Three years after the release of Paper Mario: The Origami King, Nintendo is re-releasing one of the most iconic entries in the Mario subseries.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door was released in 2004 for the Nintendo GameCube. So far, it’s the only game in the franchise to use a similar battle system as the first Paper Mario game from 2000. Coincidentally, many consider it the best Paper Mario installment ever and the critics seem to agree. It has the second-highest score after the original, as per Metacritic, which is why it holds a special place in the hearts of many fans.
Nearly two decades since the day it first hit the store shelves, rumors claim that Nintendo is working on a remaster of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
Here’s what the original source had to say about the unconfirmed Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remaster:
Now I have something super excited that I’m aware of. Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door Remaster is finally happening and coming out soon!
I have been in touch with 3 sources with this. One of them redirected to me to the third source, who I hadn’t interacted before so it was just me cold messaging them on LinkedIn. Because this third source wouldn’t acknowledge the release date I had heard from the previous two sources, I’ll just leave it as “coming soon.”
Long-term series fans considered Paper Mario: The Origami King a “return to form” for the franchise. But, topping the first and second games remain something that subsequent installments have yet to do. Given the risk of sullying the reputation of Paper Mario with a “subpar” new entry, Nintendo might think it’s a better idea to remaster either game for the Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo recently hinted at focusing on remasters and remakes of older titles instead of a re-release on Nintendo Switch Online.
After seeing the success of Metroid Prime Remastered, Nintendo might want to double down.
Ultimately, it’s best to consider this as another Nintendo Uncle rumor unless otherwise stated.
Thankfully, we might get more info about what Nintendo has in store for Switch owners in the future soon. The most well-liked gaming company in the US is expected to hold a “small” showcase in June, presumably after The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is out on May 12.
