Summary
Nintendo has announced several games for 2024, and among them is a remaster ofPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.The game originally launched on the Gamecube back in 2004 and was met with critical acclaim, earning a score of 87 on Metacritic.Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Dooris considered one of the best RPGsto have been released on the Gamecube, so it is exciting to see that it is being ported to the Switch.
There isn’t a release date forPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Doorjust yet, but it may be possible to deduce its release date based on what is known about Nintendo and its history of game releases. This is largely speculative, taking into consideration patterns and recent news to make an educated guess.
Nintendo’s 2024 Lineup
Nintendo has a few games announced for 2024already. Some of them have fixed release dates already, such asMario vs. Donkey KongandPrincess Peach: Showtime,releasing on February 16 and March 22 respectively.Luigi’s Mansion 2has also been announced, but Nintendo only revealed that it could be expected in the summer, so it could be released anywhere between June and September 2024.
Below is a list of how many games Nintendo has released each month in North America. This list ignores the Switch’s launch year since it was not a full year. It also ignoresNintendo’s known release schedule for 2024.
Narrowing Down The Thousand-Year Door’s Release Date
This paints a picture of Nintendo’s release habits based on 6 full years of game releases. Nintendo is more likely to release games in June than any other month. The company disfavors the months of August and December. There are games announced for January, February, and March 2024 so far.Luigi’s Mansion is set for a summer release, presumably sometime in September since it’s closer to Halloween. As forPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door,it seems reasonable to assume that it will arrive afterLuigi’s Mansion 2since it hasn’t got a release window yet. If one makes this assumption,TTYDwill most likely arrive in October or November.
Disregarding the known release schedule and the number of games Nintendo has published on the Switch each month, there is further reason to believe thatPaper Mario:The Thousand-Year Doorwill arrive in either October or November of 2024. This comes from looking at the release history of the developer, Intelligent Systems. Thelast game from the developer isWarioWare: Move It!,which was released in November 2023. October or November seem like good candidates based on the fact that Intelligent Systems has historically taken roughly a year to develop games for the Switch, with a few exceptions. Notably, theFire Emblemtitles seem to take a little longer in the oven since they are larger in scale.
Below is a list of all the games Intelligent Systems has released for the Switch so far:
Intelligent Systems Release History
It seems wise to err on the side of caution and anticipate that thePaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Doorremake will take no less than a year to complete. Nintendo doesn’t seem to like releasing games in December, so it probably will not come later than November.
Ultimately, this is merely an attempt at making an educated guess aboutwhenPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Doorwill arrive. As always, there is the possibility that the game could be delayed. It could also arrive earlier than anticipated, especially if the recent news regarding its ESRB rating is any indication, considering that Nintendo typically releases games up to six months after their rating. Outside of that, based on the history of both Nintendo and Intelligent Systems, November is looking like the safest bet.
Super Mario RPG
WHERE TO PLAY
Set out on a classic Mario adventure: Enter—or revisit—a world of whimsy with Mario on a quest to repair Star Road and defeat the troublemaking Smithy Gang. Team up with a party of unlikely allies, like the monstrous Bowser and a mysterious doll named Geno, in a story-rich RPG packed with laughs and quirky characters.A strange party unites to save Star Road: Meet the team of oddballs setting out to thwart the troublesome Smithy Gang and protect everyone’s wishes. Even Bowser is lending a claw!Take it easy with Breezy Difficulty Mode: Players new to RPGs or who want a story-focused experience can use the new Breezy difficulty, which makes battles easier and leveling up faster. You can set the difficulty at any time if you change your mind.Adventure, battle, and traverse across a colorful world: Jump towards your next goal and continue the story. Run into monsters to enter turn-based battles with your party of three. Master the new Chain and Triple Moves system to claim victory.A delightfully reimagined world: Enjoy familiar sights with colorfully enhanced graphics and spiffy upgrades.
