Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door/Prologue: A Rogue's Welcome

Well, this is the start of Mario's adventure. Hopefully, nothing has happened to Peach while he was traveling to Rogueport.

Welcome to Rogueport

Rogueport:

Enemies: None

The main town of the game. You'll be coming here a lot, especially since a thousand-year old door lies underground.

Once Mario arrives in Rogueport, save your game using the Save Block near the left wall. Using these often ensures that your progress isn't lost should you fall in battle or something happens to the game while playing. Just follow the path and another cutscene will start. A Goomba is being harassed by a shady-looking group of characters. By approaching, this Goomba girl will ask Mario to help and a battle will start.

Mini-Boss

Lord Crump

• HP: 5
• ATK: 1
• DEF: 0
• Difficulty:*
• Attacks:
  • Crump-a-bomb

Not much strategy here, just attack him. This is an excellent time to practice action commands: Press before Mario lands on him for jump, or hold the Control stick left until the circle at the end lights up for the hammer. Also, you can defend against his attacks. Press A around the time he hits you to defend against it, or B at the EXACT time he hits you to counter-attack.

Star Pieces

• Behind some crates in the main square, just south of the exit to East Rogueport.
• In the house behind the main square, behind the mattress against the wall.
• On top of Zess T.'s house, to the far left.
• On top of a crate behind Professor Frankly's house, accessible by moving between the walls next to Merlon's house.

After the battle, Crump will send literally hundreds of foot soldiers to attack you. After the scene, just walk up the stairs and through the archway—they won't notice you. Mario will have a conversation with a dismayed Toadsworth, as well as being introduced to his first parter Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door/Party Members#Goombella. Goombella is a knowledgable figure, who can help Mario on his journey by giving information when pressing or attacking in battle. Following Toadsworth into the inn, you can recover any lost HP and also save outside. After resting (if desired), go to the left side of the main area for a short scene. Zess T. will be looking for a lost contact lens. She will never find the lens, so move in any direction which causes it to break. Zess T. will then block the entrance to West Rogueport. Anyways, go into the item shop (the place with the Fire Flower sign) and talk to the Toad by the door. He'll order the contact lenses for you, but you'll have to wait. In the meantime, you can buy some items if you want—having a few Mushrooms and Honey Syrups, and a Fire Flower is suggested. Leave at least two spots within your inventory of ten for later.

Next, it's time to head to East Rogueport. Go to the next screen on the right, and watch the scene where Mario has his coins stolen by a Bandit. This Bandit can be found on the previous screen, through the archway in the back (the one with the graffiti on the back wall). Enter the house on the left and talk to the Bandit to get you coins back. Go behind the bed on the left wall to get a Star Piece. Back in the main part of Rougeport, go in front of the fence that leads East Rogueport and look behind the crates for another Star Piece.

Back in East Rogueport, walk up to the brick wall you see near the entrance. The view will change and you can go to the back of the houses. You can talk to the people here if you want. Head to the crate to the north of Darkly (the guy with the yellow eyes), jump on top of it, and go right to find a Star Piece.

Ignore the Craw named Gus guarding the gate on the right for now. There's nothing useful on the other side worth looking for at the moment. Go into the house near the Craw and meet Professor Frankly. He will explain the history of the Thousand-Year Door, and some of the other main story elements. After that, go outside and follow Professor Frankly to the warp pipe. At this point, he will give a tutorial about Action Commands. A fake battle will commence that shows the timing for Mario to attack, and how he should defend. Enter the pipe by pressing down on the when on top of it.

Into Rogueport Sewers

Star Pieces

• Behind a pillar to the right of the main square ruins area, which is behind Dazzle.
• Between the large yellow block and the Warp Pipe on the lowest level of the sewers, just before the room to the Thousand-Year Door.

Rogueport Sewers:

Enemies:

• Goomba - 2 HP, 1 ATK, 0 DEF
• Paragoomba - 2 HP, 1 ATK, 0 DEF
• Spiky Goomba - 2 HP, 2 ATK, 0 DEF
• Spinia - 3 HP, 1 ATK, 0 DEF
• Spania - 3 HP, 1 ATK, 0 DEF

Somewhere in the sewers lies the Thousand-Year Door and whatever lies behind it. It won't be easy opening it, though.

When you enter head right, watch the scene and you'll end up in a fight with a Goomba, Paragoomba, and a Spiky Goomba. They're not terribly hard, you just have to remember to hit the Spiky Goomba with your hammer. After the battle, go up the stairs and ride the platforms along the back to the pipe. Go down it, and fight your way to the other end of the screen. Get the items along the way, break the two yellow blocks with Mario's hammer, and go down the warp pipe.

First, move behind the large yellow block to collect a Star Piece. Defeat the two Spinias (or run right by them) and hit the switch at the right of the screen. Go up the stairs and into the door. Talk to the black box, who promises a great reward if you set it free. Go back out and go down the ledge nearest to the wall. Mario will grab a key—use it on the black box. After getting cursed with the ability to turn into a paper airplane, go back outside, and go on the airplane panel. Press Y to turn into a paper airplane and go to the door on the other side. After a look at the Thousand-Year Door, go on top of the pedestal and watch the cutscene. You'll return to Rogueport after the cutscene (where you obtain a special power).

Professor Frankly will give two tutorials: The first is about Star Power, and the use of Special Moves in battle. This explains some of the interactions with the Audience as well. More information can be found on the Crystal Star Powers page. Afterwards, Professor Frankly will explain the Bingo! mechanic, where successful Action Commands can lead to potential rewards.

Mario will also receive the Power Smash Badge. With no other badges, Mario should equip this extremely useful tool right away, as it will enable him to use the Power Smash attack in battle. This will make quick work of many tricky enemies throughout the entire game.

Off to Petal Meadows

Rogueport Sewers:

You can go to through the door on your left to trade your Star Pieces with Dazzle. There's also a Star Piece behind the nearby pedestal. After that, go back to the previous screen and go right. Jump down and fight the Spiky Goomba. Go back up and use the airplane panel to go to the door on the other side. Hammer the tentacle to start a battle.

Mini-Boss

Blooper

Goombella's Tattle: That's a Blooper... and a really super-humongous one, too! EWWWW! It's all slimy!!! I just can't STAND slimy, nasty, icky things. G-R-O-S-S, gross! It attacks with tentacles and ink. Once you damage both it's tentacles it'll fall down... And then it's attack time! By the Way, the tentacles each have 3 HP. Now relax and house on that slimy, nasty Blooper.

• HP: 12 (Tentacles' HP: 3)
• ATK: 1
• DEF: 0
• Difficulty:*
• Attacks:
  • Tentacle Slam
  • Ink Blast

This Blooper appears with two tentacles, which both can damage Mario and Goombella at the end of each turn. In order to make quick work of them, use a Fire Flower, which will defeat both tentacles and hurt the Blooper directly. Afterwards, the Blooper fall to the ground stunned. Just keep attacking him and guarding against its attacks until it is defeated. This is a great chance to use Power Smash for extra damage! If not defeated in a few turns, Blooper will return to the top, requiring you to attack the tentacles again.

After taking care of him, jump across the platforms to the pipe. Be careful, not to fall into the water, or you'll take some damage (although your partner may fall in without penalty.) Enter the pipe to go start Chapter 1.