GameCube classic Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is getting a shiny new coat of paint

Nintendo announced today its 2004 GameCube RPG Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door will return in 2024 with updated graphics.

In the game, you will join Mario and friends to discover the legendary treasure behind the ancient Thousand-Year Door.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door - Nintendo Direct 9.14.2023

The second game in the Paper Mario series finds Mario and Princess Peach involved in the search for a mystic treasure. During this time, Peach is kidnapped by an alien group called the X-Nauts, and it is up to Mario to find the treasure and save the princess.

Borrowing many gameplay elements from Paper Mario, for the majority of the game, you will control Mario, although Bowser and Princess Peach are playable during the game as well.

Storywise, the game tells the tale of a kingdom by the sea that was destroyed and sank into the depths of the earth. The town of Rogueport was later built on the site, and a treasure from the lost kingdom is said to exist behind a door within the ruins of the old town.

Peach mails Mario a letter that includes a treasure map she acquired in Rogueport, asking him to meet her. Before he arrives, Peach is kidnapped by the X-Nauts and taken to their base on the moon. The X-Nauts are led by their boss, Grodus, who also wants the treasure map.

After arriving in Rogueport, Mario learns the map reveals the location of seven Crystal Stars. These are required to unlock the mysterious Thousand-Year Door located in the ruins. Mario then sets out to collect all the Crystal Stars and meets up with new partners along his journey. Meanwhile, Bowser, in a bid to take over the world, attempts to steal the Crystal Stars.

We won't tell you more about the story, as we don't want to spoil it for you. It's a fun game, and we can't wait to revisit it on Switch when it releases in 2024 - which will mark 20 years since the original was released. We feel old now.