Note: This review is based on the original SNES version. Be on the lookout for my review of the remastered version at a later date.
Check out Part 1, Star Ocean: The Second Story, here.
I have missed some great games for far too long due to my stubbornness. The most glaring example is Final Fantasy 10 because Tidus looked like too much of a surfer boy punk for my teen self to handle. The picture of Tidus wading in the water, nonchalant and carefree, went against all my ideas of what Final Fantasy “should” be about and the aesthetics I had come to expect from the series. That stubbornness kept me from playing the game for nearly two decades. What a mistake, it’s a great game as I found in the summer of 2021.
But it does not stop there. because I felt the same about Super Mario RPG. I was too narrow-minded to even consider picking it up until 2011, 15 years after Nintendo and Square joined forces to release the game. Mario belonged firmly in the 2D sidescrolling box I had mentally placed him in from his NES and Super Nintendo eras. It took me three years just to get used to his transition to 3D with Super Mario 64. An instant classic, I did not try until 1999. Another mistake in my gaming “career”.
But that was the game that eventually sparked my curiosity in Super Mario RPG. Because, on a warm spring day in 2011, I realized that if I could adapt to the 3D transition, surely I could adapt to the move to RPGs, especially since it was my favorite genre.
Super Mario RPG is a quirky game with a plethora of different areas to explore, from lush forests to scorching hot volcanoes and, of course, sprawling castles. The character animations are some of the best the SNES has to offer and are rich with vibrant colors and hilarious facial expressions from friends and foes alike. The world pushes the SNES to its absolute limits with gorgeous 3D isometric towns and dungeons. Square spent over a year on the graphics and animations, and it shows in the subtle details across the game. It was pure joy exploring every square inch of this game and interacting with all of the characters.
It is recommended to slow down and take your time with this game. Like my first experience with Earthbound, I was in too much of a hurry and breezed through Super Mario RPG, and it shows in my first playthrough. If you go too quickly, you risk being too weak, and the later parts of the game can punish you. By stopping to smell the roses on my second playthrough, my opinion of the game improved because I also had the levels and items needed to beat everything with ease.
For those who remember the Star Road from Super Mario World (5 difficult levels, each with secret exits that must be found, that eventually lead to the eight hardest levels in the game), it makes an appearance here. But in Super Mario RPG, seven stars are needed to restore the star road to its former glory after a vicious, vile antagonist destroys the road. Speaking of which, many familiar faces make an appearance in this game: Mario, Princess Peach, Toad, Yoshi, Bowser, goombas, Sky Troopas, and so much more, including some new faces, Geno, Mallow, and Smithy. There are even some cameos from famous characters from other games, seek them out!
Square’s RPG approach blends seamlessly with Mario’s side-scrolling mechanics. The storytelling is well represented in this game, along with traditional JRPG turn-based battles. But this is interwoven with action-packed dungeon exploration. Take the levels from Super Mario World, beef up the graphics, shorten them, and make them 3D, and that is what you get here.
Super Mario World had superior platforming, and some of the jumps in this game feel awkward. But it’s easy to see that Square and Nintendo were going for something different, and they largely succeeded. For the most part, platforming is manageable, though sometimes challenging, especially when I had to fight the camera to get the perfect angle on a jump. And, in classic Mario fashion, there are blocks to break and coins to collect while exploring outside of battles, including some exceptionally well-hidden ones.
Thankfully, a page from the Lufia 2 book is taken, and there are no random encounters. You can see all enemies on the screen, and it’s possible to avoid them. I think this has a psychological effect on gamers, or at least me. When I have the option to get into battle or to run, they suddenly don’t feel too tedious, even if the ability to avoid is largely an illusion. Just the same, it gives the idea of choice, rather than an unavoidable swirling screen that can appear at any time and without warning.
The battle system keeps players engaged by allowing timely button presses to prolong an attack and make it much stronger with repeated presses. You have a very narrow window to press the button at the exact time. This was a neat idea, I enjoyed it, but I was never very good at it. I was able to score a timely combo for increased damage. Different characters have special abilities, like Peach’s ability to heal and Geno’s strong offensive magic. Plus, a certain someone joins the good guys for this game, an unexpected ally that I will keep a secret!
Bosses are varied, and most battles have interesting twists that must be considered for victory, like hitting something in the background instead of striking the boss. While bosses were never too challenging, at least until late in the game, these battles are a refreshing change of pace.
The music is catchy and, with the battle music, downright upbeat. This was a shock, I imagine, for many seasoned RPG veterans who are likely used to the more pressing, dire, intense battle themes of other games. This one is more cheery and, dear I say, bubbly in comparison. However, it takes a turn for the mysterious in some locations, like the sunken ship. Even within towns, when evil is afoot, there is music to match the mood. But when Mario saves the day, the town's music changes to something much more optimistic.
Super Mario RPG is an absorbing game with enough action to keep most RPG-weary gamers (who favor action) on their toes, but enough strategy and traditional RPG elements to keep veterans of the genre happy. The controls can be somewhat difficult to deal with during some of the harder platforming moments in the game, but overall, it was a welcome innovation in the genre of RPGs. If you are only used to seeing Mario in platforming games, Super Mario World is an excellent introduction to his RPG line of games.
Wayback Wednesday Volume 1: Final Fantasy 7 and Chrono Trigger.
Wayback Wednesday Volume 2: Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
Wayback Wednesday Volume 3: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
Wayback Wednesday Volume 4: Secret of Mana and Wild Arms
Wayback Wednesday Volume 5: Illusion of Gaia and Grandia
Wayback Wednesday Volume 6: Breath of Fire 3 and X-Men Legends