8 Hidden Plotlines In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Summary

• Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door features hidden locations, bosses, and plotlines, as well as new optional boss battles in the remake.
• Non-playable characters in the game world offer various storylines and interactions, expanding the game's narrative beyond Mario and his friends.
• The game includes multiple references to itself as a metaverse, with characters playing the game and discussing sequels, adding an Easter Egg layer to the experience.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is an ambitious and extensive remake, and a game with so many hidden locations is bound to have plenty of hidden plotlines. The remake also adds new optional boss battles.

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In addition to bosses and locations that offer their own stories, there are a multitude of characters to converse with along your journey. From Petalburg to the Blitz Pit, these non-playable characters often have a lot to say, reminding you that this world is much larger than Mario, his friends, and their current predicament. Here are some story threads you likely missed.

8 Another Father/Son Rescue Mission

One of the Trouble Center quests is titled Help my Daddy! This quest is sent in from Pine T. Jr., a young Toad looking for his father. You’ll meet Pine T. Jr. waiting near the entrance of the Pit of 100 Trials.

You’ll need to fight your way to level 18, where you’ll find Pine T. Jr.’s father. He’ll be lying on the ground, looking disheveled and defeated. It’s impressive that he’s made it this far. Luckily, you don’t have to fight to the bottom of the pit to complete the quest. There’s an exit pipe on level 20. Once you reach it, you’ll reunite the father-son duo.

7 The Paper Mario Dating Scene

Some of the Trouble Center quests aren’t as serious as saving someone. Sometimes, people use the Trouble Center for stranger requests. One of these troubles is related to dating. The quest Looking for a gal! will lead you to Goom Goom, a single Goomba living in Keelhaul Key.

Once you find him, you must choose Goombella as your current party member. The two characters chat, and Goombella reveals that she has a boyfriend. Annoyed by the new information, Goom Goom angrily leaves the area. Goombella then apologizes for putting Mario "on the spot," implying he's the boyfriend. It's funny to see this rejection tactic being used in the video game.

6 The Metaverse

Along your journey, you'll have many conversations, but some of them are more interesting than others. When Mario and Goombella visit Petalburg, you can speak to a variety of characters. There are plenty of residents and visitors wandering the area to communicate with. One of these non-playable characters is a Toad.

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While speaking to him, the Toad explains that he’s playing Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door on his Game Boy Advance. He even suggests the game should get a sequel, which it did in 2007 on the Wii. It may make you question who’s really in control here, as you and the Toad are both playing the game. The Toad also mentions Fire Emblem, adding another Easter Egg to the mix.

5 Hooktail Has Another Sibling

As the final boss in Chapter 1 in Petalburg, Hooktail is one of the first bosses you face in the game. She’s a large, sassy dragon who has an incredible appetite for pretty much anything in her vicinity. Much later, in the final chapter of the game, you’ll also run into Hooktail’s sibling, Gloomtail.

While you must face Hooktail and Gloomtail during the main story, a third sibling, Bonetail, is hidden in a side quest. Bonetail is the final boss in the Pit of 100 Trials, which is hidden under Rogueport. Not only is Bonetail related to Hooktail and Gloomtail, but she's also no longer living.

4 Robbo Thieves Running the Trouble Center

The Robbo Thieves seem like they’re up to no good, but a couple of conversations in their hideout will show you that they’re nicer than they appear. In West Rogueport, you can use Flurrie’s abilities to get into the backroom of the Trouble Center, an area that’s otherwise closed off to you.

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Upon entering, you’ll learn that the Robbo Thieves have secretly run the Trouble Center. Though they seem like a tough bunch of ruffians, the group might genuinely care for the wellbeing of all of Rogueport, or they have ulterior motives.

3 A Failed Author

Luigi isn’t the only author in Rogueport; another resident is trying to write his own book. A family of two Toads lives on the west side of Rogueport in one of the two houses you can enter. The young Toad will tell you that his father trying to write a book during your first interaction. The young Toad doubts that his father will ever be successful.

If you visit on another occasion, it seems that the father has accepted that his career isn’t working out as planned. He mentions that he’s considering moving his family elsewhere for creative inspiration. The young Toad reveals a bit more about his family’s dynamic. It seems that the father’s career is all too consuming, leaving the young Toad longing for family connection.

2 Madame Flurrie Super Fan

Madame Flurrie wasn’t kidding when she told Mario she used to be a star. There’s a young Toadette wandering around the west side of Rogueport. You’ll need to purchase a contact lens for Zess T. to access this part of town, as she blocks the entrance.

Once you reach the west side, you’ll find the Toadette walking near the grate and in front of the houses. If you approach her, she’ll mention how she misses watching her favorite unnamed actress on the stage. If you speak to her with Flurrie by your side, she’ll squeal with joy, stating, “I can’t believe I got to meet you, Madame Flurrie!”

1 Luigi’s Adventures

Pretty much everyone who speaks to Luigi gets caught up in a web of stories. You can find Luigi in different areas throughout Rogueport, each time with a new, usually skeptical listener. All the conversations with Luigi put Mario to sleep as he tells elaborate tales about Princess Éclair and the Chestnut King.

It's unclear if Luigi's stories are true, but some characters clearly believe them. You can find a novel about Luigi’s Adventures for sale in Rogueport. Other NPCs may even mention wanting a game about Luigi, adding to the metaverse that seems to exist here.

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