Pre-Release Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2024) — Pre-release Discussion Thread (UPDATE: launch trailer, see threadmarks)

[Cheetah6442]

A tier list made by r/PaperMario ranking the chapters of the first 3 PM games. What do you ya'll think?

PM chapter 7 should be S+ and chapter 6 should be C

Strongly disagree in regards to Chapter 6, that placement is almost perfect(personally would put it at the S tier). It's really good.

boggly woods easily a D chapter. Whenever i replay the game that's the chapter that has taken me out the most. It's just so bad. I hate those stupid little things and just the "story" is so blah. It's so shit cause it right after chapter 1, which is great and then before Glitzville, which is magnificent.

The hate that Boggly Woods gets is really overblown. Even though I consider my least favorite chapter(primarily because of the back and forth with the Greet Tree), it's still a really solid chapter. The unique atmosphere alone elevates it for me.

 

[VintoWin]

Strongly disagree in regards to Chapter 6, that placement is almost perfect(personally would put it at the S tier). It's really good.

The hate that Boggly Woods gets is really overblown. Even though I consider my least favorite chapter(primarily because of the back and forth with the Greet Tree), it's still a really solid chapter. The unique atmosphere alone elevates it for me.

Yeah, more like B+ ish for boggly.

 

[Dragoncaine]

Strongly disagree in regards to Chapter 6, that placement is almost perfect(personally would put it at the S tier). It's really good.

I love Chapter 6 in PM64. The vibes are immaculate and Huff n Puff is a fantastic boss. Yes it's a bit of fetch- quest city, but the scenarios are creative and for some reason it bothers me less than in other backtrack-heavy chapters. A tier for me.

 

[Stilt Village]

I love Chapter 6 in PM64. The vibes are immaculate and Huff n Puff is a fantastic boss. Yes it's a bit of fetch- quest city, but the scenarios are creative and for some reason it bothers me less than in other backtrack-heavy chapters. A tier for me.

It's because it uses a hub and spokes design, so unlike all of TTYD's examples you aren't running back and forth across the whole thing each time. Shy Guy's Toy Box is similar, a ton of backtracking but IIRC it's less of a pain with the division into stations and the train making it relatively painless to keep entering and exiting the box.

 

[Mekanos]

Chapter 6 is probably my least favorite chapter in PM64, but it has its bright spots… like the sun!

 

[Hocot8]

The original art style makes it look dingier, but the remake does go to greater lengths to emphasize the details like puddles and trash. The original had more of a comic book feel, while the remake has a bit of that cleaner bright and sunny diorama look of modern Paper Mario that I think takes you out of the atmosphere a bit. Getting this detailed high fidelity look at the literal seams of the world makes it a lot harder to suspend disbelief I think.

Yeah this is kinda what I mean. You explained it a lot better than I did haha

 

[Mekanos]

The original art style makes it look dingier, but the remake does go to greater lengths to emphasize the details like puddles and trash. The original had more of a comic book feel, while the remake has a bit of that cleaner bright and sunny diorama look of modern Paper Mario that I think takes you out of the atmosphere a bit. Getting this detailed high fidelity look at the literal seams of the world makes it a lot harder to suspend disbelief I think.

Kinda how I feel about MGS Twin Snakes’ environmental design. It’s technically high fidelity but the muddy, sickly green look of the PS1 game adds so much to its atmosphere.

Overall though I do appreciate the attention to detail we’re seeing in Rogueport. It will be interesting to revisit and explore it in the game proper.

 

[Dragoncaine]

TTYD Chapters Ranked (probably a pretty standard list, if I had to guess):

Spoiler

1. Chapter 3 - Playing through this chapter as an 8-year-old kid has to be one of my most nostalgic early gaming memories. Everything about this chapter works -- the colorful cast of characters, the focus on TTYD's excellent combat system and the imposed restrictions by Grubba, the central mystery (I vividly remember the jingle that would play when "X" messaged you creeping me out), the miniboss and boss fight, and even the way that NPCs drip-feed eerie lore about the locker rooms, only for you to have to experience all of that lore yourself on your way to the Pit at the end of the chapter. I remember being genuinely concerned for the characters' safety in this chapter. Phenomenal gaming experience.

2. Chapter 6 - I'm SO curious how this one stacks up after I replay the game this year. The Excess Express is a hilarious, charming, creative experience the first go-around, but I can't deny that a lot of its magic lies in the initial playthrough, when you're going in blind. The chapter is so light on combat and heavy on text/characters/intrigue that I'm eager to see if I'm just going through the motions after I replay it for the first time in 8 years. That said, I adored this chapter as a kid, the pit stop in the middle at the train station is a great way to break up the monotony, and Smorg is a pretty terrific, challenging boss if you aren't careful. I also love that the chapter ends with an unconventional, no-boss Crystal Star pickup.

3. Chapter 8 - Everything about the finale bangs, imo. The Palace of Shadow is a fun gauntlet, Riddle Tower is clever and mysterious with wonderful ambiance, and the way it incorporates every main antagonist into a gauntlet of sorts at the midpoint and endgame is ingenious. Seriously, the sirens, Gloomtail, Grodus, Bowser and Kammy, AND the Shadow Queen, who is head and shoulders above every other mandatory boss in the game?! Straight fire. And the reprisal of the opening storybook musical motif gets the emotions going every time as everyone wishes for Mario and his pals to win.

4. Chapter 4 - Obviously a divisive chapter, and I'm really split between this and Chapter 5 for the fourth slot, but I think the sheer ingenuity of Chapter 4 and the unparalleled atmosphere puts it a step above...at least for now. Sure, Doopliss is too easy the 2nd go-around (I wish he had like 60-70 HP instead of 40 and the enemy partners did more damage) but this was one of my favorite chapters as a kid, when I was less observant of backtracking.

5. Chapter 5 - It feels truly crazy putting 5 this low. Bobbery's origin, Pirate's Grotto, Cortez' boss fight, and allying with Cortez against the X-Nauts is all easy S-tier. So is Flavio. So why might this only be an A for me? I just don't enjoy that much of the chapter's first half. I think it's unevenly paced, with another spot of iffy backtracking while also being the most 1:1 translation from PM64's equivalent chapter to this one, so it doesn't feel quite as inspired to me as other chapters here. The highs are euphoric though, and Cortez probably has my favorite design of any boss in TTYD.

6. Chapter 1 - Hooktail Castle is a perfectly solid opening "dungeon", and the ability to intentionally make the Hooktail fight harder on yourself is a liberating option to have on repeat playthroughs. The introduction of Ms. Mowz is fun, but ultimately, this chapter is fairly bog standard as far as Chapter 1s go. The Koopa Bros from 64 > Hooktail.

7. Chapter 7 - Despite having one of the biggest bops in the entire game during the X-Naut Fortress segment, much of this chapter is a slog. Everyone knows about General White's BS for a reason, and even the moon isn't fun to navigate until you get to the X-Naut Fortress. Worse yet, they re-use the worst boss in the game here...just with a few extra bells and whistles.

8. Chapter 2 - The punies are cute, and Boggly Woods is one of the areas I'm actually most excited to see remastered with that beautifully serene music, but yeah, the Boggly Tree just isn't for me. And I love Pikmin! But unless the remake massively improves the AI or finicky nature of navigating through the tree with your Punies in tow, I can still see this ranking as my least favorite TTYD chapter. But hey, it introduces the Sirens in combat, so it gets points there!

 

[Kaizo]

PM64 Chapter Ranking:

1. Chapter 7
2. Chapter 3
3. Chapter 4
4. Chapter 5
5. Chapter 8
6. Chapter 1
7. Chapter 2
8. Chapter 6


TTYD Chapter Ranking:

1. Chapter 4
2. Chapter 3
3. Chapter 8
4. Chapter 6
5. Chapter 2
6. Chapter 7
7. Chapter 1
8. Chapter 5

 

[ZaSpai]

As far as I’m aware, screenshots of Goombella don’t seem to have this red headband. The Twitter user speculates in reply tweets over whether this is either some sort of in game progression indicator (with more speculation over whether Vivian gets her beta flame on hat tip) or related to the preorder bonus somehow.
(To be honest, this actually looks like a natural fit and her headbandless default look feels a bit empty now haha)

 

[ziggyrivers]

some sort of in game progression indicator

Apparently when you level up the characters

I'm on the boat that think that this is just concept art that made it into the pre order bonus, but won't make it to the final game at all

 

[Xngeis]

I never was able to play this back on GameCube, even though I wanted to eventually pick up a copy. Just forgot amidst all of the Revolution hype. I'm so excited to finally get to try the follow-up to one of favorite N64 games! Only heard good things over the years, so expectations are sky high.

 

[WestEgg]

A tier list made by r/PaperMario ranking the chapters of the first 3 PM games. What do you ya'll think?

PM chapter 7 should be S+ and chapter 6 should be C

I kinda found Excess Express to drag a bit and the dungeon area is meh, wouldn’t have it as a top TTYD chapter. Probably would swap it with Creepy Steeple, which despite the backtracking is a strong highlight.

Also would place both SPM chapters at the bottom higher, Sammer’s Kingdom is super memorable and the parts that I think people are ranking 7 high for are found in what is still Chapter 6. I also find the trolling game design of the cragnon section to be funny.

 

[VintoWin]

Graphics across the board in the original are dingier and duller.

The remake seeks to make the game look good intentionally. The original looks outdated unintentionally. It's not just rogueport.

 

[sadsquid]

PM64 is my favourite, but along with Chapter 3 of 64, Chapters 3 and 6 of TTYD are the best in the franchise, and some of my favourite memories from any games in general. They're so unique, have fantastic atmosphere/flavour, and fun mysteries.

 

[Lucifer]

The original art style makes it look dingier, but the remake does go to greater lengths to emphasize the details like puddles and trash. The original had more of a comic book feel, while the remake has a bit of that cleaner bright and sunny diorama look of modern Paper Mario that I think takes you out of the atmosphere a bit. Getting this detailed high fidelity look at the literal seams of the world makes it a lot harder to suspend disbelief I think.

I'm curious how the game will feel while playing it. TTYD had a specific vibe, which SPM is the closest to. The remake feels like modern jazzy Paper Mario.
I thin suspending disbelief was never really the intention as it was always supposed to look like a story book. I't just that it wasn't possible back then to achieve that.

 

[Dragoncaine]

PM64 is my favourite, but along with Chapter 3 of 64, Chapters 3 and 6 of TTYD are the best in the franchise, and some of my favourite memories from any games in general. They're so unique, have fantastic atmosphere/flavour, and fun mysteries.

Ch 3 and Ch 7 of 64, along with Ch 3 and 6 of TTYD, are the peak of these games imo. Unbelievable stuff. Like I said in my TTYD chapter ranking, I'm curious if the novelty of 6 will hold up on my 3rd playthrough of the game, but the first time through stands toe to toe with the best these games have to offer.

 

[Mekanos]

Chapter 3 in TTYD is great on an initial playthrough, but I felt on replays once you know how the story unfolds the battles become repetitive. Maybe I'll feel differently this time. I do think chapter 6 is great and underappreciated, though. The train makes for a very cozy setting.

 

[Dragoncaine]

Chapter 3 in TTYD is great on an initial playthrough, but I felt on replays once you know how the story unfolds the battles become repetitive. Maybe I'll feel differently this time. I do think chapter 6 is great and underappreciated, though. The train makes for a very cozy setting.

Do you have a snap-judgment ranking of the TTYD chapters for us?

 

[Mekanos]

Do you have a snap-judgment ranking of the TTYD chapters for us?

Mmmmm it would be hard as I haven't played the game in 12 years. But if I had to...

5
6
8
7
4
3
1
2

Maaaaaaybe something like that?

 

[Concernt]

If it’s removed it’ll also be removed from the Japanese version since the games are all released with the same content nowadays.

Games can have internal flags to detect console & account region and language and change what's displayed based on that. Notably for region free games distributed in Germany, where this is a legal requirement for certain themes and depictions of violence.

That said I doubt Nintendo will bother, although I'm pretty sure they have with some Switch games, I don't think TTYD will be affected.

 

[Somnia]

I'm not sure I'll be able to finish Unicorn Overlord, Eiyuden Chronicles and Pokemon Violet (my first Pokemon since Black) before this lands... lol

 

[rickyson33]

it's been like 20 years since i've played this game so i'm not gonna make a chapter list but i'd agree that the tournament and train chapters were fun and the tree was not

 

[ziggyrivers]

I'm not sure I'll be able to finish Unicorn Overlord, Eiyuden Chronicles and Pokemon Violet (my first Pokemon since Black) before this lands... lol

Even if you finish Unicorn and Eiyuden, Violet is a gargantuan of an endeavor to try and finish before Paper Mario. I would honestly endorse you to play PM before Violet hahaha

 

[Somnia]

Even if you finish Unicorn and Eiyuden, Violet is a gargantuan of an endeavor to try and finish before Paper Mario. I would honestly endorse you to play PM before Violet hahaha

I'm taking my time with Violet thankfully lol just going to play it between other games and here and there. The others are definitely my focus.

 

[MondoMega]

Screens in better quality than the tweet above:

Finally some screens with the overworld UI. The D-Pad functions are the same four menu shortcuts as the original. The ZL and L functions, on the other hand, are “Partner Hint” and “Partner Ring”. The former implies all partners could have some tip dialogue on the overworld now rather than just Goombella; but i’m not quite sure what the latter would be if the regular party menu shortcut is already there (that menu is what comes to mind when I think of a ring of partners lol). I guess it could be an even quicker partner swap without opening the whole pause menu?

 

[Steve]

Finally some screens with the overworld UI. The D-Pad functions are the same four menu shortcuts as the original. The ZL and L functions, on the other hand, are “Partner Hint” and “Partner Ring”. The former implies all partners could have some tip dialogue on the overworld now rather than just Goombella; but i’m not quite sure what the latter would be if the regular party menu shortcut is already there (that menu is what comes to mind when I think of a ring of partners lol).

Wow, does this game looks stupidly good, like the lighting is gorgeous.

I’m super pumped to play this, since I’ve never played the thousand year door.

 

[MaskedRider]

Wow, does this game looks stupidly good, like the lighting is gorgeous.

I’m super pumped to play this, since I’ve never played the thousand year door.

Same, it looks great!

 

[Earthbounder]

Looking at these screenshots almost makes me want to buy this game again. It's looking so beautiful.

 

[Dark Cloud]

One of the best looking Switch games.

 

[Truno]

Huge fan of all of the UI changes except for the new overlay for named locations. The unrolled paper style of the original was better imo. The new one looks like the standard modern Nintendo UI that I find boring

 

[ziggyrivers]

I'm a bit sad that the game won't get more of a marketing blowout becasue of the possibility of no Direct, but Origami managed to do well with COVID, so.

 

[Mekanos]

I am still perplexed by how a bunch of the marketing for this game is Japanese only.

Same, it looks great!

Unrelated but nice avatar, literally started rewatching Geats last night on my Blu-Rays.

 

[Cheetah6442]

I am still perplexed by how a bunch of the marketing for this game is Japanese only.

Unrelated but nice avatar, literally started rewatching Geats last night on my Blu-Rays.

There have been a good amount of marketing for this game in the West.

 

[rickyson33]

Screens in better quality than the tweet above:



Finally some screens with the overworld UI. The D-Pad functions are the same four menu shortcuts as the original. The ZL and L functions, on the other hand, are “Partner Hint” and “Partner Ring”. The former implies all partners could have some tip dialogue on the overworld now rather than just Goombella; but i’m not quite sure what the latter would be if the regular party menu shortcut is already there (that menu is what comes to mind when I think of a ring of partners lol). I guess it could be an even quicker partner swap without opening the whole pause menu?

"Ring" would make me think of contacting them to like swap party members or something if that wasn't already a thing you could do whenever

if they were to give all the partners dialogue based on where you were I wonder if Party Ring" might just be like a group chat thing where you can see what they all have to say at once without having to bother to swap them out? that would be cool

 

[Impel Down]

What do yall think was the funniest moment in TTYD?

 

[Impel Down]

I'm a bit sad that the game won't get more of a marketing blowout becasue of the possibility of no Direct, but Origami managed to do well with COVID, so.

Nintendo does great work with their marketing, do not fret too much. You should have seen the Kirby Returns to Dream Land Deluxue game being advertised on ION network. If you watched that show or app with the NCIS shows, they played the Kirby commercial right around and on Valentines Day (of 2023) literally 2-3 times in a row sometimes. Throughout the night, I might have seen the commercial for it about 30-50 times

 

[isaacmaltes]

Well, there you go, straight from the horse’s mouth.

Remake, not remaster.

 

[Dark Cloud]

Well, there you go, straight from the horse’s mouth.

Remake, not remaster.

Color me surprised…not

 

[Tye]

So, uh, not sure if this has already been pointed out here or not, and not to add more fuel to the whole “Switch successor will have Super Famicom colored buttons” theory, but…I can’t help but notice how the directional buttons here are also Super Famicom colored…but specifically oriented upside down—that is to say, in the same position that the A/B/X/Y buttons would be, but rotated 180º. And that also means that the positioning of the colors for both the left and right Joy-Con would be exactly the same when either Joy-Con would be used on its side—which gives an important, functional reason to use colors for button prompts, since colors could then be used when playing with a single Joy-Con on its side instead of having to show the full diamond button arrangement with one of the four buttons highlighted since A/B/X/Y can’t be used because a player could be using the left Joy-Con that lacks those labels.

 

[Stilt Village]

So, uh, not sure if this has already been pointed out here or not, and not to add more fuel to the whole “Switch successor will have Super Famicom colored buttons” theory, but…I can’t help but notice how the directional buttons here are also Super Famicom colored…but specifically oriented upside down—that is to say, in the same position that the A/B/X/Y buttons would be, but rotated 180º. And that also means that the positioning of the colors for both the left and right Joy-Con would be exactly the same when either Joy-Con would be used on its side—which gives an important, functional reason to use colors for button prompts, since colors could then be used when playing with a single Joy-Con on its side instead of having to show the full diamond button arrangement with one of the four buttons highlighted since A/B/X/Y can’t be used because a player could be using the left Joy-Con that lacks those labels.

Those are just the colors the text had in the original game.

 

[Tye]

Those are just the colors the text had in the original game.

Oh, huh, okay then! It’s been ages since I played the original so I didn’t remember that at all, lol. Well then it may very well be nothing, though that’s an interesting coincidence regardless!

 

[ze_]

The hint button might swap Goombella in and out so that she can provide her area tattle without needing to be your active partner.

 

[JazzyFuture]

Finally some screens with the overworld UI. The D-Pad functions are the same four menu shortcuts as the original. The ZL and L functions, on the other hand, are “Partner Hint” and “Partner Ring”. The former implies all partners could have some tip dialogue on the overworld now rather than just Goombella; but i’m not quite sure what the latter would be if the regular party menu shortcut is already there (that menu is what comes to mind when I think of a ring of partners lol). I guess it could be an even quicker partner swap without opening the whole pause menu?

I'm gonna bet that the Partner Ring option will be a way to change partners without pausing, kinda like a weapon wheel.

 

[ziggyrivers]

I'm gonna bet that the Partner Ring option will be a way to change partners without pausing, kinda like a weapon wheel.

Hopefully Switch 2 has scroll wheels to make this. afaster experience /jk

 

[MaskedRider]

I am still perplexed by how a bunch of the marketing for this game is Japanese only.

Unrelated but nice avatar, literally started rewatching Geats last night on my Blu-Rays.

Ooooh Nice! Geats and OOO are my faves.

But to not derail too much, I have a question about the game. How long is the game on a casual first time play through?

 

[Mekanos]

Ooooh Nice! Geats and OOO are my faves.

But to not derail too much, I have a question about the game. How long is the game on a casual first time play through?

About 25-30 hours I would say. HLTB has it at 31 hours but that feels a bit long IMO.

 

[Jersh]

Goombella's area tattles are more frequently flavor text and info than real hints (though dungeon areas are a bit of an exception). I imagine partner hint might be a new proper hint system that isn't tied to Merluvlee in Rogueport Sewers (which is inconvenient in most chapters, and straight up inaccessible for large stretches of chapters 4-7).

 

[Steve]

Hopefully Switch 2 has scroll wheels to make this. afaster experience /jk

Sakurai probably the only one whose fighting for a scroll wheel (unlikely, but it's fun imagining), since the idea is so simple yet, can be used to smartly for FPS, RPG and for a web browser, like please let this be real.

 

[ziggyrivers]

Sakurai probably the only one whose fighting for a scroll wheel (unlikely, but it's fun imagining), since the idea is so simple yet, can be used to smartly for FPS, RPG and for a web browser, like please let this be real.

Tears of the Kingdom really felt like a game that was made with scroll wheels in mind.

But since this is the Paper Mario thread:

Since the Origami King felt sorta open-world ish, do you think that the next PM game could benefit from more open world elements, like crafting? It could certainly be an incentive to keep fighitng enemies, since in the last two PM games, fighting can become a chore.