Thu, 21 Aug 2008 by Corbie Dillard
Mario + RPG = WIN!
What do you get when one of the best RPG creators in the world decides to build an RPG around one of the most recognizable video game characters in history? What you get is a video game that is considered one of the greatest ever made and an RPG that's not only unique, but extremely playable as well. Many were skeptical when the news first broke that Squaresoft was creating an rpg based on the Super Mario universe, but once the game was released, that skepticism was quickly put to rest and many were quick to call the game an "instant classic," even so soon after its release.
Here were are, over 13 years later and the game is once again getting ready to make yet another appearance, this time on Nintendo's Wii Virtual Console service. A lot of things have changed over the years and what was once a cutting edge production both musically and visually, has been surpassed by the advanced technology of current generation consoles. So how does the game that was labeled an "instant classic" stack up all these years later? It stacks up quite well, actually.
In Super Mario RPG, you take control of our lovable mustached hero and you're once again handed the task of rescuing the princess. Only this time, Bowser's not to blame, in fact he too has had to sit back and watch as his castle is taken over of by the evil Smithy, a foe even more powerful than himself. Mario must somehow take down the evil Smithy and his minions in an effort to restore peace to the mushroom kingdom by collecting the Seven Stars foretold by the legend. Only this time he'll have to do it in turn-based RPG style instead of his usual platforming performance.
While there is plenty of platforming to be found throughout the game, you'll spend the majority of your time trying to figure out the puzzles laid out before you, not to mention taking part in one turn-based battle after another in your ongoing search for Smithy. As you win battles, you'll level up your characters and earn new special moves. Much like other RPGs, you'll have access to better equipment and healing items to help you out along the way. You'll also gain access to new playable characters throughout your journey, each with their own unique talents.
The combat system is probably what makes Super Mario RPG so unique. As in traditional rpg design, battles take place in turns. Mario can use various attacks and the game also employs something called the "timed attack" function. What this means is if at a specific time during your attack you press the attack button, it makes your attack much stronger when timed correctly. The same goes for defending against enemy attacks. If you press the button at the exact moment your attacked, you can cause the enemy's attack to do very little damage or even miss altogether. This might seem like a minor game play addition, but it can play a key role in surviving some of the tougher enemy battles and boss fights found throughout the game.
The control in Super Mario RPG is as smooth and responsive as gamers have come to expect over the years. Moving around is very easy and even the platforming portions of the game are handled quite well, even in the isometric viewpoint the game makes use of. The combat system and the timed attack technique is also very well executed and the addition of new weapons and magic spells adds more than enough variety to the game play mix. As if all of this weren't enough, there are also a ton of mini-games to break up of the monotony and keep the game play feeling fresh. You won't likely find a more enjoyable rpg game play experience than the one found in Super Mario RPG.
The visuals in Super Mario RPG pushed the Super Nintendo console about as far as humanly possible. So it's no surprise that the visuals still hold up quite well, even all these years later. The glossy look of the rendered visuals gives the game a unique look and feel and really does seem to fit the Super Mario world perfectly. There's a good reason that Super Mario RPG is widely considered to be the best-looking Super Nintendo title ever released and it won't take you long to see exactly why that is.
Many worried that Squaresoft might try to force a more traditional RPG musical score onto the game, but that worry was quickly put to rest once gamers got to hear the wonderful and very Super Mario-esque soundtrack that Square composed for the game. Not only was it upbeat and quirky, just like many of the classic Super Mario Bros. tunes, it also featured some of the actual classic musical pieces from previous Super Mario Bros. titles for added familiarity. The end result is what many fans consider arguably the best Super Mario soundtrack ever created.
1. Big A2
22 Feb 2009, 07:47 GMT
This game is fantasic, but I was kinda disapointed with it's length, or maybe that's just because I normally expect RPGs to be around 30+ hours long.
2. Digiki
22 Feb 2009, 14:40 GMT
I was dissappointed with the length too, but that was because I wanted it to end so badly, but it just kept dragging on... I probably spent 6 hours desperately trying to finish it that day, it was a bad one
3. Objection_Blaster
23 Feb 2009, 04:57 GMT
This is on my To-Do list (as in DOwnload).
4. slangman
23 Feb 2009, 12:26 GMT
This review sums it up. It may be short, but this is brilliant fun. Download.It.Now
5. Digiki
23 Feb 2009, 13:02 GMT
Don't download it unless you have some extra strength rose-tints handy.
Edit: Also according to the scoring policy 4 would be a fair score, since it has some broken gameplay, bad control schemes, and repetitiveness, especially repetitiveness.
6. Shinnok
26 Feb 2009, 06:49 GMT
I love this game. And I agree with VC-Reviews, a flawless 10/10!
7. Cally
26 Feb 2009, 09:33 GMT
"repetitiveness, especially repetitiveness."
While I'm not sure what you may be talking about, I had thought that, in addition to all the Square-isms in the game, the "collect Seven Stars" structure reminds me a LOT of Nintendo. Like Zelda always had certain things to collect at the end of dungeons pertaining to the story.
So many RPGs later, I'm astonished how much I still loved this sucker when going through it again; totally made my day.
8. Bass X0
26 Feb 2009, 10:27 GMT
This shouldn't be a ten. Final Fantasy VI would be an easy ten. Super Mario RPG doesn't even come close. I was alarmed at how fast I was progressing through this.
9. Shinnok
26 Feb 2009, 11:09 GMT
Man, you must really like Final Fantasy. I mean, you'd have to, why else would you give any entry of that dreadful series an "easy ten".
Seriously though, what is so great about those games? Is it the monotonous gameplay, effeminate male protagonists, or the annoying repetitive music? I'd love to know.
10. Digiki
27 Feb 2009, 03:59 GMT
Seriously though, what is so great about those games? Is it the monotonous gameplay, effeminate male protagonists, or the annoying repetitive music? I'd love to know.
So you like this game because it lacks an effeminate male protagonist?
Final Fantasy games are fun, massively over-rated, especially VI, but still lots of them are great, I wouldn't give any a 10 though. FFIV is half fun and half emo and relitavely colourless except for brown. Tons of sidequests are great, but a depressing setting that stays that way isn't.
11. Shinnok
27 Feb 2009, 04:45 GMT
To answer your question Digiki, no, that's not why I like SMRPG (though, it certainly does help). However, when it comes to effeminate male protagonists, nobody in the Final Fantasy continuum has anything on Link. Wouldn't you agree?
12. Cally
03 Mar 2009, 14:35 GMT
Effeminate-looking males? Welcome to Japan, folks. It's considered attractive, and sometimes men even put on make-up.
@ Bass
It's definitely short, but should a Mario RPG be a 30+ hour epic, like . . . Final Fantasy VI? Chrono Trigger, the mostly uncontested RPG-great, I personally got through on a first playthrough in 14 hours. What's wrong with a shorter RPG if it's paced to last a certain length?
@ Digiki
Maybe you said once before, but I'm curious, what are your favorite RPGs, then?
13. Digiki
03 Mar 2009, 23:39 GMT
@Cally
Dragon Warrior III (GBA)
Pokemon Gold
Dragon Warrior Monsters
Final Fantasy IV Advance
Pokemon Blue
Final Fantasy II (Dawn of Souls version)
Chrono Trigger is worth a spot on the list but, I stopped playing it 2 months ago and haven't had the urge to pick it back up
14. Shinnok
04 Mar 2009, 00:23 GMT
So basically Cally, what you're telling me is that the reason protagonists of numerous Japanese video games are teenaged males...is because of Japanese culture? You don't really believe that, do you?
And yes, before you accuse me, I did delete my old post. I didn't like the direction I took it.
15. pikmin95
07 Mar 2009, 22:20 GMT
@Digiki
A 4? You kidding? 10 all the way. (Nostalgia boosts the score, though)
16. pie4prez
12 Apr 2009, 21:47 BST
I downloaded this the day it came out! I don't know why you guys didn't think it was long enough, it took me forever to finish!
17. WyvernKnight64
14 Apr 2009, 18:40 BST
Uncharted Waters has come out and Super Mario RPG is out and Final Fantasy I/II are on the way. I have a feeling were gonna see Chrono Trigger in the future. I never played Chrono Trigger so I hope it comes to VC in the future
18. striker alpha
15 May 2009, 19:03 BST
i own it!!!
19. SergeOfArniVillage
21 May 2009, 19:51 BST
I still have this game for my SNES, got it about a year ago, and I play it all the time
Just an amazing game! It's supposedly really short, but I've beaten it about 100 times literally, so I guess the "hours" are in the thousands about now...XD
20. TwilightWatcher
03 Jun 2009, 03:08 BST
^^ I love this game. It was the first game I ever played when I was little and even after defeating it (on the VC) and seeing "The End" I still wanted to play. It just keeps sucking you in...
21. John3714
20 Jul 2009, 20:54 BST
I never played this game when it first came out. I don't quite remember why I never did, as I loved Mario games and enjoyed the few RPG games I played (Dragon Warrior, the first Final Fantasy).
I just downloaded it today, and am wondering even more why I didn't buy it back then. Fun game. Nothing real groundbreaking, but it does a great job mixing classic Mario elements (jump attack, coin boxes, flowers, mushrooms, goombas, hammer bros., etc.) with the classic RPG formula.
Since I never played it when it was first released, I don't have any nostalgic feelings to boost my score of it. So, I feel I can look at this game with a completely unbiased opinion (since I'm not defending my childhood memories). I wouldn't say it's a 10/10 anymore, but a solid 8/10 makes this worth a play for any Mario or early RPG fan.
22. Kadaj 13 Aug 2009, 18:45 BST
You people discussing Final Fantasy as 'not so great' are odd.
Besides the fact that it's the best selling RPG series of all time, or that they all contain deep, involving stories with excellent character relationships.
@ Shinnok
Effeminate male protagonists? Have you seen what Cloud and Squall look like? Seriously? And you actually said something negative about the music? THAT is where it's obvious you have no real viable arguement. Nobuo Uematsu is legendary in the gaming industry, and is a respected composer across the world. No game can match the musical prowess that the Final Fantasy games have.
Anyways. Super Mario RPG is truly an amazing game, and I'm happy that I got it all those years ago. It's great playing through this epic again!
10/10
23. rhythmheavenfan
24 Aug 2009, 02:55 BST
I agree. Amazing game from start to finish. Right up there with the Paper Mario series. One of the best RPGs ever.
24. ryanknight717
28 Oct 2009, 00:47 GMT
good game but it doesnt age too well
7/10
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