Platform: Switch
Mario isn’t just the liveliest plumber in the world – he also has extensive experience saving the world through the noble medium of turn-based combat. It’s a tradition that Nintendo has been keen to remind players of in recent months, first with November 23’s remake of the SNES classic Super Mario RPGand now with the GameCubes The Thousand Year Gate get a shine.
Originally published in 2001, The Thousand Year Gate was always a refreshing option Mario Tropes and conventions of the series. Take Princess Peach: Well, someone did. She has been kidnapped again, but this time not by Bowser, but by new villains, the X-Nauts, who are searching for the eponymous door, long buried beneath the city of Rogueport, and the seven crystal stars that can open it. While Peach manages to send Mario a magical map before escaping with him, he sets out on a world journey to all-new places to first find the stars, stop the X-Nauts and their leader Sir Grodus, and prevent them from being unleashed prevent whatever is locked behind the ominous portal.
The whole thing is made even more exciting by clever breaks between each chapter, in which players stop by the kidnapping of Peach and then slip into the role of a rampaging Bowser, absolutely mad as hell that someone else got Peach. The game is packed with smart character details like this, moments that only really work and contribute in these more story-focused outings The Thousand Year Gate joys.
Even in 2024, it remains a game full of charm, thanks in large part to the ingenious papercraft aesthetic. First introduced in the original N64 Paper MarioThe visual approach allows for a world built as a pop-up storybook, with each area a diorama where secrets can literally be hidden between the folds. Likewise, this 2D Mario’s abilities are rooted in his ability to fold origami-style into paper airplanes or boats to reach new areas, or rotate ninety degrees to slip through gaps. Taken together, they force players to think wisely about depth and perspective in a way only possible in this branch of Mario’s RPG adventures.
Nintendo invites newcomers to experience what veteran GameCube owners already know is one of Mario’s finest adventures.
Along the way, Mario is accompanied by a number of partners drawn from the larger series’ history, each with unique abilities to use in and out of battle. For example, Goombella the Goomba (one of those walking mushrooms you usually squish around in). Super Mario games) can scan enemies in battle to reveal weaknesses or provide clues to your next target as you explore the overworld, while Admiral Bobbery, a decorated Bob-omb sailor, can blow up enemies or break through obstacles. Between the partner’s abilities and Mario’s own, The Thousand Year Gate is able to deviate slightly from the turn-based RPG formula by taking elements from Metroidvania games and allowing you to return to previously visited areas to oh-so-satisfyingly gain access to secrets you’ve been seeing for a long time, but couldn’t reach.
In many ways, the exploration side of the game is also the most fun. While The Thousand Year Gate Far from boring, turn-based battles can get repetitive thanks to a reactive, real-time prompt system that allows players to power up each attack or reduce damage taken. Each enemy falls into one of two camps – those that can be jumped on, or those with some kind of spike that need to be attacked with a hammer blow instead. While there are a plethora of collectible badges to equip Mario with that allow for more varied hammer or jump attacks – ones that hit more than one enemy or add an elemental effect, for example – they don’t make things much more interesting. There’s even a badge that completely negates the damage caused by jumping on spiked enemies, making the fight even easier.
Luckily, Mario is always accompanied in battle by one of his new friends, and their skills help liven things up a bit. Each of their skills has different inputs that you need to use perfectly to achieve the greatest effect, and if you only have one ally on hand at a time, you’ll need to think carefully about when to swap them out or whose powers are most appropriate to fight the current enemies. Added to this is the typical Nintendo charm used in the fights – each fight takes place on a stage, with an ever-growing audience watching from the stands. Flashier performances attract more spectators, whose cheers refill Mario’s star meter for special moves – but enemies could also sneak in and throw rocks or trash at the “performers” if you don’t react in time to stop them. Even your own attacks can cause the stage to collapse, dealing extra damage to everyone. It’s tricks like these that stick Paper Marios Combat encounters are interesting, even if the main hero’s attacks can be quiet and boring.
However, that’s essentially how it was in the game’s original form, and “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” seems to be the maxim of this remaster. It’s not nearly as big an overhaul as Super Mario Bros. got, but then you never had to do much to it – a testament to how well the GameCube handled the distinctive art style in the first place. Here, the most noticeable visual update is just a hint of more depth in the character models to better sell the papercraft style – everyone really does look like a cardboard doll, especially when you turn them sideways to show the edge of the box – and cares At the same time everything is really trendy for improved lighting effects. Oddly, it now only runs at 30 frames per second, whereas the GameCube managed 60, but it still looks good.
Elsewhere, improvements are largely limited to the area of quality of life. There is now a quick switch tool to easily switch between partners, allowing quick access to their abilities; an expanded fast travel network to return to closed areas and hunt collectibles; and a new supporting character called Battle Master who can practice all those time-sensitive special moves. The music has been rearranged (though purists can look for a badge that lets them go back to the original GameCube recordings), and there’s an extensive gallery of concept art and music to unlock.
All nice additions, but nothing that dramatically changes the experience – but thankfully this remains an enjoyable experience. When reopening The Thousand Year GateNintendo invites newcomers to experience what veteran GameCube owners already know is one of Mario’s finest adventures.