Video: We Compare Super Mario RPG On Switch To The SNES Original

Glorious. There is usually something really small that kinda niggles me that it's not there (like the tanks not quite being bouncy enough in Advance Wars lol) but I'm not really seeing anything lol.

Apart from spelling 'Pipe House' wrong in the Switch version, it's looking fantastic and I can't wait to receive my pre-ordered copy on the 17th of this month!!

I'm glad to see it looks like they're using the old localization as a base/reference to keep its charm while fixing up some of its problems from missing context/character limitations. (And some modernization to fit the brand - can't say I think that was really needed, but I hardly think it ruins the game.) I'm sure some people will argue forever over which is better or right, but this seems like a pretty good job to me so far!

As someone who hasn't played the original I'm glad they arent removing any of its original charm!
Looking forward to this!

It looks so good.

I wonder why they just didn't make a new Mario RPG? Seems to be the trend now-a-days.

@GalaxicGlobe As someone who has played the original game, it has lost a lot of charm. A 1:1 translation does not maintain the charm of the original. That's not to say it's a bad game or remake, just that they should have used modern mario graphics instead of trying to copy the og.

Why would they change Pipe House to Mario House though?

Wow! They did not replace the unique Toads with generic ones, as they did in the two Mario & Luigi RPG remakes.

Might as well just play the old version, since it looks like it's the same game and I have it on my phone.

@Poodlestargenerica How would changing the graphics to modern Mario graphics help keep the charm better than literally remaking the original??? (I dont mean for this to come of aggressively)

Aww, Bowser doesn't look stoned anymore. Seriously, go look at the original sprites and tell me Bowser doesn't look stoned.

Interesting that they're just like completely renaming a bunch of notable characters like Mack and Frogfucius, yet seem to still be largely using the original translation for incidental dialogue.

@GalaxicGlobe This is just my opinion obviously. Because the charm of the original was the innovative use of prerendered graphics and an isometric angle in order to give the Mario world a dimension and depth that hadn't been seen before. But when they aren't limited by the original system, to me, the charm of that wears off when they try to stick to the original character models. Square was not trying to make a silly blocky little mario, there were just limits to what you could do. It's like if you remake ff7 and base the cloud model off of the original, it would look more silly than anything else. In general I am more of a fan of remasters than remakes anyways, but I think I would have liked a bit more of a modern take on this, and then maybe just include the original game.

I'll be honest, the new graphics are modern. However, I feel like the pixel art just has an innate charm to it that 3d rendered graphics will never have. I don't dislike the new art style but there's a piece of me that would have preferred to see a hd-2d version of the game with the original sprites

@Lizuka Most of the name changes are being done to better reflect the original Japanese text. For all the good things Super Mario RPG has going for it the English translation isn't really one of them.

Not Woolsey's (the translator on the original) fault given the circumstances, but overall probably a good thing as there were plenty of mistranslations and weird continuity errors (e.g Koopa shell being called it's Japanese name NokNok Shell) in that OG TL.

Granted you do lose out on some of the nostalgia factor by changing things like character names, but overall this new version should read a little better than the original.

I kinda like the original art style more to be honest, it's aged rather well.

The text style in the original is FAR superior to the generic Square style dialogs in the new one.

Im really excited about this one. It looks great. Better than I remember the original being and it sounds great too.

Im wondering though if they managed to keep the hidden ff boss in it though.

@Baker1000 Maybe someone though it sounded like a drug reference, like a crack den. I kind of does though

Wow. It’s just about 1:1, isn’t it?

hmm, 50-50 to me which version looks better.

@karatekid1612 How is it wrong? That's how it was in the Japanese version.

I love the original game, but the graphics always looked blurry to me.

@TenEighty probably to see how the modern gamers like it for a possible sequel and easy money because you don't have to change the story just the visuals and make the controls modern.

@PrincessKatamari Pipe House is used for Mario Party Advance, Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga and its 3DS remake an addition to an NPC named 'Pipeman'. Why is it suddenly not okay now? In a series quite known to be associated with Pipes as means for fast travel. Was never an issue before. If your mind immediately thinks innuendo, then that's on you..

@Chunkboi79 they weren't sprites, or "2D pixel art" in the original. They were 3D rendered. It was kind of a big selling point of the original.

@mercilessrobot thank you! The new font is bad. Not FF Pixel Remaster bad, but close.

@AlexanderDaniels The fact that you go on the defensive to a joke post is totally on you though, Alex.

Easy mode I hope they tone the game down a bit since Smithy was tough as heck in the original game

@Poodlestargenerica I understand what you’re trying to say but think of it like this: If Super Mario RPG was remade in the same way as FF7, where everyone is in a more “modern” or recognizable style, and is even given a change of perspective… I honestly think people would care less about it than if it was a faithful remake. The original is a game loved for it’s goofiness and how “Un-Mario” it is compared to the games we’re more familiar with, so making it “very Mario” like would make it lose even more charm and I can’t believe I’m saying this, “soul”, than just to simply go with the route Nintendo and Square Enix took.

With that being said, I imagine if the remake becomes a success, maybe there can be a sequel that will do what you have in mind?

@mikegamer dry humour mike, they could have called it crack house or sh*t house, I don't really care. All I care about is that they deliver my pre-ordered copy on the 17th of this month as I'm really looking forward to playing it!

@karatekid1612 Ah yes, humor via text on the internet is super easy to distinguish on the internet. Gotcha.

@mikegamer no worries

Man i am so in love with what i already see. They stayed true to the original, and improved where its needed.
Will get this game when it gets out together with Mario Wonder, at that time.

@Poodlestargenerica I see where your coming from but personally disagree and I like the route they chose to take.

It's amazing how amazing the SNES games look even after more then 20 years.

This will revitalize Mario gamers again to come back to Nintendo and spend more $$$$$$ for whatever reasons.

I like the original more and I think it's because of what @Poodlestargenerica said. It wasn't released in Europe but I played it on Wii.

I think that they should have either remade it in the style of the modern 3d marios, or in the style of the mario&luigi rpgs rather than the overly faithful visuals that make it look squished.
It was charming when they were using the prerendered sprites and yes, @LikelySatan they were sprites and sprites =/= pixel art.
This reminds me of psp and 3ds emulation when upscaling the graphics to a higher resolution making it look flat and ironically worse.

@Raifteiri they were 3d rendered. Like DKC. But meh, whatever. I understand that they presented as 2D anyway. Besides, you should read the op.

@LikelySatan They were prerendered 3d models that were turned into sprites. Each sprite was essentially a screenshot of the original 3d model. This was done because the snes could not run models in real time, except for the type you could see in star fox and stunt race fx. At the time, the only consoles that could run such things were the saturn and the playstation, which were both japanese exclusives back in 1994, when this released.

@Raifteiri right, again, maybe read the op that was saying the sprites in RPG were better than 3D rendered graphics...

@karatekid1612 Aww, and I didn't even have to try

The new style on Bowsers chandeliers totally ruin the game.

@FunGuy no

@GalaxicGlobe they could keep the art style of the snes release and just release it on modern platforms.

@Wooly And sell it for full price?? Heck nah, I'm glad they took the route they did.

What does it having original graphics have to do with it being full price or not? Also it's Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, it'd sell well even if it used the graphics of the snes.

In a perfect world, they would include an option to switch between the new graphics and the original SNES graphics, and also let you switch between the new more accurate translation and the charming but imperfect Woolsey translation.
For $60, it's not too much to ask, in my opinion.

If I can play R-Type Dimensions on my PS3, and switch between the newer graphics/soundtracks and the original arcade graphics/soundtracks (for both R-Type 1 and 2) on the fly, at the touch of a button, there's no reason it couldn't be done on this Mario RPG remake.

I really feel this should be standard practice for most, if not all, remasters and remakes.