Why are you reading this and not playing Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door instead?
User Rating: 9.9 | Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door GC
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. This game is the reason why words were invented: So I could use them to praise all glory that is this simply increadible game. Amazing/Awesome/Wonderful couldn't possibly come close to describing this game's complete greatness. This game is an INSTANT CLASSIC (A term I don't throw around to easily.) If you enjoy life and having fun, BUY THIS GAME. Gameplay - 10/10 Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Rehash? Hardly. This game takes everything that was great about the first Paper Mario (Which was allot), refines it further, and then adds tons of new features. The combat system is flawless. Perfection. I cannot find a single kink within the system; no matter how hard I try. Much like the first game, Paper Mario: TTYD relies heavily on correct button timing, keeping sure you are always engaged in the battles. The inclusion of Stylish moves and an Audience furthers this need for player-participation in battle. Your audience can either help or hinder you, depending on how well you play. Hit the buttons right every time, dodge the attacks, and they will shower you with Star-Points (Which refuel your star meter to use your special Star Moves) and items. Play poorly, and they will throw rocks and junk at you, and give you little or no star points. On the field, the puzzles have been vamped up. They are far more clever than the first Paper Mario, and also infuse Plat-forming elements into them as well, ensuring puzzles never grow tiresome or repetitive. The dialogue is increadible, as well. Every person you talk to oozes character, with only a few clichés mixed in. Graphics - 10/10 Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door's graphical style is almost pleasing to look at. It has a cartoony look and feel to it, at the same time retaining a sort of realism to it. It's a perfect blend of 2d and 3d style graphics, and can be called nothing short of artistic masterpiece. The landscape is lush enough to look convincingly atmospheric, and fit well with the theme, but are simple enough to keep that childish feel to it. Well-executed animations and flashy special effects only help to complete the package. Sound - 9/10 PM: TTYD (Damn I got tired of typing that :P ) sound department is so close to being perfect, it can touch it with it's tongue. With fresh remixes of old classic tunes and plenty of nice new ones, the music never fails to help set the atmosphere. I think what makes the music so special is that it is all almost completely cliché. Is that a bad thing? In the case of this game, certainly not. Again, this game is all about theme, and the music only complements it. The familiar mario-esque sound effects are all here, with some new ones you think you could find on a Saturday morning cartoon. My only beef, which is small but still beefable, would be the lack of voice acting to carry out this game's brilliant script. Value - 10/10 PM: TTYD is filled with quirky side-quests, collectables, and hidden Easter eggs to make the most hard-core quester tired. From the multitude of badges, to the 50+ NPC side-quests, the fun almost never ends. Having a Main Quest spanning nearly 30+ hours doesn't hurt, either. Besides, this game is filled with enough memorable moments it simply has to be experienced again. Tilt - 10/10 PM: TTYD is simply a masterpiece that must be played to experience. This game just feels fun. It's hard enough to challenge the most hard-core of RPG fans, and forgiving enough for new comers. You never felt frustrated, bored, or over-challenged through the entire game. Everything about this game just keeps pushing you forward and makes you want to clean out every crack of this game. BUY THIS GAME. NOW. You must have it. You simply must.
