Paper Mario and the Thousand Year Door Review

There is something truly beautiful about a well crafted game. But what comprises game craftsmanship? What does it take for game designer to be expert at his craft and what does his/her products look like? I can hardly call myself an expert in identifying answers to all these questions, but I am beyond confident when I say that Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door easily stands out as game that is not only well crafted but takes the very craft of gaming into another dimension. Literally. Yes, I am allowing myself to make paper and 2D-related puns in the comedic spirit of the Paper Mario franchise. Joking aside, beyond a doubt, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (TYD) falls among of the stars of gaming due to brilliant writing/character development, dynamic and memorable game design, and inspired game mechanics.

To begin, one should know a bit about the franchise to fully appreciate what TYD is doing. The Paper Mario franchise began in Japan with the debut of Mario Story (マリオストーリー) in 2000. It was ported over 6 months later in the NA region as Paper Mario, and nearly a year later in the PAL regions. The game centers around Mario and friends as two dimensional characters living in a hybrid 2D-3D world. The story is much like any other Mario game, save princess peach from the clutches of the big bad, here it is the ever enjoyable Bowser, empowered by the Star Rod. Progression through the game is dependent on interacting with NPC and collecting partners that aid in battle and have special abilities that allow one to solve puzzles in the overworld and progress further in the story until ultimately defeating all the bosses. Paper Mario also employs a light RPG game mechanic, with shared stats between Mario and partner. In my view, the game is fun, yet somehow light in terms of gameplay and game mechanics. The game shines in its story and writing, creating a lively and enjoyable plot centered around reading a storybook with plenty of humor. This is unsurprising in the context of the games original name (Mario STORY), which casts into relief the obvious improvements made in its sequel.

It was not until 3 years later that Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door made its debut in Japan as Mario Story RPG (ペーパーマリオRPG) and 3 months later in NA regions. The addition of RPG to the original title is striking (if not wholly a creative cop-out), which indicates even to the most barely literate that this game has made a foray into the world of "true" RPG-gaming. While many of the elements of the previous title were maintained (similar partner typing, use of turn based battling on "stage," similar overworld interaction, etc), there is a significant deepening of all previous elements and the addition of exciting new aspects to the game. 

One of the most easily recognizable upgrades in TYD is the RPG battle system with its own Paper Mario twist. Similarly to its predecessor, TYD's HP and FP are still utilized, but HP has been divided among its respective characters, allowing for light leveling up of partners and more RPG-style stat increases for Mario. The use of equitable badges have also been added to provide another layer of fun to an already playful and accessible battle system. However, the game takes leaps and bounds with the addition of the battle stages. No, not stages as in levels, but stages as in plays and musicals. Yes, battles take on a performative element in TYD which gives a the storybook aspect of Paper Mario more authenticity by somehow adapting a medium (i.e. literature) that's already been adapted. Truly, the stage battles are not a simple aesthetic gimmick either; one relies on performing well at attacks to encourage the crowd to throw helpful items and foster appeal that translates into "star power," which can be utilized for stronger, finishing style attacks. The sets on stage are also often interactable, responding to thuds or movement on the stages. There are even random stage accidents like falling spotlights. Even after every victory, the crowd cheers as Mario bows and receives the applause. Not only is this simple fun, but it gives the gamer a new perspective of what battles are in the bigger picture. As much as Final Fantasy or Street Fighter wouldn't have us believe, all of these digital fights are nothing more than a show. This is to say, these "battles" don't translate to the real world beyond that of mere entertainment. There is no real tension, no true consequence for winning or losing beyond your pride. Sure, a careless gamer can end up losing a life and progress, but that amounts to very little in everyday life. The lightheartedness of TYD has yielded not only something playful but it has reframed the gaming experience for the player. Everything they see is a show, and the player can choose to sit passively and watch or become the star of their own story. 

TYD does not subsist on a casual yet thrillingly fun battle system alone; this game fully embraces its 2D-3D hybrid to create something truly worthy of being called game design. Paper Mario brought a really novel ways of experiencing and interacting with the environment, traveling around a paper thin, open world. It was almost akin to the kamishibai (紙芝居) of yesteryear in the way the character movement, expressions, and action are handled. TYD takes this beautiful idea of kamishibai-meets-pop-up-storybook and yet again deepens it. Every aspect of the game fully utilizes the beautiful color palette available at the Gamecube's disposal. This in turn is able to foster an immersive yet nostalgic and deeply moving atmosphere that not only feels tailored to the story but to the gamer's unknown desires. In particular, TYD's Boggly Woods area stands out as showing the very pinnacle of TYD's game design efforts. The Woods take an almost binary approach in representation, with living entities and some landscapes rendered in monochrome with splashes of iridescence in inanimate objects and areas. The effect is otherworldly. Take a look at the video above at marker 2m 36 sec. The transition into the area around the Boggly Tree is stunning with the forest floor covered in a carpet of color, all underneath a monolithic tree of stalwart monochrome. There is such a boldness in the intentionality of the game designing, one could almost miss the subtle move in world building. The living entities rendered in monochrome is significant in contrast to the supposedly lifeless yet colorful inanimate world. The monochrome presents a strikingly binary view of the living world; that is, there is sense of eternal lifeless among the living. It gives the sense that these colorless beings are devoid of time and devoid of true depth. This is made all the more clearly by the simple binary of good vs evil portrayed by the Puni people, whom seem content with their otherwise dull lives living in the quiet and remote Boggly Woods. They are somehow trapped within their great tree, passing along their knowledge generation to generation without any true challenge to their existence. However, there is also a sense of inescapable resignation by the Puni to their lackluster fates; they seem almost blissfully unaware of it. Those engulfed and living in color, like Madame Flurrie and her colorful mansion or the very grounds of the Boggly Wood, stand in stark contrast to the monochrome, as one would expect. They are very lively, dynamic entities that show a range of depth. In Flurrie's case, she has chosen to remove herself from fame in order to live out a more peaceful existence, obviously accomplished no place better than the stoic Boggly Wood. However, she can't escape her deeper desire for a colorful life, so she venture out with Mario, becoming one of the most reliable partners in the game. 
The paper world itself shows beautiful dynamism in the contrasting hues and landscapes of its various realms. The landscape is even capable of transformation, peeling back its layers to reveal the hidden or create the uncreated. This atmosphere building is subtle but apparent and moving. Certainly it falls within the realm of artistic craftsmanship.

The final but most devastatingly intriguing aspect of TYD is the artful writing and character development. TYD takes a new approach in the telling of a storybook story; while the chapters remain a staple of the storyline, the gamer plays through the viewpoints of three characters, divergent not only for the previous installment but also for the Mario franchise in general. Mario, Peach, and Bowser are all necessarily playable. Mario is obviously the primary means by which to fully enjoy the RPG mechanics and overworld exploring, but Peach and Bowser are integral for not only forwarding the plot, but also deepening the Mario experience in which the player usually adheres. Peach is an interesting example in that she cannot jump or battle in any way, but she constantly underscores the importance and rewarding nature of progressing as Mario. Additionally, the lack of total control by the player of Peach foreshadows future plot points and character development. Bowser, on the otherhand, provides a dynamic foil to the Mario battle and movement system; Bowser is strong, quick, and capable of breathing fire. But beyond the surface, Bowser provides the opportunity for classic Mario sidescrolling with a twist of mayham that only he could provide, fulfilling a latent or unknown desire of all those old school Mario fanboys. The change in character control and perspective is very unique, and it sets this game apart as something entirely of its own. The characters and plot here are so delicately intertwined that what is ultimately accomplished is something akin to a seamless translation of the page to the screen. 

Honestly, what has been said is not nearly enough to explain the perfection that this game aspires. The subsequent release of the sub-par Super Paper Mario for the Wii only highlights the unreachable standard that TYD has set. This game is a work of art, and I believe it personally is the greatest game that I have ever played and may ever hope to play. If you have not picked up this game, you are missing out on a fundamental, gaming experience.

Head: 10/10
Heart: ∞

-familyfreak101