Review: Super Mario RPG Lets a Classic Shine on the Switch

Nearly three decades after its release in 1996, the Super Mario RPG remake gives the classic a much-deserved second chance on the Nintendo Switch. The off-beat project from Square and Nintendo not only holds up with its witty humor and quirky level design, but I think people will find it’s better than they remember.

When Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars originally launched on the SNES, the game’s risky genre mashup was pretty mind-blowing for many players. However, some may consider it something of a hidden gem, despite being responsible for spawning other beloved role-playing series’ such as Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi. The Super Mario RPG remake on the Nintendo Switch is a faithful adaptation of the cult classic while reimagining the entire game from the ground up with gorgeous high-definition graphics that breathe new life into this creative take on the side-scrolling plumber.

I first encountered Super Mario RPG when I was eight years old. While visiting my uncle’s house in 1996, I accidentally stumbled across the SNES cartridge while rummaging through his room and was completely perplexed by its strange artwork. Decades later, I am shocked by how well the game’s story still holds up. In particular, Super Mario RPG has a hilarious script that had me constantly bursting into laughter. One of the game’s opening scenes perfectly sums this up. Mario celebrates his swift victory after defeating Bowser in battle. However, King Koopa decides that if he’s going to go down, he’s going to take his rival with him and cuts down his chandelier too. Both characters then burst into tears as they plummet to their peril. Super Mario RPG’s snappy humor is rapid-fire at every turn in the plot, and this is the funniest the franchise has been in years.

In the game, players get to control the Nintendo mascot in turn-based combat. On the surface, the battle mechanic has the standard physical attacks, magic spells, and items. However, what surprised me is how engaging the battle system is, despite being 26 years old. Whenever you use a move against an enemy, you can double your damage if you press the attack button at the right time. However, every attack and magical spell has a unique animation, so it’s not as easy as it sounds to work out the timing. You can also block all incoming damage from enemies if you press the defense button a second before your foe lands a hit on you. This system kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat throughout the game’s campaign. Also, because enemy types constantly change, Super Mario RPG keeps you on your toes with the mechanics.

Combat in Super Mario RPG is incredibly fun. If you successfully time your attacks, you damage all enemies simultaneously while having a random chance of filling up your health or magic meter. Certain battles can even end with a random minigame, during which you can double your experience points or coins. In an adorable shuffle game, you must guess which egg baby Yoshi hides in as an example. These battle gimmicks create a fresh take on the traditional RPG formula, which results in combat never feeling tedious. The quirky systems also extend to the game’s overworld, as hidden chests and various secret interactions are a joy to engage with. For a game made in 1996, you can tell how much love Square put into creating a unique fleshed-out world for their crossover project with Nintendo.

Super Mario RPG also strikes an interesting balance in that it’s deep enough for veteran RPG players to enjoy, while not being too complicated for casual fans new to the genre. For example, the game has a pretty straightforward level-up system. After reaching enough points, you only have to choose between Physical, HP, and Magic stats. You power up your characters primarily by unlocking new armor and weapons. This split system allows you to fix your characters at any time if they become underpowered because of their stats. I also think the equipment system is more rewarding, as I was always looking forward to finding a new city or hidden chest to improve my character.

In Super Mario RPG, the Mushroom Kingdom is thrown into despair when the monstrous sword Exor crashes into Bowser’s Castle. In an exciting twist, Mario is not going on another adventure to rescue Princess Peach for the millionth time. Instead, he gets to team up with Bowser, Peach, and newcomers Mallow and Geno to repair Star Road and defeat the nefarious Smithy Gang.

While the plot is not deep, its vibrant cast of characters and quirky story make it one of the best Super Mario campaigns in the franchise’s history. Super Mario RPG also features some of the most diverse level designs since the release of Super Mario World in 1990. Whether it is a rocky mountain town run by mole miners or a tropical pond inhabited by dancing tadpoles, every section of the campaign is packed with quirky locations.

Speaking of quirky, Super Mario RPG is also one of the weirdest games in the long-running franchise. You can feel the influence of Square on this project, as the iconic Japanese studio was not afraid to create bizarre enemy designs. While playing the remake on the Switch, I was in awe of how weird the game was willing to get. Seriously, you get to take on a top-hat-wearing dinosaur and a four-eyed cat with a long tongue. This game often feels more like a Final Fantasy game, and it’s all the more interesting because of it.

Regarding accessibility, Super Mario RPG has a Breezy or Normal difficulty setting. Breezy is the game’s Easy Mode, which substantially scales back its challenging battles. Players not used to RPGs can comfortably jump into the campaign with this mode without any issues. On the other hand, Normal Mode offers a pretty decent challenge, as the game has various difficulty spikes throughout the story. During my playthrough, I had to spend a few hours grinding because I hadn’t leveled enough and was getting easily defeated by late-game bosses.

The only thing I would caution some players against is relying too much on the game’s Easy mode. I think it’s an excellent accessibility option and will allow players of all ages to engage with the role-playing game. However, I found the mode to be a bit too simple when I tried it. Thankfully, Nintendo allows you to toggle the mode on or off anytime. So, if you find yourself getting stuck on a boss or feel like the game is becoming too challenging, you can easily switch it on. But I just found that leaving Easy mode on for too long can be detrimental, as your characters become overpowered quickly and you will start to snowball enemies. So, if you specifically want a challenge, just be mindful not to leave the more accessible setting on for too long.

Super Mario RPG is also gorgeous. Although the remake carefully re-creates every pixel of the original game, Square’s offbeat designs and use of vibrant colors stand out in the HD reimagining. Super Mario RPG specifically looks lovely on the Switch OLED, as its colors jump from the screen. This is particularly true during the Triple Move group attack segments in combat, which trigger a beautiful cutscene of Mario and his party members coming together to create a devastating attack. Because the game meticulously re-creates the game faithfully, I feel this is a rare case where the remake is better than the original. Instead of overhauling everything to modern standards,it keeps the game’s original art direction intact and is more of a restoration showcasing what the game was always meant to look like.

Super Mario RPG breathes new life into an SNES classic, allowing players to re-experience one of Mario’s most unique and adventurous titles on the Switch. The remake is an accessible entry point for newcomers to the role-playing genre while offering a challenge for veteran players. Despite being decades old, Super Mario RPG still holds up today with its witty humor and hilarious story. The game’s engaging combat and quirky battle systems also make this one of the best games in the Mario franchise.

Super Mario RPG will be available on the Nintendo Switch on November 17, 2023.