Super Mario RPG
Developer : ArtePiazza
Publisher : Nintendo
Platform : Switch
I absolutely love Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars for the Super Nintendo. For decades I have replayed it over and over, reliving Mario’s quest to defeat the Smithy Gang too many times to count. I adore everything about it: from the amazing music; to the wacky cast of characters you meet along the journey; to the colourful and cheerful art style; to the mix of platforming with turn-based roleplaying combat; and everything else! I just love it so much! So, when I found out that a remake was coming for the Switch, I was cautiously optimistic, because in my mind, how could anyone do this game justice? But I am happy to say that it is an awesome game, and a faithful remake of something that holds a very special place in my heart.
Gameplay
Just like its predecessor, Super Mario RPG is a mix of solid platforming and good ol’ traditional turn based JRPG magic. As Mario runs through the colourful stages, he jumps around collecting coins and finding treasure, and once he touches an enemy the game transitions to the battle screen where Mario and crew take turns exchanging blows with the bad guys. This remake plays pretty much exactly like its Super Nintendo predecessor, albeit with a few additions.
Returning are the timed hits, where pressing the A button right before the character’s attack hits their opponent leads to a second hit, and more damage. Now as you successfully pull off the timed hits, you build up a meter which does a couple of things: first off, as you raise the meter, your party is buffed, with those buffs changing based on who you have in your party; and second off, once the meter hits 100%, you can unleash devastating triple attacks, which also change based on who is in the party at the moment. While I enjoy the changes to the battle system and how it rewards you for successfully pulling off the timed attacks, the buffs and the triple attacks make an already easy game even easier. Now, this didn’t ruin the game for me, but I can see how some folks may get bored with how almost trivial things are.
Another change to the combat system is the introduction of enemy weaknesses, which work exactly as you think; attack the enemies with what they’re weak against, they take extra damage. It’s a nice addition, but it just adds to the feeling of the game being very easy. It could be because I have played through the original dozens of times, but the changes to the combat system, while neat, just make things way too easy. It would make for a great beginner JRPG, and a good way to introduce that style of combat to someone who has never experienced it.
The inclusion of a post game is great, and it was a lot of fun. While the game leading up to, and including Smithy were pretty easy, the boss rematches to get Mallow, Geno, and Bowser their ultimate weapons are no joke. It all leads up to an insanely hard and intense battle against a 3D Culex, a battle that I had to retry more than a few times. The challenge presented by these fights was a great addition to the game, and I wish that it had a hard mode to really test your skills throughout the whole game.
Presentation
Super Mario RPG for the Switch is presented much in the same way as the original. While the Super Nintendo game had the digitized graphics look to it, the Switch version is full 3D while still retaining the vibe and feel of the original. While it looks visually great thanks to the game’s solid art direction, at times the frame rate drops to a crawl. These frame drops are especially prominent in the more densely populated scenes and areas; places like Seaside Town and Merrymore have shameful performance. Maybe it’s because the Switch is showing its age, or maybe its simple a lack of optimization on the game’s end, but either way it’s a shame.
I enjoyed the little cinematics that play whenever a party member joins the group, when you get a star piece, and before boss fights. They’re fun little additions and add to the charm of the game and it’s silly and vibrant world.
The rearranged, and orchestrated music is great! I also love that you can also switch back to the classic tracks from the Super Nintendo. Overall, the music is easily a highlight of the experience, just like it was all those years ago, and it’s nice to have the option of choosing which version you want to listen to.
Once strange thing is the changing of some of the character’s names. I have no idea why it was done, and most of them seem kind of pointless. I wonder if the Japanese names are changed too, or if it’s only for the English release? It’s not a huge deal, but for someone like me who has played the game more than a few times, it was a noticeable change.
Conclusion
I loved playing through Super Mario RPG again. The additions to the game help modernize the experience, if making it a bit on the easy side. The visuals are great, even with the slow down at times, and the music is top notch as always. Just like the original, the Switch remake would make a great introduction to JRPGSs for a young crowed, or for anyone else who has never played one. I highly recommend this game to anyone, but especially to those who are a fan of the original; it is an amazing blast from the past, and you can tell that the people who worked on this remake have a deep love of the original.
