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[[File:MWikiEE.jpg|thumb|250px|The '''Excess Express''']]
[[File:PMTTYD NS Excess Express.png|thumb|250px|The Excess Express at the Rogueport Station]]
The '''Excess Express''' is a luxurious train which is boarded by [[Mario]] and his comrades, to get to [[Riverside Station]] and [[Poshley Heights]] in the game ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]''. It, as well as the smaller areas [[Poshley Heights]] and [[Riverside Station]], serves as the setting of Chapter 6 of that game. The Excess Express is made up of a locomotive, three passenger cars, a dining car and a storage car.  
{{quote|I know it won't be easy. But one day, I'm going to ride this Excess Express!|Laki|Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door}}
The '''Excess Express''' is a luxurious train boarded by [[Mario]] and his partners on their way to [[Poshley Heights]] in [[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door#Chapter 6: 3 Days of Excess|Chapter 6: 3 Days of Excess]] of the game ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]''. It can be found in [[Rogueport|Rogueport's]] West Side, next to the [[Blimp|blimp]] that takes Mario to [[Glitzville]]. It departs from Rogueport Station and stops at [[Riverside Station]] before arriving in Poshley Heights at the Poshley Heights Station.  Conversely, it can depart from Poshley Heights, stop at Riverside Station, and arrive back in Rogueport on a return trip. The initial trip takes three days, though it only takes one day in subsequent departures, with Mario being able to sleep for the entirety of the ride. The train consists of a locomotive, three passenger cars, a dining car, and a baggage car.
 
The Excess Express may have taken inspiration from the Orient Express from the English detective novel ''{{wp|Murder on the Orient Express}}''. Similar to the story in the book, Chapter 6 of ''The Thousand-Year Door'' involves a crime being committed on a train and several of the passengers being suspects. Both casts of characters include a detective (Pennington, who resembles {{wp|Hercule Poirot}} from the novel) and a celebrity ([[Zip Toad]], who loosely references Linda Arden from the novel).


==History==
==History==
[[File:Expressive.PNG|thumb|left|250px|Pennington inside one of the passenger cars.]]
[[File:Pennington on Excess Express TTYD.png|thumb|left|250px|Pennington inside a passenger car]]
The Excess Express has an article written about it, by the [[RDM]] (Rogueport Direct Mail Service), saying that, for the first time in ten years, the Excess Express workers gang-tackled a [[Laki|train-obsessed Lakitu]] named Laki who was in a worker-only area, making the train late. The Excess Express allowed him to leave with just a warning.
The Excess Express is featured in a [[Rogueport Direct Mail Service|RDM]] article, which says that the Excess Express staff tackled a [[Laki]], a train-obsessed [[Lakitu]], who was in a staff-only area. This incident made the train late for the first time in ten years, though the staff allowed him to leave with just a warning.


After defeating [[Cortez]] and [[Lord Crump]], the [[Magical Map]] leads [[Mario]] and his [[Partner]]s to the [[Poshley Sanctum]] in [[Poshley Heights]]. Like [[Glitzville]], Mario needs a ticket to get to the Excess Express, which [[Professor Frankly]] says is the only way. After doing [[Don Pianta]]'s workers ([[Tony (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door)|Tony]] and [[Vinny]]) a favor (finding Don's [[Francesca|daughter]] and her [[Frankie|boyfriend]]), Don gives Mario an [[Train Ticket|Excess Express Ticket]]. While on the way to the station, [[Beldam]] appears and thanks Mario for saying that the next Star is in Poshley Heights. Either way, Mario advances to the station.
[[File:PMTTYD Excess Express Dining Car.png|thumb|250px|Dining Room]]
After returning to [[Rogueport]] from [[Keelhaul Key]], the [[Magical Map]] leads [[Mario]] and his [[partner]]s to the [[Poshley Sanctum]] in [[Poshley Heights]], where the [[Garnet Star]] is located. Like [[Glitzville]], Mario needs a ticket to get to the Excess Express, which [[Professor Frankly]] says is the only way to reach Poshley Sanctum. After doing [[Don Pianta]]'s cronies ([[Tony (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door)|Tony]] and [[Vinny]]) a favor (finding Don's [[Francesca|daughter]] and her [[Frankie|boyfriend]]), the Don gives Mario an [[Train Ticket|Excess Express Ticket]]. While on the way to the station, [[Beldam]] spied on Mario and his party, revealing herself and thanking Mario's partner for saying that the next star is in Poshley Heights. Knowing they must reach the star before the [[Three Shadows]] do, Mario and his partners head for the station.


During the three-day train ride, many unfortunate events happen, hindering Mario and his pals and keeping them from getting the [[Garnet Star|sixth Crystal Star]]. [[Heff T.]] steals [[Chef Shimi]]'s [[Galley Pot]], and [[Doopliss]] (impersonating [[Zip Toad]]) steals a [[Businessman]]'s [[briefcase]] containing ingredients for [[Nitro Honey Syrup]], the [[Toad Waitress|waitress]]'s [[Shell Earrings|shell earrings]], and [[Toodles]]'s [[Gold Ring]]. Under orders of the [[Shadow Sirens]], he planned to mix the things he stole together to bomb the train, resulting in what he described as a "sticky, yummy explosion." Mario and his friends enlisted the help of [[Pennington]] to foil his diabolical plans.  
[[File:PMTTYD Excess Express Engineer.png|thumb|left|250px|Locomotive]]
During the three-day train ride, many unfortunate events happen, forging the premise of a [[wikipedia:whodunit|whodunit]] novel or film and hindering Mario and his partner by keeping them from getting the [[Garnet Star|sixth Crystal Star]]. First, [[Heff T.]] steals [[Chef Shimi]]'s [[Galley Pot|stew]], causing an upset. Next, [[Doopliss]], disguised as [[Zip Toad]], steals the [[businessman]]'s [[briefcase]] containing [[Nitro Honey Syrup]] and [[Vital Paper]], the [[Excess Express waitress|waitress]]'s [[Shell Earrings]], and [[Toodles]]' [[Gold Ring (item)|Gold Ring]]. At the behest of Beldam, he planned to mix the things he stole together to bomb the train, resulting in what he described as a "sticky, yummy explosion" in the threatening letter he left in Mario's cabin. Mario and his partners enlist the help of [[Pennington]] to foil his diabolical plans, and in doing so, returned the stolen items to their rightful owners.
[[File:PMTTYD Excess Express.png|thumb|250px|]]
A third mystery, a missing [[Blanket|blanket]], leads to Mario meeting [[Ghost T.]] after using [[Vivian]]'s [[Veil]] ability in Cabin 004. The mystery begins with the [[Excess Express conductor]] realizing a blanket has gone missing, leaving him to believe there is a passengers without a ticket on the train. Mario has to retrieve Ghost T.'s [[Ragged Diary|diary]] for the ghost to agree to return the blanket. If Mario opens the diary, he will be warned three times not to read it. If he ignores all three warnings, he will be only allowed to read the first three lines before Ghost T. appears, causing the screen to spin around in the original version or turn static in the [[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)|remake]]. In both cases, an instant [[Game Over]] occurs.


Mario and his partners also met [[Ghost T.]] here. Mario had to talk to him after the Excess Express [[Excess Express Conductor|conductor]] accidentally left him a [[blanket]] (not realizing that he was a ghost), leaving the conductor without a blanket of his own. Mario had to retrieve Ghost T.'s [[Ragged Diary|diary]] for the ghost to get him to give the blanket back. If Mario reads the diary, he will get an instant [[Game Over]] after a small cutscene.
The final mystery occurs on Day 2. After the Three Shadows' sticky bomb plan was foiled, they ordered a horde of [[Smorg]]s at [[Riverside Station]] to guard the station's drawbridge switch to keep the bridge lifted and prevent the train from progressing any further. After Mario ventures inside the station, he fends off the horde and lowers the drawbridge, allowing the train to continue on its journey; however, during this time, the Smorgs secretly invade the train. The next morning, the horde attacks the train and kidnaps all the passengers and staff onboard, with the exception of Ghost T., the [[Excess Express engineer]], and the red [[Toad (species)|Toad]] who runs the [[Sales Stall]], though the Toad is knocked unconscious. Whereas the [[Excess Express waitress]] and [[Excess Express conductor]] are held captive in the baggage car, the others have been absorbed into the horde of Smorgs. Mario must use his [[Hammer#Paper_Mario:_The_Thousand-Year_Door|Hammer]] to navigate through the Smorgs and fight them atop the locomotive. This is the [[Unrevisitable area#Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door|only time]] the train's rooftops can be accessed. Eventually, Mario and his partners defeat the Smorgs, freeing the passengers and saving the Excess Express, which soon arrives in Poshley Heights.


Mario and company also run into a massive hordes of miniature [[Smorg|Smorgs]] that kidnap all the passengers on board, with the exception of the engineer, the conductor and the waitress, the latter two of which they hold captive in the storage cart. As Chapter 6 ends, Mario travels to the heavily Smorg-infested rooftops of the train and fights a massive hordes of Smorgs, eventually freeing the passengers and saving the Excess Express. Afterward, the rooftops (and the storage car, for that matter) are inaccessible.
Mario acquires the Garnet Star, which was hidden in a secret area of the [[Poshley Sanctum]], they ride the train back to Rogueport. With the train ticket permanently in his inventory, Mario and his partners can board the Excess Express any time after Chapter 6 to travel from Rogueport to Poshley Heights and vice versa; however, Mario can no longer access the baggage car outside of glitches. Later in the game, Mario receives [[Mailbox SP|emails]] from characters on the train, including the real [[Mailbox SP#The Real Zip Toad: ! (GameCube) / Zip Toad (verified): What's up! (Switch)|Zip Toad]] and [[Mailbox SP#Ghost T.: Hellooooooo|Ghost T.]]


==Passengers Of the Excess Express==
==Inhabitants==
Below is a list of the occupants of the eight cabins of the Excess Express. With the exception of Mario, Ghost T., and Heff T., all occupants are replaced by various traveling [[Toad]]s, [[Koopa (species)|Koopas]], and [[Goomba]]s (as well as a single [[Yoshi (species)|Yoshi]], the only one in the game other than [[Yoshi (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door)|Mario's Yoshi partner]] and his [[Stampede]] friends) after Chapter 6.
[[File:Jr troopa cameo.png|thumb|250px|Jr. Troopa flying in the background of Zip Toad's photograph]]
*Cabin 001: [[Doopliss]] (disguised as [[Zip Toad]])/Red Adult Toad and Green Child Toad
Below is a list of the occupants of the eight cabins of the Excess Express. With the exception of Mario, Ghost T., and Heff T., all occupants are replaced by various traveling [[Toad (species)|Toad]]s, [[Koopa (species)|Koopa Troopas]], and [[Goomba]]s after Chapter 6. The staff on the train does not change after Chapter 6. [[Jr. Troopa]] can be seen in the background of a photograph Zip Toad sends Mario via [[Mailbox SP|email]], though the player cannot interact with him and it does not appear that he is actually a passenger on the train.
*Unboarded: [[Jr. Troopa]]
 
*Cabin 002: [[Toodles]]/Blue Adult Toad
===Main story===
*Cabin 001: [[Doopliss]] (disguised as [[Zip Toad]])
*Cabin 002: [[Toodles]]  
*Cabin 003: [[Heff T.]]
*Cabin 003: [[Heff T.]]
*Cabin 004: [[Ghost T.]]
*Cabin 004: [[Ghost T.]]
*Cabin 005: [[Mario]] and his partners
*Cabin 005: [[Mario]] and his partners
*Cabin 006: [[Pennington]]/Green Adult Toad
*Cabin 006: [[Pennington]]  
*Cabin 007: [[Businessman]]/Light Blue Child Toad
*Cabin 007: [[Businessman]]
*Cabin 008: [[Goldbob]], [[Sylvia]], and [[Bub]]/Red Adult Toad and Red Child Toad
*Cabin 008: [[Goldbob]], [[Sylvia (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door)|Sylvia]], and [[Bub]]
*[[Excess Express conductor]]
*[[Excess Express engineer]]
*[[Chef Shimi]]
*[[Excess Express waitress]]
*Red Toad who runs the [[Sales Stall]]
 
===After Chapter 6===
Following Chapter 6, all passengers are replaced with a selection of random travelers. The backslashes indicate the potential individuals or groups that occupy the cabins following the main story, and the "X" followed by a number indicates that a passenger has more than one conversation; the individual passenger can only display one conversation per ride. A Yoshi can appear as one of the randomly selected passengers in the dining car, the only Yoshi in the game other than Mario's partner [[Yoshi Kid]] and the many Yoshis that run across the screen in his [[Stampede (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door)|Stampede]] attack.
 
*Cabin 001: Blue Toad, orange female Toad or red female Toad / chartreuse child Toad or light blue child Toad
*Cabin 002: Purple female Toad, green Toad, blue Toad, Koopa Troopa or Goomba
*Cabin 003: [[Heff T.]]
*Cabin 004: [[Ghost T.]]
*Cabin 005: [[Mario]] and his partners
*Cabin 006: Blue Toad or green Toad
*Cabin 007: Orange female Toad, light blue child Toad (X2) or chartreuse child Toad
*Cabin 008: Red Toad or Koopa Troopa / red child Toad or green child Toad
*Dining car: Random combination of red Toad, red female Toad, blue Toad, green Toad, green child Toad, purple female Toad, chartreuse child Toad, Koopa Troopa, Goomba, Yoshi, or [[Lakitu]]


==Enemies==
==Enemies==
*[[Smorg]] (Chapter 6 Boss)
*[[Smorg]] (Chapter 6 Boss)


==Items Found==
==Items found==
{| style="text-align: center; width: 100%; margin: 0 auto; border-collapse: collapse; font-family:Arial;" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
Additional items are on sale at the [[Sales Stall]] item shop in the dining car.
|-style="background: #ABC;"
 
!width="5%"|Name of Item
{| class="wikitable"
!width="1%"|Icon
!Item
!width="20%"|Found In
!Location
|-
|{{PMTTYD item|Autograph|game=NS}}
|Given by the [[Excess Express engineer|engineer]] while doing [[Bub]]'s favor.
|-
|{{PMTTYD item|Blanket|game=NS}}
|Given by [[Ghost T.]] after returning the [[Ragged Diary]] to him.
|-
|-
|[[Galley Pot]]
|{{PMTTYD item|Briefcase|game=NS}}
|[[File:Galleykettle.gif]]
|Given by [[Doopliss]] as [[Zip Toad]] after he is caught. [[Mario]] later returns it to the [[businessman]].
|From Heff T. after the player corners him in his room.
|-
|-
|[[Vital Paper]]
|{{PMTTYD item|Dried Mushroom|game=NS}}
|[[File:Vital Paper PM2.png]]
|Left by someone inside a drawer in cabin 005.
|In Zip Toad/Doopliss's room after the the player talks to Pennington on Day 2.
|-
|-
|[[Briefcase]]
|{{PMTTYD item|Galley Pot|game=NS}}
|[[File:Briefcase.gif]]
|Found in [[Heff T.]]'s drawer after following the trail of stew to cabin 003.
|From Doopliss after the player corners him.
|-
|-
|[[Shell Earrings]]
|{{PMTTYD item|link=Gold Ring (item)|Gold Ring|game=NS}}
|[[File:Shellearrings.gif]]
|Given by [[Doopliss]] as [[Zip Toad]] after he is caught.
|From Doopliss after the player corners him.
|-
|-
|[[Gold Ring]]
|{{PMTTYD item|Mushroom|game=NS}} [[File:Nintendo GameCube symbol.svg|15px|link=Nintendo GameCube]]
|[[File:Goldring.gif]]
|Given by the [[Excess Express conductor|conductor]] after returning the [[blanket]] to him.
|From Doopliss after the player corners him.
|-
|-
|[[Autograph]]
|{{PMTTYD item|Ragged Diary|game=NS}}
|[[File:Engineer autograph.png]]
|Found behind some crates in the baggage room. Accessible using Paper Mode.
|From the engineer the player after tells him that Bub wants his autograph.
|-
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Shine Sprite]]
|{{PMTTYD item|Shell Earrings|game=NS}}
| rowspan=2 | [[File:PMTTYDShinespritesprite.png]]
|Given by [[Doopliss]] as [[Zip Toad]] after he is caught.
|From Bub after the player gives him the autograph.
|-
|-
|Hidden behind the table in Mario and friends' room.
|rowspan=2|{{PMTTYD item|Shine Sprite|game=NS}} (×2)
|Found in cabin 005
|-
|-
| rowspan=3 | [[Star Piece (Paper Mario)|Star Piece]]
|Given by [[Bub]] after giving the [[autograph]] from [[Excess Express engineer|the engineer]] to him.
| rowspan=3 | [[Image:Star Piece.GIF|25px]]
|From Chef Shimi after the player returns the Galley Pot.
|-
|-
|From the waitress after the player returns the Shell Earings.
|rowspan=5|{{PMTTYD item|link=Star Piece (Paper Mario series)|Star Piece|game=NS}} (×5)
|Found under a panel in front of the gauge in the engineer's room.<ref name="Engine Star Piece" group=note>Only accessible while traveling to Poshley Heights.</ref>
|-
|-
|In Goldbob's room's drawer.
|Found under a panel in the southwest corner in cabin 004.
|-
|Given by [[Chef Shimi]] after returning the [[Galley Pot]].
|-
|Given by the [[Excess Express waitress|waitress]] after returning her [[Shell Earrings]].
|-
|Found in a drawer in cabin 008.
|-
|{{PMTTYD item|Super Mushroom|game=NS}} [[File:Nintendo Switch Logo.svg|15px|link=Nintendo Switch]]
|Given by the [[Excess Express conductor|conductor]] after returning the [[blanket]] to him.
|-
|{{PMTTYD item|Threatening Note|game=NS}}
|Automatically obtained in cabin 005. Is treated as an Important Item in the Nintendo Switch remake.
|-
|{{PMTTYD item|Vital Paper|game=NS}}
|Found in cabin 001 after the [[businessman]]'s things are stolen.
|}
|}


==[[Tattle]]s==
===Notes===
*This is a passenger car. Orange and brown decor... That actually looks good! the passenger cabins here are numbered 3, 4, and 5, in case you forgot your numbers.
<references group=note />
*This is a passenger car. The green and brown colors actually work here. Wow. There are two passenger cabins here, numbers 1 and 2.
 
*This is the dining car. There also seems to be a cute little shop here. Dining and shopping while watching scenery go by... Talk about heavenly...
==Profiles==
*This is a passenger car. The blue and brown interior here is totally chic. The passenger cabins here are numbered 6, 7, and 8. ...But you knew that.
*'''Tattles'''
*This is the engineer's car of the Excess Express. Any kid would LOVE to see this! Look at me, Mario! I"m an engineer! WOOP WOOOOOP! Hey, but driving a train is really nothing to joke about. I totally respect engineers!
**"''This is a passenger car. Orange and brown decor... That actually looks good! the passenger cabins here are numbered 3, 4, and 5, in case you forgot your numbers.''"
**"''This is a passenger car. The green and brown colors actually work here. Wow. There are two passenger cabins here, numbers 1 and 2.''"
**"''This is the dining car. There also seems to be a cute little shop here. Dining and shopping while watching scenery go by... Talk about heavenly...''"
**"''This is a passenger car. The blue and brown interior here is totally chic. The passenger cabins here are numbered 6, 7, and 8. ...But you knew that.''"
**"''This is the engineer's car of the Excess Express. Any kid would LOVE to see this! Look at me, Mario! I'm an engineer! WOOP WOOOOOP! Hey, but driving a train is really nothing to joke about. I totally respect engineers!''"
**"''This is the freight car. Usually, passengers aren't allowed back here. Looks like there are lots of bags here, ready to be unloaded at the next stop.''"
**"''This is the train's roof. Look at that scenery go whipping by! Wowser! ...Look, this is no time for me to be describing stuff! These guys are so ANNOYING! They're flippy and floppy and gross and I HATE them! Let's get rid of them!''"
**"''This is cabin five...which is our cabin! If we need to rest, the bunk in here is super comfy. Train naps are the best.''" (Switch only)


==Names in Other Languages==
==Names in other languages==
{{foreignname
{{foreign names
|Jap=リッチリッチエクスプレス
|Jap=リッチリッチエクスプレス
|JapR=Ricchi Ricchi Ekusupuresu
|JapR=Ricchi Ricchi Ekusupuresu
|JapM=Rich Rich Express
|JapM=Rich Rich Express
|Spa=Tren Ricachón Expres
|ChiS=豪华高速列车
|SpaM=Tycoon Train Express
|ChiSR=Háohuá Gāosù Lièchē
|Fra=Crésus Express
|ChiSM=Luxury High Speed Train
|FraM=Crésus is the French name of "[[wikipedia:Croesus|Croesus]]", a fabulously rich king
|ChiT=豪華高速列車
|ChiTR=Háohuá Gāosù Lièchē
|ChiTM=Luxury High Speed Train
|Dut=Biljoenentrein
|DutM=Trillions Train
|Spa=Ricachón Exprés
|SpaM=Tycoon Express
|Fre=Crésus Express
|FreM=Crésus is the French name of "[[wikipedia:Croesus|Croesus]]", a fabulously rich king
|Ger=Glimmer-Liner
|Ger=Glimmer-Liner
|GerM=like the English term
|GerM=Like the English term
|Ita=Fasto-Express
|Ita=Fasto-Express
|ItaM=Pomp-Express
|ItaM=Pomp-Express
|Kor=리치리치 익스프레스
|KorR=Richirichi Ikseupeureseu
|KorM=From the Japanese name
}}
}}


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*During the events of ''[[Super Paper Mario]]'', [[Francis]] writes about wishing to buy an Excess Express train set.
*During the events of ''[[Super Paper Mario]]'', [[Francis]] writes about wishing to buy an Excess Express train set.
*Ghost T. does not notice the [[Smorgs]] attacking at all if Mario talks to him while they are at the train.
*The Excess Express has the most music tracks in the game, with there being a total of eight (one each for day, dusk, and night, one as the track for [[Pennington]], one as the music played for [[Ghost T.]], one for [[Riverside Station]], the music played when the Smorgs attack the train, and one more if counting the lack of music for the baggage car).
*The Excess Express has the most music tracks in the game, with there being a total of eight (one each for day, dusk, and night, one as the track for [[Pennington]], one as the music played for [[Ghost T.]], one for [[Riverside Station]], the music played when the Smorgs attack the train, and one more if counting the lack of music for the baggage car).  
*On Day 3 of the Excess Express, the player will get an email in the dining car in the Japanese version. In the international versions, the player will get this email to the right of Mario's room.
{{BoxTop}}
*In the [[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)|Switch remake]], pictures of the [[K64]] train can be seen on the walls, suggesting that engine used to operate on the Excess Express's line before the current train was built.
*According to passengers, the train serves mushroom dishes.
 
{{PMTTYD}}
{{PMTTYD}}
[[Category:Railways]]
[[Category:Railways]]
[[Category:Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Locations]]
[[Category:Trains]]
[[Category:Trains]]
[[Category:Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]
[[Category:Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door locations]]
[[Category:Vehicles]]
[[Category:Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door objects]]
[[de:Glimmer-Liner]]
[[it:Fasto-Express]]

Latest revision as of 22:00, August 24, 2024

The Excess Express in the Nintendo Switch version of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
The Excess Express at the Rogueport Station
“I know it won't be easy. But one day, I'm going to ride this Excess Express!”
Laki, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

The Excess Express is a luxurious train boarded by Mario and his partners on their way to Poshley Heights in Chapter 6: 3 Days of Excess of the game Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. It can be found in Rogueport's West Side, next to the blimp that takes Mario to Glitzville. It departs from Rogueport Station and stops at Riverside Station before arriving in Poshley Heights at the Poshley Heights Station. Conversely, it can depart from Poshley Heights, stop at Riverside Station, and arrive back in Rogueport on a return trip. The initial trip takes three days, though it only takes one day in subsequent departures, with Mario being able to sleep for the entirety of the ride. The train consists of a locomotive, three passenger cars, a dining car, and a baggage car.

The Excess Express may have taken inspiration from the Orient Express from the English detective novel Murder on the Orient Express. Similar to the story in the book, Chapter 6 of The Thousand-Year Door involves a crime being committed on a train and several of the passengers being suspects. Both casts of characters include a detective (Pennington, who resembles Hercule Poirot from the novel) and a celebrity (Zip Toad, who loosely references Linda Arden from the novel).

History[edit]

End scene of Pennington riding inside a passenger car of the Excess Express in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
Pennington inside a passenger car

The Excess Express is featured in a RDM article, which says that the Excess Express staff tackled a Laki, a train-obsessed Lakitu, who was in a staff-only area. This incident made the train late for the first time in ten years, though the staff allowed him to leave with just a warning.

Excess Express's Dinning Room in the game Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
Dining Room

After returning to Rogueport from Keelhaul Key, the Magical Map leads Mario and his partners to the Poshley Sanctum in Poshley Heights, where the Garnet Star is located. Like Glitzville, Mario needs a ticket to get to the Excess Express, which Professor Frankly says is the only way to reach Poshley Sanctum. After doing Don Pianta's cronies (Tony and Vinny) a favor (finding Don's daughter and her boyfriend), the Don gives Mario an Excess Express Ticket. While on the way to the station, Beldam spied on Mario and his party, revealing herself and thanking Mario's partner for saying that the next star is in Poshley Heights. Knowing they must reach the star before the Three Shadows do, Mario and his partners head for the station.

Excess Express: Engineer's Room in the game Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
Locomotive

During the three-day train ride, many unfortunate events happen, forging the premise of a whodunit novel or film and hindering Mario and his partner by keeping them from getting the sixth Crystal Star. First, Heff T. steals Chef Shimi's stew, causing an upset. Next, Doopliss, disguised as Zip Toad, steals the businessman's briefcase containing Nitro Honey Syrup and Vital Paper, the waitress's Shell Earrings, and Toodles' Gold Ring. At the behest of Beldam, he planned to mix the things he stole together to bomb the train, resulting in what he described as a "sticky, yummy explosion" in the threatening letter he left in Mario's cabin. Mario and his partners enlist the help of Pennington to foil his diabolical plans, and in doing so, returned the stolen items to their rightful owners.

Excess Express in the game Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.

A third mystery, a missing blanket, leads to Mario meeting Ghost T. after using Vivian's Veil ability in Cabin 004. The mystery begins with the Excess Express conductor realizing a blanket has gone missing, leaving him to believe there is a passengers without a ticket on the train. Mario has to retrieve Ghost T.'s diary for the ghost to agree to return the blanket. If Mario opens the diary, he will be warned three times not to read it. If he ignores all three warnings, he will be only allowed to read the first three lines before Ghost T. appears, causing the screen to spin around in the original version or turn static in the remake. In both cases, an instant Game Over occurs.

The final mystery occurs on Day 2. After the Three Shadows' sticky bomb plan was foiled, they ordered a horde of Smorgs at Riverside Station to guard the station's drawbridge switch to keep the bridge lifted and prevent the train from progressing any further. After Mario ventures inside the station, he fends off the horde and lowers the drawbridge, allowing the train to continue on its journey; however, during this time, the Smorgs secretly invade the train. The next morning, the horde attacks the train and kidnaps all the passengers and staff onboard, with the exception of Ghost T., the Excess Express engineer, and the red Toad who runs the Sales Stall, though the Toad is knocked unconscious. Whereas the Excess Express waitress and Excess Express conductor are held captive in the baggage car, the others have been absorbed into the horde of Smorgs. Mario must use his Hammer to navigate through the Smorgs and fight them atop the locomotive. This is the only time the train's rooftops can be accessed. Eventually, Mario and his partners defeat the Smorgs, freeing the passengers and saving the Excess Express, which soon arrives in Poshley Heights.

Mario acquires the Garnet Star, which was hidden in a secret area of the Poshley Sanctum, they ride the train back to Rogueport. With the train ticket permanently in his inventory, Mario and his partners can board the Excess Express any time after Chapter 6 to travel from Rogueport to Poshley Heights and vice versa; however, Mario can no longer access the baggage car outside of glitches. Later in the game, Mario receives emails from characters on the train, including the real Zip Toad and Ghost T.

Inhabitants[edit]

An attached image of Zip Toad (with a Jr. Troopa in the background) from the Mailbox SP in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
Jr. Troopa flying in the background of Zip Toad's photograph

Below is a list of the occupants of the eight cabins of the Excess Express. With the exception of Mario, Ghost T., and Heff T., all occupants are replaced by various traveling Toads, Koopa Troopas, and Goombas after Chapter 6. The staff on the train does not change after Chapter 6. Jr. Troopa can be seen in the background of a photograph Zip Toad sends Mario via email, though the player cannot interact with him and it does not appear that he is actually a passenger on the train.

Main story[edit]

After Chapter 6[edit]

Following Chapter 6, all passengers are replaced with a selection of random travelers. The backslashes indicate the potential individuals or groups that occupy the cabins following the main story, and the "X" followed by a number indicates that a passenger has more than one conversation; the individual passenger can only display one conversation per ride. A Yoshi can appear as one of the randomly selected passengers in the dining car, the only Yoshi in the game other than Mario's partner Yoshi Kid and the many Yoshis that run across the screen in his Stampede attack.

  • Cabin 001: Blue Toad, orange female Toad or red female Toad / chartreuse child Toad or light blue child Toad
  • Cabin 002: Purple female Toad, green Toad, blue Toad, Koopa Troopa or Goomba
  • Cabin 003: Heff T.
  • Cabin 004: Ghost T.
  • Cabin 005: Mario and his partners
  • Cabin 006: Blue Toad or green Toad
  • Cabin 007: Orange female Toad, light blue child Toad (X2) or chartreuse child Toad
  • Cabin 008: Red Toad or Koopa Troopa / red child Toad or green child Toad
  • Dining car: Random combination of red Toad, red female Toad, blue Toad, green Toad, green child Toad, purple female Toad, chartreuse child Toad, Koopa Troopa, Goomba, Yoshi, or Lakitu

Enemies[edit]

Items found[edit]

Additional items are on sale at the Sales Stall item shop in the dining car.

Item Location
Autograph Autograph Given by the engineer while doing Bub's favor.
Blanket Blanket Given by Ghost T. after returning the Ragged Diary to him.
Briefcase Briefcase Given by Doopliss as Zip Toad after he is caught. Mario later returns it to the businessman.
Dried Mushroom Dried Mushroom Left by someone inside a drawer in cabin 005.
Galley Pot Galley Pot Found in Heff T.'s drawer after following the trail of stew to cabin 003.
Gold Ring (item) Gold Ring Given by Doopliss as Zip Toad after he is caught.
Mushroom Mushroom Nintendo GameCube Given by the conductor after returning the blanket to him.
Ragged Diary Ragged Diary Found behind some crates in the baggage room. Accessible using Paper Mode.
Shell Earrings Shell Earrings Given by Doopliss as Zip Toad after he is caught.
Shine Sprite Shine Sprite (×2) Found in cabin 005
Given by Bub after giving the autograph from the engineer to him.
Star Piece (Paper Mario series) Star Piece (×5) Found under a panel in front of the gauge in the engineer's room.[note 1]
Found under a panel in the southwest corner in cabin 004.
Given by Chef Shimi after returning the Galley Pot.
Given by the waitress after returning her Shell Earrings.
Found in a drawer in cabin 008.
Super Mushroom Super Mushroom Nintendo Switch Given by the conductor after returning the blanket to him.
Threatening Note Threatening Note Automatically obtained in cabin 005. Is treated as an Important Item in the Nintendo Switch remake.
Vital Paper Vital Paper Found in cabin 001 after the businessman's things are stolen.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Only accessible while traveling to Poshley Heights.

Profiles[edit]

  • Tattles
    • "This is a passenger car. Orange and brown decor... That actually looks good! the passenger cabins here are numbered 3, 4, and 5, in case you forgot your numbers."
    • "This is a passenger car. The green and brown colors actually work here. Wow. There are two passenger cabins here, numbers 1 and 2."
    • "This is the dining car. There also seems to be a cute little shop here. Dining and shopping while watching scenery go by... Talk about heavenly..."
    • "This is a passenger car. The blue and brown interior here is totally chic. The passenger cabins here are numbered 6, 7, and 8. ...But you knew that."
    • "This is the engineer's car of the Excess Express. Any kid would LOVE to see this! Look at me, Mario! I'm an engineer! WOOP WOOOOOP! Hey, but driving a train is really nothing to joke about. I totally respect engineers!"
    • "This is the freight car. Usually, passengers aren't allowed back here. Looks like there are lots of bags here, ready to be unloaded at the next stop."
    • "This is the train's roof. Look at that scenery go whipping by! Wowser! ...Look, this is no time for me to be describing stuff! These guys are so ANNOYING! They're flippy and floppy and gross and I HATE them! Let's get rid of them!"
    • "This is cabin five...which is our cabin! If we need to rest, the bunk in here is super comfy. Train naps are the best." (Switch only)

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese リッチリッチエクスプレス[?]
Ricchi Ricchi Ekusupuresu
Rich Rich Express
Chinese (simplified) 豪华高速列车[?]
Háohuá Gāosù Lièchē
Luxury High Speed Train
Chinese (traditional) 豪華高速列車[?]
Háohuá Gāosù Lièchē
Luxury High Speed Train
Dutch Biljoenentrein[?] Trillions Train
French Crésus Express[?] Crésus is the French name of "Croesus", a fabulously rich king
German Glimmer-Liner[?] Like the English term
Italian Fasto-Express[?] Pomp-Express
Korean 리치리치 익스프레스[?]
Richirichi Ikseupeureseu
From the Japanese name
Spanish Ricachón Exprés[?] Tycoon Express

Trivia[edit]

  • During the events of Super Paper Mario, Francis writes about wishing to buy an Excess Express train set.
  • The Excess Express has the most music tracks in the game, with there being a total of eight (one each for day, dusk, and night, one as the track for Pennington, one as the music played for Ghost T., one for Riverside Station, the music played when the Smorgs attack the train, and one more if counting the lack of music for the baggage car).
  • On Day 3 of the Excess Express, the player will get an email in the dining car in the Japanese version. In the international versions, the player will get this email to the right of Mario's room.
  • In the Switch remake, pictures of the K64 train can be seen on the walls, suggesting that engine used to operate on the Excess Express's line before the current train was built.
  • According to passengers, the train serves mushroom dishes.