Some odd years ago I posted more than a few thoughts on my both a brief history of the Paper Mario series and my general dissatisfaction with the recent games and where the series was going. I wrote about how much I disliked that the games dumbed down not only the immersive quality of its RPG gameplay but everything about characterization and plot. That gimmicks took the place of strategy and bad executive decisions cut storytelling potential at the knees. I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect things to get better and any future praises or accolades could be summed up as, “Well, at least it’s better than Sticker Star.”

Then everything changed, with the release of one remake.

Yes, the remake of Super Mario RPG by ArtePiazza from last year sent a wave of wonder throughout the Nintendo fandom. If this mostly ignored relic of the Super Nintendo era could get a fully remastered, new moves, new graphics, new everything kind of remake what about more popular games? Could they get the same treatment?

We didn’t need to wait long for that answer.

So that brings us to The Thousand-Year Door, now originally I was going to give myself a week so that I could complete the game and post all my thoughts, however between other complications and the simple fact that I am a slow and deliberate gamer, I decided to instead focus on what it’s like playing this and how I feel about this remake.

To start things off, there’s a couple things I’m not crazy on: one is the overall darker look, not the tone, I mean the actual lack of light in some cases. I get that some areas are underground and parts of Rogueport are meant to have a seedy look to them, but at times it feels like I have strain to see some of the vividly detailed background that was so much clearer in 2004.

Speaking of visuals, it’s taken a page from newer games like The Origami King and made most of the world resemble an arts and crafts project, really emphasizing the “Paper” part of the title. Ordinarily I wouldn’t mind, but as I’ve mentioned before that this crafted look makes it feel less like it’s taking place in the Mushroom Kingdom and more like a fictionalized world within the Mushroom Kingdom. Emphasizing the non-canon nature by making it look off-putting.

However, these are all minor nitpicks in the grand scheme of things, minor bits that just stand out to me and aren’t really worth the effort of getting upset over. Even the lower framerate that every critique and review has brought up is merely a little bump in the development road. And one thing can be said about this game’s development is that it is a labor of love. Every bit of music updated, jokes and clever writing preserved, even the tedious bits of backtracking have been reduced. Make no mistake, the team behind this remake loved the original as much as we did and the painstaking process of updating the game but still remaining true to its roots is on full display. From the major changes like adding an easier form of fast travel in the central hub to little things like updating the title screen every time a new partner is added the party.

I worried a lot about the future of Paper Mario and I can’t say those fears have gone away though they’ve certainly lessened to a degree after seeing early sales reports. But I do feel hopeful that the games will progress from the low-quality dip that hit back in 2012. And a portion of this comes from one of the most popular characters to come out of this game.

For those who might not be aware, Vivian (pictured above) was originally written as a trans woman in the initial release, but not in the North American and German localization where she was written as just female. Considering the hot-button issues still going on with trans both fictional and in real life, this was a surprising but truly welcome thing to see. If the game is willing to rectify past exclusions rather than keep it the same for the sake of “that’s how it was when it first came out” then who knows what other forms of progress can be made? Progress where no one feels excluded and can find representation in gaming.

In short, I’m positively delighted that this game exists and I’m glad a new generation will be able to experience the adventures of Mario and his friends in one of his greatest tales ever told.