What seemed like a dream has finally come true with the release of the Super Mario RPG remake, one that aims to faithfully recreate the charm of the original.
At points it feels like little more than a fresh coat of paint if you've played the SNES classic; however, during my time completing the main story, I was quickly reminded of how outright fun it was to mess around in its whimsical world filled with cute side-activities, weapons and gear to freshen up the engaging battle system, and one of the best depictions of several Mario characters to date.
The initial impressions I had during my preview didn't completely change. When I say this version of Mario RPG tries to replicate the original, I can't overstate how much they've actively tried to make this a 1:1 remake barring some interesting changes to the battle mechanics, albeit at the cost of making combat a tad easier in an already relatively harmless experience.
Super Mario RPG's biggest contribution to turned-based combat is its timing mechanic, which returns for the remake with some added flair. Pressing the right button or inputting the correct motion at a specific time can either increase your damage or completely mitigate any damage taken. This system is known as Active Commands and has been expanded in the remake to offer bigger rewards based on your reflexes and mashing abilities.
To trigger Active Commands, you have two options, just like in the original game. You can execute them perfectly or opt for a more lenient approach. The latter still enhances your attacks or reduces incoming damage, but perfect timing results in splash damage to other enemies (a new feature in the remake) and zero damage while defending. Even healing abilities have Active Commands, so it's best to learn to trigger them.
What sets Super Mario RPG apart is its unique feature of specific Active Command timings for weapons, not just abilities. Even with more powerful gear, you won't automatically dish out extra damage. You'll need to familiarise yourself with the new timing to take advantage of the buffs that go beyond extra DPS or damage mitigation.
The Action Gauge and Chain Counts add even more excitement to combat. The gauge acts as a super meter, and once it reaches 100%, you can unleash a Triple Move. This move varies based on your active party, which is composed of Mario and two teammates of your choosing.
Mixing and matching who is in your active party during combat is encouraged, so much so that you won't lose a turn if you opt to swap your party around. Each Triple Move has different advantages; some allow you to heal/revive everyone in your team (even those outside your active party), others give you a powerful shield that lets you tank damage for free, while others focus on single-target damage or area-of-effect elemental damage. Even if you have a favourite setup, you'll likely find yourself swapping characters in the midst of battle regardless.
There are a total of five playable characters (Mario, Peach, Bowser, Geno, and Mallow), all having a distinct playstyle to them. Mario is naturally presented as an all-rounder, Peach is the designated healer, and Bowser the brute of the team, focusing on powerful physical attacks. If you've played an RPG before, you'll get the gist immediately.
An interesting twist to the flow of combat is also the fact that MP (called Flower Points in Mario RPG) is shared amongst your team. While initially, this might seem like a less interesting system due to having to manage fewer individual resources, you'll quickly learn that spamming special moves will be to your detriment if you're not careful.
Getting locked out of spells that take advantage of enemies' weaknesses at crucial times can become annoying, making you waste time by consuming FP recovery items. Ultimately, though, it'll be nothing more than a nuisance as the true potential of having a combined FP pool that forces you to meticulously craft a strategy isn't fully realised due to the game's relatively easy difficulty.
It is, after all, a Mario game. I'm not saying there aren't some challenging games featuring the Italian plumber out there; sadly, the Super Mario RPG remake is most certainly not at the top of the list.
There's an attempt to bring an extra layer of difficulty which is absolutely appreciated. The post-game now includes rematches against story mode bosses, a great incentive for players looking for a harder challenge. You'll run into Special Enemies out in the wild, which tank way more damage than your average foes and have nifty rewards if you're able to take them down.
Culex also makes an appearance, retaining his title as Super Mario RPG's hardest boss. Unlike the vast majority of the remake, the Final Fantasy-inspired entity features a massive surprise for fans so while optional, I highly recommend you take the time to experience this for yourself without getting it spoiled.
If you're intimately familiar with Mario RPG you will also be disappointed to hear that the Super Mario RPG remake doesn't leave much room to find new secrets and content. If you know how to beat that annoying Boshi race or the exact notes of each Toadofsky melody, congratulations, you won't have to scour the internet for answers.
Sure, there are some quality-of-life updates here and there. For starters, there's fast travel available, the inventory management has been reworked to not be a complete pain as you stock up on items, and there's even a bestiary akin to a PokéDex for the completionists out there.
On the other hand, if you're new to the series, then you'll find yourself with plenty to discover when you're not stomping Goombas. There are hidden chests to collect and a plethora of minigames that offer a nice palette cleanser from the turn-based combat that encompasses the meat and bones of Super Mario RPG.
They're spread out across the world; some are optional and can be missed/skipped, while a few are integral to the story, so while there's an incentive to go off the beaten path, even if you B-line the main story you'll still run into a few fun and iconic ones like Midas River or the Booster Hill chase.
Regardless of whether you're an old-time fan or a newcomer, what the game does do really well is making sure you fall in love with its art style and character designs. It's both a modern take on the original SNES look while retaining a bit of that era's appeal.
A lot of the best comedic bits in Mario RPG came from the stiffness of the models trying to recreate and explain situations to other characters, particularly Mario, with the devs opting to maintain this almost quaint form of storytelling in favour of more articulated renders. It works to perfection and paired with the amazingly written dialogue, I had a grin on my face during every single character interaction.
The writing has been changed in some aspects to be more in line with modern Mario and Nintendo's branding. Princess Toadstool is no more, obviously, and sadly, the out-of-pocket Bruce Lee reference is also gone. For the most part, though, if you loved the character depictions in the original you'll have no complaints with this newer version; special shootouts to Bowser, who remains the funniest version of King Koopa to date.
Considering the story is barebones at best, having clever and engaging dialogue was key to the original's success and that still holds true here. You certainly won't find Mario's task of finding seven Star Pieces particularly engaging but immersing yourself in the superficial character motivations that drive the likes of Bowser, Peach and the two newcomers Mallow and Geno is done cleverly by making each of them very easy to like, encouraging you to spend more time with the game.
Another great point that elevates the Super Mario RPG remake is the soundtrack. The legendary Yoko Shimomura, creator of some of gaming's most recognisable music tracks (including Street Fighter II and the Kingdom Hearts franchise) returns to modernise the OST, now working without the constraints of the SNES. It's every bit as memorable as you remember, with standouts for me including that captivating and elegant Booster Tower rendition.
The developers know how much fans adore the music in Super Mario RPG and they've included a toggle to switch between "Modern" and "Classic" versions of the game's soundtrack at any point in the game, although the newer OST will always play during key cutscenes. Furthermore, once you finish the story, you'll gain access to a dedicated music player, making it easier to reminisce over Shinomura's delightful work or relive newfound moments in the remake.
Overall, Super Mario RPG on the Nintendo Switch is an ode to the original game. Although it doesn't introduce any groundbreaking features as the SNES classic did, and it doesn't quite reach the highs of some games that were inspired by this first collaboration between Square and Nintendo, it is still an excellent way to experience a beloved classic that has captivated millions of fans.
Surely this gets Geno in the next Smash, right?
Super Mario RPG was reviewed on Nintendo Switch with code provided by the publisher.