Super Mario RPG is a faithful remake of the original SNES version released in 1996. Despite its modern presentation, it still feels like a game from that era, with its traditional late-90s take on the JRPG genre, lighthearted and hilarious dialogue, straightforward structure, and overall simplicity.
The story begins in typical Mario fashion, with Bowser kidnapping Princess Peach and Mario setting out to rescue her. However, things quickly take an unexpected turn when a giant sword crashes into Bowser’s Keep, sending Mario, Bowser, and Peach on a much stranger adventure than usual. Along the way, Mario joins forces with both familiar faces and new characters, who you get to learn more about throughout the journey as they work together to repair the Star Road and put a stop to the mysterious new threat.
The gameplay is a traditional turn-based system that is on the easier side but with a unique twist, the ability to execute perfectly timed inputs to either enhance attacks and abilities or completely block damage. While it does sound extremely overpowered, the timing is very strict, and enemies deal a lot of damage, so learning the timing for everything is essential to really make it effective. Timing varies wildly depending on the currently equipped weapon, ability, and incoming attacks, so you’re almost always learning the timing for something new. This keeps the entire game from becoming boring and repetitive, and instead keeps it fun and rewarding.
The Progression is a very standard JRPG leveling system, with no skill trees or anything like that. Each time you level up, you get a choice of a bonus, allowing you to increase your physical, magical, or HP stats. Each character benefits more from a specific type; for example, Mario benefits mostly from physical stats, but he also has Fireball, which benefits from magic. Besides that, you also have merchants that sell weapons and armor at set locations throughout the story. Exploration mainly rewards you with items, with the occasional side quest giving you more practical rewards.
The writing and characters are hilarious and likeable. It’s full of corny jokes that rarely miss, and the game never takes itself seriously. Mario doesn’t speak, so instead he communicates through the wildest animations to get his message across, such as magically turning into whoever he’s alluding to and acting out the scenarios that happen. It’s a very funny and creative way of storytelling.
The Art Direction, World Design, and OST are all fantastic and beautifully recreated to meet modern standards. You are constantly moving from one region to another, from the Mushroom Kingdom to Star Hill to a pirate ship. It never gets visually repetitive, and each zone is beautifully crafted and feels distinct, thanks in part to the high-quality classic Mario soundtrack. One thing I didn’t like is that a lot of the dark and gloomy locations share the same track, which was a shame because every time a new track was introduced, it was always catchy and full of vibes.
I really want to give a special mention to the Cutscene Direction; they are extremely high quality to the point it feels like a Pixar movie with Mario characters, really beautiful work on the pre-rendered scenes.
FINAL VERDICT:
If you love Mario and JRPGs and are looking for a very simple, fun, and player-friendly entry into the genre, I recommend Super Mario RPG. It’s very short, around 12-18 hours compared to most JRPGs, but it’s just the right length for what it is.
Super Mario RPG - 8/10 - RECOMMENDED