "Japan GameCube charts". Japan Game Charts. Archived from the original on July 23, 2007. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
- ^ "US Platinum Videogame Chart". The Magic Box. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
- ^ "Four Nintendo GameCube Best Sellers Sport a New Price!". Nintendo. April 24, 2006. Archived from the original on January 17, 2007. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
- ISBN 978-4-902346-17-6.
- Nintendo Life. Archivedfrom the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- iMore. Archivedfrom the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- USGamer. Archived from the originalon February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ Tanabe, Kensuke; Kawade, Ryoda (August 30, 2007). "Interview: Super Paper Mario". Nintendo. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- ^ Totilio, Stephan (July 5, 2016). "The Paper Mario Game Not Everyone Wants". Kotaku. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- ^ Robinson, Andy (July 16, 2020). "Paper Mario's development team lays it all out". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- ^ Robinson, Andy (July 9, 2020). "Paper Mario: The Origami King Might Not Be The RPG Return Fans Were Craving". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
- ^ USgamer. Archived from the originalon August 19, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ^ Shea, Cam (July 15, 2020). "Paper Mario: The Origami King Review". IGN. Archived from the original on July 16, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- ^ Kohler, Chris (July 15, 2020). "Paper Mario: The Origami King: The Kotaku Review". Kotaku. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- Nintendo Life.
- Game Rant.
- ^ Bailey, Kat (September 14, 2023). "Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Remaster Announced for Switch After Years of Fan Demand". IGN.
- ^ Bankhurst, Adam (March 10, 2024). "Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Remake Release Date Announced on MAR10 Day". IGN. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ Shea, Brian (March 10, 2024). "Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Release Date Set For May". Game Informer. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
- ^ Hagues, Alana (April 26, 2024). "Hands On: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Unfolds Gloriously On Switch". Nintendo Life. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ Sinclair, Brendan (June 26, 2008). "Paper Mario suit turns out Paper Thin". GameSpot. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2008.
External links
- Official website (via WayBack Machine)
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door at RPGClassics
- Official remake website via nintendo.com