We’re just days away from one of the most exciting Nintendo Switch game releases of 2024. An enhanced version of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, one of the best GameCube games ever made, launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch this Thursday, May 23. Along with gorgeous HD visuals and a remixed soundtrack, The Thousand-Year Door has a bunch of welcome quality-of-life features that improve an already fantastic game. If you haven’t preordered your copy yet, there’s still time to order a copy for release-day delivery at Best Buy, Walmart, and Target.
Note: Availability at Walmart will vary based on region. GameSpot staffers who live in Midwest see the game as available to pick up today (May 21) or delivered today/tomorrow. This is almost certainly incorrect due to the game not launching until Thursday. But hey, you could order and see what happens. Meanwhile, GameSpot staffers on the West Coast can’t order it for delivery, and pick up windows range from late May into early June.
Anyway, back to the game itself. Our Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door review awarded the new version a 9/10. “The Switch version of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is the definitive way to play the best turn-based RPG starring Mario. More of an enhanced HD remaster than a full-fledged remake, The Thousand-Year Door has small yet meaningful quality-of-life features that ease some of the bloat from the original GameCube version. The catchy remixed soundtrack wonderfully complements the thoroughly entertaining and dynamic turn-based battle system. Throw in a stellar cast of characters and consistently playful writing, and The Thousand-Year Door has all the ingredients of an incredible turn-based RPG. Well, it always had them, but now they are blended a bit better.”
For more Mario RPG fun, check out this great deal on Super Mario RPG for Switch at Amazon and Walmart. And if you don’t yet own a Nintendo Switch but really want to play Paper Mario, the best deal right now is Walmart’s Nintendo Switch Lite bundle that comes with a copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
$60
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is currently available to preorder at Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and GameStop. Amazon sold out over a month ago, and the retailer seems to be having stock issues, in general, when it comes to Nintendo games. Nintendo World Championships, for instance, isn’t available to preorder at Amazon (and never has been), or Walmart for that matter. Speaking of Walmart, the retailer sold out of Paper Mario preorders last week, but a fresh restock is available now.