Summary
Super Mario RPGis a remake of an SNES game that came out in 1996. The original title wasSuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, so the remake seemingly ditched the subtitle to make things less complicated. Square Enix, Squaresoft at the time, was a big player for Nintendo in the RPG market and applied their experience working onFinal Fantasyto Nintendo’s flagship character.
It only made sense for them to create an RPG spinoff starring everyone’s favorite plumber too. It was a hit and now, decades later, the game is back and brings with it a few enhancements. Besides the graphical updates, what else has changed inSuper Mario RPG? There will be spoilers.
Battle Adjustments
Triple Moves And More
The biggest change to the battle system inSuper Mario RPGis the addition of Triple Moves. When characters attack, they can build up a gauge not unlike the Limit Break system in theFinal Fantasyseries. Once it reaches 100%, all three party members can perform a Triple Move.
Every character combo has a unique attack; Mario, Peach, and Mallow can heal the party, for example. The remake also added difficulty levels, of which there were none originally. Players can swap betweenBreezy or Normaldifficulty levelswhenever they want in the field to make things easier or harder.
Inventory Space
Super Mario RPG Learns From Resident Evil
One of the more annoying things about the originalSuper Mario RPGwas the inventory system. Every item players acquired, except for gear, took up space. This meant that four Healing Mushrooms would take up four individual spaces, if that’s how many players owned, and they only had 29 total spaces available.
In the remake, players can carry a set amount of each item. So, ten Mushrooms would only take up one space. The overall inventory is unlimited giving players more variety to work with in battle. Also, a storage box was added to Mario’s house where players can store and retrieve things, much like the storage boxes in theResident Evilseries.
The World Map
Fast Travel Anywhere
While beautifully designed, the world map in the original game was a static piece of art. In the remake, there’s a lot more happening in the background to make it feel more alive. For example, in Moleville, some Moles can be seen riding a mine car.
It’s a small detail that gives the remake some extra charm. The best part about the map system, though, is that fast travel was added. Whether players are in town or a dungeon, they can warp to anywhere else in the game and back through the world map. It makes backtracking forside quests and secret huntingless taxing.
Post-Game Content
Challenge Classic Bosses For A Rematch
While the mechanics have changed, 90% of the game is a shot-for-shot remake. There is some new content but players will have to beat the game first. Once players reload their clear data in the save files, Mario will be awakened by Toad back home.
He’ll give Mario a ticket for Marrymore to stay in the hotel, which will kick off a side quest to repeat battles against old bosses in more challenging encounters. This includes a new fight with Culex, theFinal Fantasy-inspired boss from the SNES original. There’s evena boss battle withBooster, someone who was never a boss originally, making him a standout.
The Cutscenes
Feels Even More Like A 90s RPG
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Starsis without a doubt one of the best RPGs of the 90s, regardless of console, but the one thing it was missing compared to other classics of the time was cutscenes.
This remake fixes that issue by including in-engine cutscenes which look great. From Exor descending upon Bowser’s Castle toMallow’s introduction chasing Croco, there’s a lot to love. There is no voiceover, which is a shame, but overall the cutscenes are still a great addition.
The Monster Database
Study Up On Enemies
Square Enix hasn’t always included bestiaries in their games, but it’s a mechanic that is becoming more and more common. TheSuper Mario RPGremake adds one called the Monster List. It will showcase any monsters fought and give details about their weaknesses and catchphrases if Mallow scans them in battle.
Players can alsopay the Monster List Agent Frog Coinsto fill in the gaps. Besides the Mobster List, players can look at the Scrapbook to get a brief synopsis of the game’s chapters from other characters. Finally, there is a music player that unlocks after beating the game.
Smaller Details
From Saves To Leveling Up
There are a bunch of smaller details added toSuper Mario RPGthat are worth praising and might otherwise go unnoticed. First, the game autosaves when changing between areas, which is huge. Thelevel system adds characters dancingwhich is a charming inclusion to boost morale.
Another new detail about items is that they can be used in a quick menu in the field along with healing spells like Princess Peach’s Group Hug. Players can switch between the modern and classic arrangements of the game’s music in the menu. The list goes on, but overall this is the exact kind of remake that will make fans jump for joy with all of these big changes and small quality-of-life improvements.
