Partners are crucial in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (TTYD), offering unique abilities both in combat and exploration. Understanding each partner and how to maximize their potential is key to mastering the game. This guide dives deep into the world of Ttyd Partners, exploring their strengths, weaknesses, upgrade paths, and how to strategically utilize them to conquer challenges in Rogueport and beyond.
Admiral Bobbery: The Explosive Expert
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Image: Admiral Bobbery, a key TTYD partner, showcases his explosive abilities in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
Admiral Bobbery, recruited during Chapter 5, is the final main partner you’ll acquire. His overworld ability is incredibly useful: Mario can light Bobbery’s fuse, and he’ll walk and explode, destroying cracked walls to reveal secrets and hidden pathways. This makes Bobbery essential for exploration throughout TTYD.
Admiral Bobbery’s Combat Moves:
- Bomb: A standard single-target explosion attack. Reliable damage for single enemies.
- Bomb Squad: Launches three smaller bombs that explode after a turn, damaging nearby enemies. Good for delayed area-of-effect damage.
- Hold Fast: Bobbery enters a counter stance, reflecting damage back at attackers. Strategic for dealing with powerful single attacks.
- Bob-ombast: A powerful explosion that hits all enemies on the battlefield. Excellent for clearing waves of weaker foes.
Partner Upgrades: Unleashing Full Potential
Upgrading your TTYD partners is vital to enhance their combat effectiveness. Shine Sprites, found in boxes across Rogueport and surrounding areas, are used for upgrades. Each upgrade initially costs three Shine Sprites. For detailed locations, consult a Shine Sprite location guide. The first upgrade unlocks a partner’s third attack, significantly boosting their offensive capabilities.
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Image: Upgrading TTYD partners like Goombella significantly enhances their abilities in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
After completing Chapter 5, Merlon initiates a mystery quest. Returning to Hooktail Castle and using Bobbery to bomb a cracked wall in the inactive spike maze room reveals an Up Arrow. Bringing this back to Merlon unlocks the second partner upgrade. This second upgrade grants each partner their fourth and most powerful move, maximizing their potential in battles.
Beyond Partners: Other Playable Characters in TTYD
While partners are central to combat and exploration, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door also features other playable characters during intermissions, adding variety to the gameplay.
Princess Peach: Stealth and Intrigue
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Image: Princess Peach takes a break from rescuing to engage in stealth gameplay during intermission sequences in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
At the end of each chapter, players control Peach in intermission sequences. Unlike Mario, Peach doesn’t engage in combat. Instead, her gameplay focuses on stealth, disguises, and puzzle-solving, reminiscent of her roles in previous Mario titles like the original Paper Mario. These Peach segments offer a change of pace from the main adventure.
Bowser: Side-Scrolling Action
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Image: Bowser’s intermission levels in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door feature side-scrolling action and his characteristic invincibility.
Similar to Peach, Bowser also has intermission sections after each chapter, offering a different gameplay style. Bowser’s intermissions feature side-scrolling levels. Interestingly, Bowser has infinite lives in these sections, a humorous nod to his frequent role as the antagonist in the Mario universe.
Ranking the Best TTYD Partners for Combat
Choosing the “best” TTYD partner is subjective and depends on playstyle and situation. However, some partners consistently perform exceptionally well in combat.
Top Tier Partners:
- Goombella: With Rally Wink, Goombella enables Mario to attack twice per turn, significantly increasing damage output. This makes her a top-tier offensive partner.
- Yoshi (Yoshi Kid): Yoshi boasts high-damage single and multi-target attacks. His versatility and raw power make him a consistently strong choice.
- Vivian: Vivian’s Fiery Jinx is one of the best multi-target spells in the game, capable of inflicting significant damage and debuffs to groups of enemies.
Solid and Situational Partners:
- Admiral Bobbery: While his FP costs can be high, Bobbery’s powerful attacks and exploration utility make him a valuable asset.
- Flurrie: Flurrie’s Lip Lock ability to absorb HP is useful for sustain, and Gale Force can be effective in certain situations.
- Koops: Koops’ shell shield ability is excellent for protecting Mario from damage, and Power Shell can hit multiple enemies.
Niche Partners:
- Ms. Mowz: While often considered the weakest combat partner, Ms. Mowz’s ability to bypass high defense enemies can be strategically useful in specific encounters.
Ultimately, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door encourages players to experiment with all partners. Utilizing Quick Change to swap partners during battle allows for dynamic strategies and ensures that every TTYD partner has a moment to shine. Each partner brings unique strengths to Mario’s team, and mastering their abilities is key to conquering the challenges within the Thousand-Year Door.
For more in-depth strategies and tips, refer to the full Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door guide.
