Super Mario RPG Review: An SNES Classic Returns

In the Super NES era, Square (later Square Enix) released a number of beloved games on Nintendo's system, including Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, and Secret of Mana. By 1997, Square would become synonymous with PlayStation, but not before releasing one final swan song for the SNES: 1996's Super Mario RPG. The idea of putting Nintendo's mustachioed mascot in a turn-based setting seemed bizarre at first, but the humor and gameplay quickly made it a favorite. Nearly three decades later, Super Mario RPG is back on Nintendo Switch in the form of a faithful remake that adds a handful of welcome new features. 

Super Mario RPG begins just like most of Mario's adventures: the princess has been kidnapped by Bowser, and it's up to Mario to save her. However, things quickly go off the rails, as the battle between them is interrupted when a gigantic sword named Exor crashes through the Star Road and into the castle, sending Mario, Peach, and Bowser in different directions. The villain Smithy takes over Bowser's castle, recruiting several of his minions and unleashing an army all his own. With the bridge to the castle destroyed, Mario must set out on a mission to fix the Star Road by locating its seven fragments. On that quest, he'll be joined by both Bowser and Peach, as well as original characters Geno and Mallow. 

Super Mario RPG: Nintendo Switch vs. SNES

In Super Mario RPG, the traditional Mario action has been replaced with turn-based combat. Players must form a party of three, and Mario must always be a team member. Each character has their own various strengths, but players can also choose which stats get boosted as their levels increase.

Picking a party is always one of the most difficult decisions in an RPG, and I found myself mostly using Mario, Geno, and Peach when I first played the game back on SNES. In one of the most welcome changes from that game, Super Mario RPG now allows players to swap out party members right in the middle of battle as many times as they want without penalty. Peach's greatest strength is her ability to heal other party members, but when I didn't need that ability for a few turns, I could swap to using someone else. As a result, I finally found myself getting to enjoy all five playable characters.

The game also gives players an incentive to swap party members thanks to Super Mario RPG's new Triple Moves. As players pull off attacks against their enemies, a new meter will start to fill. When the meter reaches 100%, Mario and friends can use a Triple Move. The move changes based on which three members are in the party, and it can be advantageous to swap a different party member to change up the move based on the current need. For example, "Spare Us All" protects the whole party from any one attack if Mario, Geno, and Peach are in the party, but swapping Geno for Bowser changes the Triple Move to "Starry Shell Spike," which does heavy damage to all enemies. It would have been easy for Triple Moves to make the game less balanced, but I found that the meter takes a fair amount of time to fill, and it never felt like the moves made the game too easy. 

Those two changes are the most significant ones players will encounter in the game, but there are a handful of other things that have been altered from the original version. Players can find save points in the exact places that they used to be, but the game also autosaves. There are also new cinematic sequences, replacing moments that took place in the original game's engine. A couple characters have even been renamed: the Princess now goes by her more commonly used "Peach" as opposed to "Toadstool," while Frogfucius has been renamed "the Frog Sage," likely in an attempt to avoid a cultural stereotype. Last but not least, the game features a newly arranged soundtrack, and players can freely swap back and forth between it and the original version. 

Super Mario RPG Price Versus Value

While these changes are pretty significant, Super Mario RPG sticks fairly close to the formula established on SNES. The game is very faithful to the original English translation, offering the same heart and humor that made the game a hit more than two decades ago. On one hand, that's a very good thing: Super Mario RPG has never been offered on Nintendo Switch, and this new version is the perfect opportunity for newcomers to experience one of the very best SNES games. However, there's bound to be questions about whether the $60 is worth it. While the new graphics, cinema scenes, and gameplay changes make this feel like the definitive way to play Super Mario RPG, it's hard to ignore the fact that this game was offered on the Wii U Virtual Console for less than $10 not that long ago. 

If there's one element that hasn't aged quite as gracefully as the rest of the game, it's the platforming. Super Mario RPG takes place from an isometric perspective, similar to a lot of other "quasi-3D" games from that era, such as Sonic Blast. While Nintendo would refine isometric platforming in later games like Super Mario 3D World, it never feels that precise in Super Mario RPG. There are several moments in the game where players will have to jump from platform to platform, and it just doesn't feel as tight as it could. At times I even found it a little bit frustrating, including one area where I had to climb bean stalks. It never ruins the experience, but some of these moments just aren't as fun as the rest of the game, and they stand out even more after spending a lot of time with an excellent platformer like Super Mario Bros. Wonder. 

The Return of a Classic

Super Mario RPG is one of the very best video games of the SNES era. It's funny, it's charming, and it helped add depth to the Mario universe that hadn't been seen in previous adventures. After replaying the game, it struck me what a smart move it was for Nintendo to release this in the same year as The Super Mario Bros. Movie, as the plot could serve as the perfect basis for the movie sequel. Super Mario RPG has aged fantastically well, with great gameplay, a terrific story, and some excellent characterization. Developer ArtePiazza has added just enough quality of life improvements to refine the experience, while still maintaining the elements that made it a classic in the first place. For those that have never played it before, Super Mario RPG is a very easy recommendation, but those that have played through it a number of times over the last 27 years might find that there isn't enough new content to rationalize the $60. 

Rating: 4 out of 5

Super Mario RPG is set to release November 17th, exclusively on Nintendo Switch. A code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review, and it was reviewed on a Nintendo Switch OLED.