It appears that the visual upgrade for Paper Mario: The Thousand Years’ Door for Nintendo Switch may come at a price.Initial technical analysis by nintendo world report Apparently, it suggests that the gameplay in this new version of the classic turn-based RPG will target 30FPS.
This analysis is based on Nintendo Direct video uploads. Some of the things mentioned are:
“From what we’ve seen, the Switch version of Thousand Year Door is targeted for 30 frames per second, which is a downgrade compared to the original GameCube version’s 60 frames per second…this… It doesn’t seem to be a problem that the trailer is simply being rendered at 30FPS.In fact, there is a brief moment of 60FPS in one shot in the trailer, but that particular shot appears to be twice as fast. So the perceived frame rate is higher. The rest of the trailer doesn’t go above 30.”
As mentioned above, the 2004 version was targeted at 60FPS, so halving the framerate may come as a surprise to fans of the original GameCube classic. This may not come as much of a shock if you’ve played the latest game, Paper Mario: The Origami King, which was limited to 30FPS.
NWR also claims that the frame rate changes can cause lag issues when timed button presses during combat. As for the rest of the Switch version, the resolution in docked mode is reportedly 900p, while the resolution in handheld mode is estimated to be around 720p.
Further analysis mentions how the Switch’s Thousand Year Door appears to utilize subtle reflections, ambient occlusion, and global illumination. However, what may be missing is anti-aliasing. In addition to the changes, the art style and textures have also been noticeably updated.
Please note that this game will not be released until sometime in 2024. As such, there is no guarantee that what Nintendo showed in the announcement trailer for Paper Mario Thousand Years’ Door Remastered necessarily reflects the final product. This is subject to change prior to launch, and this includes the title’s performance and resolution on his Switch.