La Porte Millénaire : le RPG Mario culte sur Switch

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door: The Cult Mario RPG on Switch

1660 words | Reading time : 8 minute(s)

GamePaper MarioNintendo Switch

Long trapped on the GameCube, the high point of the series is finally back. A turn-based RPG developed by Intelligent Systems, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door blends Rogueport, seven Crystal Stars and battles staged like a theatre play, audience included. This guide covers its story, its troupe of partners and what the Switch remake changes.

Long reserved for GameCube owners, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Paper Mario: La Porte Millénaire) is regarded by many players as the peak of the Paper Mario series. This turn-based RPG, where Mario is a paper character moving through cardboard scenery, blends an adventure full of humour with a battle system staged like a real theatre play.

The series' other great RPG family went its own way: Mario & Luigi pushes the duo into turn-based battles built on timing, right up to Brothership and its Concordia archipelago.

Ms. Mowz is the game's only optional partner, and she runs the Lovely Howz of Badges.

Twenty years after its release, Nintendo brought it back in high definition on Nintendo Switch. The perfect chance to (re)discover Rogueport, the seven Crystal Stars and the legendary Thousand-Year Door.

Contents

A GameCube masterpiece reborn on Switch

Developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is the second entry in the series, after the original Paper Mario released on Nintendo 64 at the start of the 2000s. In Japan, it goes by the name Paper Mario RPG (ペーパーマリオRPG), a title that sums up its ambition nicely: a genuine role-playing game wrapped in the paper aesthetic of the Mario universe.

The original version came out on GameCube in 2004 (22 July in Japan, 12 November in Europe). A cult favourite that had become hard to find, the game was given an HD remake released worldwide on 23 May 2024, exclusively on Nintendo Switch. This reissue keeps the original adventure faithfully intact while modernising it, finally giving a new generation of players access to one of the most beloved Mario RPGs.

Official artwork for the Switch remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Twenty years after the GameCube, Intelligent Systems puts its paper RPG back in the spotlight.

The story: Rogueport and the seven Crystal Stars

It all begins when Princess Peach sends Mario a mysterious treasure map, then vanishes. The plumber lands in Rogueport (Port-Lacanaïe in the French version), a shady harbour town built above a legendary treasure sealed behind the famous Thousand-Year Door.

To open that door, Mario has to gather the seven Crystal Stars , scattered across the world. He isn't the only one on their trail: the organisation of the X-Nauts (Mégacruxis in French), led by the sinister Sir Grodus and his right-hand man Lord Crump, is after the treasure too, hoping to rule the world. Because what the Thousand-Year Door hides is not gold, but the Shadow Queen, a demon also known as the ancient sorceress, sealed away long ago to put an end to her reign of terror.

The adventure unfolds across a prologue followed by eight chapters, each one exploring a region and a piece of the plot, with plenty of playable moments given over to Peach and Bowser in parallel.

The main square of Rogueport with the Crystal Stars floating above it
On the square in Rogueport, the gathered Crystal Stars point to where the Thousand-Year Door lies.

Battles staged like a theatre play

The game's big idea is to turn every fight into a show. The turn-based battles play out on a stage, in front of an audience sitting in the stands. The more successful and spectacular your actions, the more spectators pour in and cheer, which refills your power gauge for special attacks faster. A disappointed crowd, on the other hand, may walk out, or even throw things at you.

The heart of the system lies in the action commands (Action Commands): press a button at the right moment and you boost the damage you deal on attack or cut the damage you take on defence. The remake also brings the smoothness needed to chain stylish attacks and guards. You juggle three resources: your HP (heart points), your FP (flower points) for special techniques, and your BP (badge points).

The badges, precisely, let you customise Mario however you like: new hammer or jump attacks, strength bonuses, special moves, even difficulty tweaks. Finally, Mario's paper nature allows for transformations outside of battle (folding into a boat or a plane, slipping into a Warp Pipe…) to solve the puzzles.

A battle on a stage lit by spotlights, with an audience seated in the stands
Spotlights, boards and bleachers: every battle is played out in front of an audience you have to win over.

A colourful troupe of partners

Over the course of his journey, Mario recruits seven partners, each with an ability that helps in battle as much as in exploration:

  • Goombella (Goomélie): a Goomba archaeology student who fills Mario in on his enemies.
  • Koops (Koopek in French): a shy Koopa who can throw his shell to reach distant targets.
  • Flurrie (Cumulia in French): a female wind spirit who blows across the scenery and reveals hidden passages.
  • Yoshi Kid: a baby Yoshi that Mario hatches himself, able to carry the plumber and run at top speed.
  • Vivian (Viviane in French): a shadow from the Shadow Sirens who joins Mario and can hide him in the darkness.
  • Admiral Bobbery (Bombart in French): an old sailor Bob-omb with devastating explosions.
  • Ms. Mowz (Carmina in French): a treasure-hunting mouse, an optional partner and a badge thief.

This gallery of characters, carried by delicious dialogue, does a great deal for the charm and the humour that built the game's reputation.

What the Switch remake changes (and why everyone agrees on it)

The 2024 remake doesn't just port the game to Switch: it gives it a genuine high-definition visual overhaul. The cardboard sets, the textures and the lighting effects gain in sharpness and depth, while staying true to the original paper spirit. The soundtrack has been re-orchestrated for a richer sound.

Nintendo has also polished the quality of life: Mario moves faster on the map, hints and markers make it easier to find your way, and the menus and interface have been modernised. These tweaks smooth away several small frustrations from the GameCube version without distorting the experience.

If The Thousand-Year Door is regularly named the best Paper Mario, it's because it combines writing full of humour, an adventure built around memorable chapters and a battle system as deep as it is original. The remake was hugely anticipated, and it has been hailed as the finest way to discover this Nintendo RPG classic.

Sunrise over Rogueport in the Switch remake, gradient sky and reflections on the water
The high-definition overhaul shows most of all in the light: gradients, reflections and the depth of the sets.

The Thousand-Year Door at a glance

French name Paper Mario: La Porte Millénaire
English name Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Japanese name ペーパーマリオRPG (Paper Mario RPG)
Genre Turn-based RPG
Developer Intelligent Systems (published by Nintendo)
Original release 2004 (GameCube; Europe: 12 Nov. 2004)
HD remake 23 May 2024 (Nintendo Switch)
Place in the series 2nd Paper Mario entry

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FAQ

  • Is Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door a remake or a new game?
    It's a high-definition remake of the game released on GameCube in 2004. It follows the original adventure faithfully while modernising it, and it landed on Nintendo Switch on 23 May 2024.
  • Which consoles can you play The Thousand-Year Door on?
    The original version came out on Nintendo GameCube in 2004. The HD remake, for its part, is exclusive to Nintendo Switch.
  • Do you need to have played the first Paper Mario before this one?
    No. The story of The Thousand-Year Door stands entirely on its own; you can play it without knowing the other entries in the series.
  • How long does it take to finish the game?
    Expect around thirty hours to wrap up the main story, and more to explore all the side content and aim for 100 %.
  • Why is The Thousand-Year Door considered the best Paper Mario?
    For its funny, endearing writing, its memorable chapters and its turn-based battles staged like a theatre play, with a real audience to win over.
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