Playing Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is like stepping into a video game time machine and setting the dial to 2004. Princess Peach still needs saving, and she’s also discovering how to send emails via computer. Mario still needs to press the guard button at the perfect moment or he’ll perish. The paper-thin characters everywhere fold, roll, and slide like no other game. You fly through drab landscapes and confront hordes of enemies. Just like that, the nostalgia wears off — and you realize you’re trapped in 2004.
