MAJOR spoilers for the Switch remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door ahead.
In thePaper Mariouniverse, players get to meet all kinds of new people and creatures alongside the ones seen in the originalMarioplatformers. Players still have plenty of chances to stomp on Goombas, Koopas, and Pirahna Plants as the game goes on, butwith the help of Mario’s partners, they’ll also meet and understand Puffs, X-Nauts, and Clefts - all unique creatures that can be found inPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
There’s a whole list of colorful and creative characters players meet throughout their adventures in games likePaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, but once everything is said and done, there’s not much else for players to do once the story is finished and all the characters have been met, as manyPaper Mariogames lack post-game content. Even in the new Switch remake forTYYD, only a special quiz and a single secret post-game boss exist for fans to enjoy. On the bright side, the secret boss is most certainly worth writing home about, as the cute and lovable Whacka from the originalPaper Mariois now a secondary boss for The Pit of 100 Trials after being a cut boss from the Nintendo 64 game.
Prince Mush is also a new Super Boss inPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. However, Prince Mush can be unlocked well before beating the game. It’s not recommended players face him at that point, but because of this, he is more Super Boss than post-game content.
Whacka is Now the Most Adorable and Powerful Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Boss
Why Whacka Being a Superboss in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is Hilariously Perfect
Whacka was introduced to players in Chapter 2 ofPaper Mariofor the Nintendo 64, where he would greet players with a smile and offer idle chat until the player finds out that he’s the only NPC that can be attacked in the overworld. If players hit Whacka with their hammer, a small Bump will fall off of him that’s incidentally a delicacy. Because of how delicious and heathy Whacka Bumps are, the Whacka species is going extinct, and the player can only collect eight Whacka Bumps per game before the creature vanishes for the rest of the playthrough.
Originally, Whacka was supposed to become a secret boss once he was hit enough times, attacking the player as a consequence. Only the code of this interaction remains inPaper Mario 64, but some players would feel like they’d eventually get in trouble for hurting the poor, blue blob from the very first game. Nothing would happen because of stealing and feasting on Whacka’s Bumps, or at least, not untilPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Doorwas remade for Switch24 years later.
Players need to do the following to fight Whacka. First, they need to attack Whacka at Keyhaul Key eight times over the course of the game or post-game. Then, complete The Pit of 100 Trials at least once. With both of these tasks done, fans should get a special email saying that a mythical creature has been spotted in the Pit. Completing The Pit of 100 Trials again should make Whacka appear.
The Unique Gimmick Whacka Uses in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
As the Whacka Bumps are the very thing that makes the little blue blob stand out, that’s what he uses to attack, even hurting himself to have more ammo to throw at the player. Of course, this means that attacking him creates more bumps, and therefore, trying to cut down his enormous 108 health bar might backfire on Mario very easily.Goombella even advises playersto avoid dealing as much damage as they can, as it’ll be thrown back at them or used to heal Whacka later.
With the music used for the fight being a combination of playful yet ominous, Whacka’s fight comes off as hilariously terrifying for any long-termPaper Mariofan. Whacka can not only heal himself, but deal back devastating amounts of damage just by using his own bumps, which is a bewildering way to give players a legitimate challenge. After so long, Whacka finally gets to have his revenge against all the players who have given him a good whack over the years.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2024)
WHERE TO PLAY
Join Mario and friends on an epic paper adventure: A classic story unfolds on the Nintendo Switch system.Collect the Crystal Stars before the bad guys do: The X-Nauts are after the treasure behind the Thousand-Year Door! With a map from Princess Peach—and the help of a few locals—Mario must journey through a colorful world made of paper to find it first.Surprises abound in this deep and engaging tale, where everyone’s got something to say and it’s often not what you’d expect! Here are just a few of the colorful characters you’ll encounter along the way.Master your badges and timing-based attacks to impress the audience in a theatrical twist on turn-based RPG combat. Make use of all the abilities that come with being cursed—er, conveniently made of paper—like folding into a plane to cross big gaps or turning sideways to slip through narrow openings.
