Mario's first dive into the RPG genre is definitely worth the 800 Wii points.
SNES Release Date: May 13, 1996 - Virtual Console Release Date: September 1, 2008
Available on the Wii and SNES
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Since the 1980s, the Mario franchise has been rocking the video game industry all around the world, and Nintendo has taken their chances by putting Mario in all sorts of different game genres, including Kart Racing, 2-D Fighting, Sports, and Party games. In 1996, Nintendo teamed up with legendary RPG developers SquareSoft to bring Mario into the Role-Playing Game sensation that was emerging on the SNES over the course of the decade. I never got to play Super Mario RPG on its original system (being that I was only a baby when the game came out), but since then the game has also hit the Wii's Virtual Console, giving people like me a chance to try the game in the middle of a much newer generation. Well, I can tell you that Super Mario RPG is one of the best retro RPGs out there, and any fans of Mario, the SNES, or Role-Playing Games should give this one a try.
Super Mario RPG starts off with the same cliche plotline that you'd expect from any Mario game; Bowser kidnaps the princess, Mario has to go to Bowser's Castle to save her, what else is new? But things quickly go wrong, and a gigantic sword-like figure comes crashing through the middle of the castle, forcing Mairo, Princess Toadstool (or Peach, whatever you prefer), and Bowser to run for their lives. Mario soon gets caught up in a quest to stop the evil Smithy, and has to travel all across the continent, gathering new allies, stopping some other bad guys, and collecting the Seven Stars to repair the Star Road, a magical place in the sky that, without the stars powering it, can no longer grant the wishes of the people down below and keep the world at peace.
Mario makes many friends throughout his journey, including:
- Mallow, a "frog" thing who is a major crybaby at first but gradually becomes a courageous fighter.
- Geno, a being from the Star Road that takes the form of a puppet
- Bowser, the bad-tempered powerhouse who joins Mario so he can get his castle back
- Toadstool, who decides to sneak past her guards to help Mario
Each of these party members has their own unique strengths and weaknesses and their own special abilities in battle.
The combat of Super Mario RPG follows a very original battle system. Each button on the SNES controller (or in my case, a Wii Clas-sic Controller) corresponds to a different action in battle. The X button is used for checking the item menu, the A button is for dealing regular attacks, the B button is for the options of guarding or fleeing battle, and the Y button is for each character's special attacks. Super Mario RPG is a turn-based game and so the battles run at a slower pace than other RPGs of its time (Ex. Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy VI), which might make battles seem slow and boring to some players, but I personally think that this game has a perfectly good battle sty|e.
The Special Attacks in the game consume Flower Points (FP), just like any sort of MP in other games of the genre. However, rather than giving each character their own MP gauge to consume, every member of your party shares the same amount of FP, so players with have to carefully monitor their FP usage and restore their points with Honey Syrup every now and then. Every character has their own unique Special Attacks. For example, Mario has various "Jump" and "Flame" offensive attacks, while Toadstool can heal party members and deal status problems to enemies.
Since Super Mario RPG was released in 1996, the game is one of the last big entries to the SNES library, and the game really pushes the SNES's graphical capabilities to the limit. There is a lot of detail put into all the character sprites, and the game's different environments all look very detailed and colorful.
The game's music is very great, too. Some tunes will get stuck in your head as you hear them throughout the game, and many of the sound effects that you'd come to expect from a Mario game are featured in this game as well.
Super Mario RPG is a fairly long game, containing many, many places you'll have to explore to find all of the 7 stars. There are a few sidequests and hidden bosses to find throughout the game as well, which slightly adds to the lasting appeal, but not by much. But what really raises the game's replay value is the amount of fun you'll have with this game. Like many great RPGs out there, Super Mario RPG is one heck of an adventure, and one that many gamers will find themselves revisiting from time to time.
Pros and Cons:
+ Excellent graphics and music
+ Unique and interesting battle system
+ Interesting characters with their own unique abilities
- The story is nothing THAT special, especially compared to other Mario RPGs, like Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
- There are some annoying or confusing puzzles or dungeons here and there, like the "6-Door Challenge" (people who have played this game will know what I'm talking about)
Breakdown by category:
Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics: 10/10
Sound: 8.5/10
Replay Value: 7/10
Fun Level: 8.5/10
Overall Score: 8.5/10
Super Mario RPG is definitely worth a shot for those who haven't already played the game, and for only $8 worth of Wii points, you owe yourself to download this game and live the experience.