Super Mario RPG | Switch Review

Wait a minute. Scott’s reviewing another Mario game? Yes, like many people out there, I have a soft spot for the Italian plumber. That love has gone back all the way to Donkey Kong 3, if you’d believe it. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars was originally released on the Super Nintendo back in 1996. It was the first time we saw turn-based combat in the series and laid the groundwork for other titles like Paper Mario (along with its sequels) and the Mario & Luigi titles. Nintendo tasked ArtePiazza with the remaster of the classic. Notice I said “remaster” and not “remake”. Although there are quite a few quality of life improvements present in the Switch version of Super Mario RPG, the game plays similarly enough to be a fresh experience for those who never played it and a nostalgia trip for everyone else.

Notable Changes

Super Mario RPG was one of my favorite games on the SNES. I’ve replayed it more times than I can count, which is saying something for a game of this length. If you’ve never played it before, Mario begins his quest rescuing the princess, but that’s merely the prologue. The rest of the story has our overalls-wearing hero teaming up with four other characters to take down the Smithy Gang. In order to do so, they’ll have to collect seven pieces of the Star Road, which allows the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom to have their wishes granted.

The Switch remake has the same turn-based combat with some minor gameplay tweaks in addition to its updated graphics and music. The biggest difference is the inclusion of what is best described as a limit break. Each time you land a timed hit or block an attack, a meter on the bottom left-hand corner of the screen slowly increases. Once it reaches 100%, you can unleash a special attack depending on who is in your party. These are very reminiscent of the combo attacks in Chrono Trigger, where you and your allies combine attacks for more damage. Here it only costs the turn of that one party member instead of all three, however.

Speaking of timed hits, you now get a bonus for landing them multiple times in a row. Each time you do, a chain displays on the screen. The longer you make that chain last, the greater the rewards. Longer chains grant bonus damage or defense and even make your limit break meter grow faster. While this is a welcome change that adds an extra element of fun to battles, it makes the game considerably easier. Granted, I’ve played this game so many times, but I never lost my party a single time on this playthrough. In fact, I felt completely overpowered by the time I went after my third star piece.

Newer Is Always Better

One of my co-hosts claims that the original game looks better than the remaster. I would strongly disagree. While I appreciate sprite-based art as much as the next person, the smoothed textures of the characters and environments are a breath of fresh air. I’m seeing these familiar characters in a brand new light, as if I finally understand what the original developers wanted me to see. The previous art style messed with my head and made me think that bosses and even party members had eyes in places where they weren’t. This fresh style feels modern, vibrant, and relative to the current Mushroom Kingdom. I went back to look at screenshots of the original, and I’ll never understand the argument of its superiority.

Super Mario RPG also has fresh takes on the musical themes, which are iconic in my mind. They still sound incredibly familiar, but have more of an orchestral quality to them instead of merely electronic tones. Nothing is taken away, and I’ll have many of those tunes stuck in my head for weeks after completing the game.

One change is very odd, however. Your inventory now has a cap for each item that you carry. Once you read the limit of, say, “Pick Me Ups” (this game’s phoenix downs), any extras are automatically stored in a chest back at Mario’s pad. This is only a minor complaint, however, as I never really needed more items than I could carry. It just seems like an odd decision.

Super Mario RPG Final Verdict

It could have been easy to miss Super Mario RPG in the 90s, since it came out towards the end of the SNES’s life cycle. By that time, many of us had moved onto Super Mario 64 on the Nintendo 64. If you fall into that category, there’s never been a better time to play this classic. Sure, you can find a copy of the original for $90.00; or you could even play it on your SNES Classic. It’s kind of crazy that the brand new Switch version is literally the cheapest option outside of illegally emulating it, but that’s the world we live in now.

If you love the original as much as I did, you won’t be disappointed by the remaster. Part of me wants to say wait for a sale, but we all know how often that happens with Nintendo games. The fresh coat of paint and new mechanics are welcome, but might not be worth the price of admission if you already have access to the original. It was for me, but that’s because of my intense love for this classic title.

To hear me talk more about Super Mario RPG, be sure to listen to our November 29th podcast episode.

This review is based on a purchased Nintendo Switch copy of Super Mario RPG. It is exclusive to this platform. The original game is on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.