Super Mario RPG Remake Review (Switch) – The Legend Lives On

I have a very unique history with Super Mario RPG. I didn’t get my Super Nintendo until very late in its life cycle, and my parents couldn’t buy me games regularly. I only played the game a few times via dear friends, and even when I did get it via the Virtual Console on the Wii U, there was something about it I couldn’t get into. Thus, I never finished it. But now, many years later, the remake has come, and as my Super Mario RPG Review will tell you, it’s a great remake. Just don’t expect things to be too different from what you remember.

Game Name: Super Mario RPG
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
Publisher(s): ArtePiazza
Developer(s): Nintendo
Release Date: November 17, 2023
Price: $59.99

For those who don’t know the “whole story,” the original Super Mario RPG was made by Square (before they were Square Enix) on the SNES, and it was a revolutionary game in various ways. One of the biggest ways was that it featured Mario and friends in an RPG setting for the first time ever. It also pushed the SNES graphics to the limit in certain ways and had a unique story featuring Peach and Bowser teaming up with Mario, all new enemies, and more. This game was the “grandfather” of all the Mario RPG titles, including the beloved Paper Mario games (the first two, at least.) So when gamers heard the remake was coming, it was a big deal. But let’s ask the big question, “What does the remake actually…remake?”

The obvious thing is the graphics. The remake looks so crisp that it’s almost astonishing what the game looked like originally. The team at ArtePiazza (with a little help from Tetsuya Nomura!) ensured that the game lived up to the HD potential that the Nintendo Switch had while not forgetting the visual style and feel that the SNES created. The result is a beautiful mix of visual styles that the SNES couldn’t have done before. Plus, the game added special cutscenes to make key moments pop more. The biggest one was the birth of Geno, and it was something to behold. By the time you get to Geno’s departure at the end of the game, they make you feel his loss in a big way.

The other big addition was certain changes to the gameplay and certain gaming mechanics. For example, there were no auto-saves in the SNES era, but here, we have the classic save blocks and auto-saving. They even reference it within the game as a cool advancement. Another addition was the “action commands” from the Paper Mario franchise, which can help you deal more damage, or take no damage if you time it right. The timing can be tricky, depending on the attacks, but you’ll get the hang of it. They even added the ability to swap out party members on the fly versus sticking with whoever your trio is. A small change, but a welcome one.

Finally, there are “Triple Moves.” Through action commands, you build up a gauge, and once you hit 100%, you can make a really cool move, depending on the people in your party. Some will do a special attack on one character, while others attack the whole squad of enemies. Some will deal elemental damage, and some are about healing. Knowing which ones to use in a battle, especially a boss battle, can really help turn the tide. Plus, they have full-on cutscenes to make them even cooler.

Oh, and while I didn’t do it personally, there is post-game content to do, such as fighting past bosses in “upgraded” form. But for this part of my Super Mario RPG Review, I want to acknowledge just how ahead of its time and how fun the game is, no matter what version you’re playing.

For example, the “Smithy Gang” is a unique group of bad guys who feel totally different from everything we’ve faced in Mario titles both before and since its arrival in 1996. Plus, while the story isn’t the deepest, it does have standout characters, funny dialogue, and progressive elements that would set the tone for many games to come, including the first two Paper Mario titles. The game is simple in some ways but complex in others. It’s a fun balance, and I was in awe of some of the settings, the races we met, and the references to other titles (including some beloved Nintendo franchises!)

In short, the game has a charm to it that can’t be denied, and one can only wonder what would’ve happened if Square and Nintendo had made a sequel to this beloved classic on the N64 or other systems. Yes, we got Paper Mario from Intelligent Systems, and I loved the first three titles in that run, but this OG Square team clearly had fun making this game, and it shows all these years later.

When you add that to incredible music, effects, mini-games, secret bosses, and side quests, you’ll enjoy it no matter how many times you hear the tunes in the game.

All that being said, I need to be fair and honest in my Super Mario RPG Review, and that means pointing out that while this game is a near-perfect recreation of the SNES title, one could very easily argue that they didn’t improve upon it enough. Many other critics pointed out that this was more of a “remastering” versus a remake like, say, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and it shows in many areas.

For example, despite being an RPG, Super Mario RPG isn’t long or hard to beat. I beat Smithy in under ten hours, with my strongest character only being Level 21. Yes, I could’ve grinded for levels or did every side quest, but I did a “natural” playthrough, and it didn’t take me long to get done. Plus, I don’t think I had a wipeout in the entire game. I got close a few times, but I never had to restart, to my recollection. Or if I did, it was only one time. I never struggled with a boss fight, and thanks to the action commands, you can take a TON less damage, which lessens the challenge of certain battles.

Another oddity was the EXP system. I was often very confused about the amount of EXP given for certain battles. For example, two particularly hard boss fights gave me less than 20 EXP, and yet some random enemies could easily give me double that, including ones right after those boss fights! When I reached the end of the game at only level 21, I wondered if I had done something wrong. But I didn’t, and I won the final boss fight relatively easily.

Another curiosity that grows from timing having passed in the original is the game’s pacing and how you get the stars. In the first two Paper Mario games, each Star came with its own events and levels that you had to work through to get the star. That’s not the case here with certain beats. For example, one star is located on Star Hill, and you can get it without fighting any bosses! It’s literally on the ground waiting for you to pick it up!

In contrast, a star that lies on a sunken ship has THREE boss fights to endure before you can finally fully claim it. It was really odd, and it was hardly the only odd pacing within the title.

As for the Smithy Gang, while I enjoyed their designs, battle styles, and more, there were points that they didn’t even show up in the game for nice stretches and then randomly showed up just so we could do a boss battle. Then, when we meet Smithy all the way at the game’s end, you don’t know anything about him or why he is the way he is. I really would’ve liked more, especially given the deep characters that certain RPGs of that era and those that came after provided.

Even with those issues, don’t let my Super Mario RPG Review dissuade you from trying the title out, especially if you’ve never played it! It’s a very fun RPG you can have fun with over a few days and understand why it influenced so many titles. There was clear love put into preserving the original title while improving certain elements for modern gamers. So, no matter if you were born in the SNES era and want to relive your childhood or want to see what all the hype is about, this game is worth a playthrough.

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