Super Mario RPG review: a fulfilment of Star Hill's dream
Our Verdict
The Super Mario RPG remake delivers a finely tuned reimagining of the incredible original with welcome updates to the turn-based battle mechanics. If the 1996 version was the best Mario RPG game to date, this remake goes one better.
We've been waiting for this one. supporters of Mario. RPG enthusiasts. Fans of Mario role-playing games. It is, in fact, a remake of the first Super Mario RPG. We old-timers have been longing for a remake—or even simply a port—of that legendary Nintendo and Square partnership for years. It's here, and it satisfies almost all of your desires.
For little background, the original Super Mario RPG was Nintendo's attempt to introduce Mario to turn-based combat in 1996. Square was tasked with leading the company's most adored mascot on an exhilarating new journey. That's exactly what they did, and because of some very interesting boss fights, excellent writing, and a desire to explore new concepts and characters rather than only relying on the already well-known cast of Mushroom Kingdom, the game has become something of a cult classic in the Nintendo world. The Italian firm ArtePiazza, well known for its work on the Dragon Quest series, is in charge of the remake.
This isn't too much of a drastic shift from the original, in terms of what fans may anticipate. With improvements to the gameplay, visuals, and music, it's almost a like-for-like remake of the 1996 experience save from a few new concepts in combat. Nevertheless, if you're in the mood for something a bit more retro, you may turn up the music. But before bringing back the 16-bit soundtrack, I'd suggest at least giving the musical reworking a listen, since it's excellent and adds even more depth to the wonderfully catchy melodies, much like Spyro Reignited Trilogy.
It's a good thing you didn't play the original since there isn't much else. With this review, I can tell you something you didn't know other from the fact that "it looks real pretty." Our favourite moustachioed plumber is back where he left off in Mario adventures, trying to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser in the Koopa King's stronghold. The formula then becomes different, or at least different from what it was in 1996. Strange sentient sword opponent Exor captures the princess, impales the palace, and forces the lads to leave. In addition to destroying Bowser's castle bridge, this peculiar big evil sends you on a diversion in order to free Peach.
You and Mario go off to defeat this new adversary and his group of Smithy Gang goons in Jumpman fashion once they invade. It turns out that gathering the Star Pieces with a group of characters from the Mushroom Kingdom and a few newcomers is the only way to fight Exor. My personal favourite is Mallow; she has a charming innocence about her that makes me think of Vivi from Final Fantasy IX, without the philosophical contemplation.
The action RPG gameplay should seem quite familiar to you if you've played any Mario RPGs over the years, including Paper Mario and the Mario & Luigi games on the GBA, even if it does alter somewhat from the original. With the new Action Command system, you may choose your usual assault and then touch the A button just before it falls for a cheeky bonus. We like a brazen pick-me. You may also avoid taking a lot of damage from a strong opponent by deflecting blows by touching A just before they land.
Of course, there are special attacks as well. My personal favourite is Geno's strong beam. To make these special attacks as powerful as possible, each one has a little gimmick, such as rapidly spinning your left analogue stick or pressing the 'A' button, much as in the original. The use of each character's special powers becomes more important during boss encounters. By exploiting their weaknesses, you may use Mario's fireballs or Mallow's lightning to further complicate the turn-based confrontations.
When it comes to the combat action, there is one more new feature in the remake, which is the gauge located in the lower left corner of the screen. A well-timed strike or block using the Action Command system will give you a little percentage boost. If you can fill that gauge all the way to 100%, however, special move time will occur. Alternatively, Triple Move time, if your party consists of three people.
The only novel in-battle idea that fits in well with the role-playing game is the Triple Move feature, which gives you an incentive to attempt timing your Action Commands in addition to the standard attack or defence increase. Each of the three current party members gets a different set of benefits from these Triple Moves, which range from healing the team to doing massive damage to a single adversary. Without totally reimagining the wheel, it enhances the already amazing combat of the original, and each one has a unique animated sequence that is visually stunning.
Although the introduction of these elements may seem risky at first, playing makes it not feel that way. After twenty-five years of progress in the genre, it's true that the fighting system from the first game seems a touch dated. The turn-based system works well with the Action Command gauge and the Triple Move system, which give you a reason to pay attention throughout the fights instead of merely pressing the same attack choice over and over again and hoping to get your promised experience points.
By this stage in the quest, your team of five is well-balanced for the next turn-based encounters. Regretfully, in all the years that have passed, we have never seen a group of characters in a Mario RPG that is quite as successful as this first quintet, both in terms of group dynamics and the harmony between attack and healing magic. Although Geno tends to be reserved, the exchanges between Mario, Peach, and Bowser in this game are much more amusing than anything you'll find in the plumber's platforming experiences.
Boss fights were one of the best parts of the first game, and they feel just as good now. It's similar to vintage Square, or more recently Square Enix, in that every boss has a trick or weakness that you might find satisfying to reveal. The bosses never become monotonous, and you have plenty of time to level up and gather extra healing supplies between them before facing a particularly difficult opponent. The graphic enhancements also help each of these end-of-level opponents, especially Booster and Jonathan Jones, who each have somewhat more personality than their pixelated forebears.
Thanks to its vibrant revamp, Super Mario RPG's environment is easier to explore than before, with locations like the Forest Maze and Pipe Vault having a very evocative atmosphere. The Forest Maze is particularly eye-catching, with a peculiar purple haze swirling about to evoke mystery and danger. Mario feels fantastic to handle when exploring, and it's a delight to feel nearly as if you're playing a 3D Mario platformer outside of the RPG combat, especially since one of my main grievances with the last Mario RPG, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, is how stiff he feels in the overworld. Although it's not nearly as wildly inventive as Super Mario 64, it nonetheless captures the exuberant essence of Nintendo's well-liked mascot.
Super Mario RPG's prose is rather charming, especially considering that the Mushroom Kingdom has never been known for its dialogue. Given that the game takes place in the Square chronology between Final Fantasy VI and VII, this is not shocking. You may hear the desires of the people living in Mushroom Kingdom, including Luigi, the gang member who has gone missing, at a certain point up on Star Hill. Luigi's desire is expressed simply as "I want to support Mario, my older brother." Moments like this serve as a reminder of how wise Nintendo was to entrust Square with its cherished characters, and if you're anything like me, they may even inspire you to hope that the publisher will do the same thing in the future.
Almost all of them have better character designs when using contemporary visuals. But Mario feels a bit off to me, for some reason. This isn't the true for the whole ensemble, however; Geno, an original character from the Super Mario RPG, is the greatest glow-up of the group, while Bowser, Peach, and the many Toads all seem quite normal. Conversely, Mario seems as if he has been crushed by a Thwomp. Though I'm confident that a sizable portion of the community will welcome Chibi Mario with open arms, this is all very subjective.
When it comes to ArtePiazza's directing of this cult classic remake, it's difficult to find fault. This replica is obviously the result of a great deal of love, from the cinematic cutscenes to the refinement of the turn-based fights and everything in between. Anything I could think of would be petty, like maybe a means to store clues while looking for them on the Sunken Ship, but I won't bother delving into such specifics since it sounds like Bowser levels of petty. Simply said, the remake is much better than the original because of the fresh concepts.
In order to avoid ruining the experience for anybody who has never played a Super Mario RPG before, I won't go into too much detail about the post-game either, although it's definitely worthwhile to proceed beyond your last fight. Outside of the new fight mechanics, here is where ArtePiazza has the most creative effect, so even if you think you know what's coming, be sure to keep exploring after the end-game boss gauntlet.
Overall, Super Mario RPG satisfies every desire that a great many of us have had. This superbly crafted reimagining of a beloved game that avoids overstuffing it with fresh concepts offers a fresh generation a chance to discover why so many of us have a particular place in our hearts for the 1996 original release. However, the most antiquated aspects of the first encounter are given new life by the fighting mechanisms, which modernise them in a manner that won't offend aficionados of the original. Fans of Mario and RPGs should both play it.
This concludes our brief assessment of the Super Mario RPG. See our reviews of WarioWare: Move It!, Spiritea Switch, and Persona 5 Tactica for additional information on the newest Switch games. Alternatively, if you'd want to give yourself a visual makeover, check out ourFashion Dreamer review.