Summary
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Doorwill offer some new gameplay features on the Switch, Nintendo has confirmed. It did so as part of a wider announcement that also saw it reveal the remake of the second entry in thePaper Marioseries will be out this spring.
TheSwitch version ofPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Doorwas officially unveiledin September 2023. Nintendo described the title as a remake of the GameCube original with completely redone animations and HD graphics. But the company mentioned nothing in the way of gameplay changes on that occasion.
Six months later, Nintendoattached a release date toThe Thousand-Year Doorremake, revealing that the new version of the iconic game will hit the store shelves on May 23 as part of its Mario Day 2024 celebrations. The move was accompanied by a press release, which states that “this revamped version features enhanced graphics as well as new gameplay features,” albeit without elaborating on the matter.
Paper Mario: TTYD Remake Could Take a Page Out of Super Mario RPG’s Book
The footage that Nintendo has shared to date does not reveal anything in the way of such gameplay novelties. But if thechanges introduced in the 2023 Switch remake ofSuper Mario RPGare any indication, a new inventory system and autosave could be on the cards for the reimagined version ofPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Ditto for some extra endgame content, asSuper Mario RPGincluded a New Game Plus boss rush mode that was never present in the original.
This revamped version [of Paper Mario: TTYD] features enhanced graphics as well as new gameplay features.
The reveal ofPaper Mario: TTYD’s release date coincided with the start of its pre-order period. However, the game’s freshly updated eShop page makes no mention of the new gameplay features promised in Nintendo’s announcement. The Japanese gaming giant’s marketing efforts have so far also avoided highlighting the fact thatPaper Mario: TTYDfor the Switch boasts redone music, even though that seems fairly obvious from its trailers.
The new version of the cult-classic GameCube RPG is scheduled to hit the market some two months ahead of the original’s 20th anniversary. Nintendo has recently beenpromotingPaper Mario TTYDas one of the biggest Switch exclusives of 2024. While the company’s recent remakes didn’t really receive this much marketing attention, the increased focus on this project might have something to do with the fact that Nintendo’s hybrid console is currently in its twilight years; given the group’s widely reported plan to launch the Switch 2 in or around March 2025, some industry watchers expect Nintendo to make 2024 the year of Switch remakes as it saves its upcoming AAA releases for the next system.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
WHERE TO PLAY
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is the second entry in the Paper Mario franchise that debuted as a GameCube exclusive in 2004. Its Switch remake is scheduled to be released on July 13, 2025.
