On paper, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is a game that probably shouldn’t exist. It brought together Nintendo’s platforming icon with RPG giant Square in a way that seemed impossible, imbuing the denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom (and beyond) with bucketloads of personality beyond the hops, jumps, and yelps they were previously known for. It’s got humour in spades, from tongue-in-cheek jokes to characters pantomiming events whenever they retell them. It’s weird and hilarious, and it knows it — and that’s why people love it.
So it’s a darn good thing that Super Mario RPG, the Switch remake of 1996's turn-based favourite, retains the weirdness that gave the SNES original a special charm. Not a hair is out of place in this remake. We said in our preview that this is one of the most faithful HD adaptations we’ve ever played, and now that we’ve seen everything the game has to offer, we stand by that statement, and it’s all the better for it. This is a magical experience reworked to near perfection with high-definition clarity.
That’s true right from the moment you first look and hear the game. Nintendo has done an amazing job updating the visuals in a way that remains faithful to the clay-doll style of the 16-bit version while also giving it a new lease of life. It feels like you can reach into the screen and touch the fluffy clouds of Nimbus Land, and you feel the heat of the lava in Pipe Plaza as it glows and sizzles. All of this is accompanied by a rearranged soundtrack – supervised by original composer Yoko Shimomura, just as she did with 2022’s Live A Live remake – that’s as dreamy and catchy as the original.
It’s remarkable to see all of the towns, dungeons, and maps get this glow-up – grassy, blurry plains are transformed and you can now see individual leaves and specks of dirt on the ground. The new visuals also allow facial expressions to get even more creative. Every time Mallow smiles is irresistible, Bowser’s visible sobbing is funnier than ever, and the animation carries over into stunning cutscenes peppered throughout the story (every Triple Move also gets one of these). And, true to the original, there's no voice acting either, with only Bowser's grunts being vocalised. This initially feels a bit awkward during CGI scenes, but we're not sure we'd want full voice acting, even from Geno and Mallow.
The game aims for 60fps throughout, and for the most part, it hits that, with the exception of some fairly noticeable frame drops in certain areas. This happened in locations with lots of water such as the Kero Sewers, Tadpole Pond, and the Sea. It also momentarily occurs during Triple Moves right as the game transitions from the CG cutscenes back to the battle. This is only a small blemish on what is otherwise a gorgeous remake, but it’s a bit surprising, nonetheless.
What isn’t surprising is the story. Super Mario RPG’s narrative isn’t going for anything deep, but depth isn’t really the point. The game knows exactly what it is – a fun adventure featuring everyone’s favourite platforming plumber. And 'fun' really is the keyword here; Mario’s expedition to save the Princess might lead into a world-spanning quest, but the joy is in the journey and the details. We’ve talked about charm in spades, but the cutscenes and the dialogue in this game are riotous, and it’s exhilarating to go around every town and talk to everybody each time you progress to a new location.
A lot of the dialogue is exactly as it was on the Super NES, though a few pop culture nods have been swapped out (RIP Bruce Lee reference). Plus, we’re not sure we can forgive Frogfucius being changed to Frog Sage. Come on now. Though Mack to Claymorton might make up for it. Almost.
The simple story, abundance of humour, and visuals aside, the gameplay is where most of the smaller tweaks to Super Mario RPG come in, although the combat isn’t bringing anything new to the table in terms of the genre. At the time, the timing-based combat was a novelty, but the game isn’t much of a challenge even on the standard difficulty, though it's still a joy to play.
The timing-based button presses, which became a staple of Mario's subsequent RPG adventures, can take a while to perfect, even with the added exclamation point aid. If you do start to get better, the exclamation will eventually stop appearing, meaning you can’t use it as a crutch. Plus, the timing is different for every single character, weapon, and attack, so there’s a fair amount of skill involved. You don’t need to nail them to get through the base game, but you will need them for a lot of the optional quests and bosses.
The new features like splash damage, Triple Attacks, and the exclamation mark can’t be turned off, which means the Switch remake is even easier than the Super Nintendo original for the most part. But there’s a new wrinkle in the form of Special Enemies — stronger variants of enemies that can randomly appear in battle. These hit harder, have better stats in general, and require a bit more thought than regular encounters. They’re still manageable, but they do randomly add a bit more flavour for those who are looking for a little extra challenge. Oh, and if it's a challenge you want, then trying to do 100 jumps in a row is still hard.
In terms of difficulty, fans of the SNES game and RPG veterans do have something new to look forward to after the credits roll that's a big step up from the base game. While it doesn't provide anything close to the toughest the genre has to offer, it does add a few extra hours and another layer of joy for those who truly fall in love with Super Mario RPG.
And we reckon that’ll be a lot of people with this Switch remake. The 27 years between the Super NES version and its reincarnation have been very kind to Super Mario RPG. This is a timeless video game with simple controls, a colourful cast, and a boatload of humour that’ll have you grinning from ear to ear the whole way through. This remake has been handled with love and care which shines through in the gorgeous new visuals, beautiful rearrangements, and just how close it is to the beloved original.
Conclusion
Super Mario RPG is here in all of its weird, wonderful glory for a new generation to experience, and sets a new standard for how to do a faithful remake right. Delivering a beautifully preserved, pure experience for fans of the original and an accessible entry-point for genre newcomers, the game's infectious charm, writing, and polished gameplay do so much to elevate this beyond what might have been merely a simple RPG starring Mario.
Comments 138
I am excited for a whole new generation of players to experience this game for the first time! It's a rock solid RPG from start to finish, and it lasts just long enough to remain satisfying the whole time.
The $60 USD price makes it a no-buy for me, personally. It doesn't do enough new that I can't get from the Super NES original. But I am still glad it exists.
Ahhhh I can't wait until Friday! This and Persona 5 Tactica will be my Thanksgiving break games. 😊
@LadyCharlie same, the $60 USD price for what is essentially a remaster with some prettier graphics makes this a skip for me. A remake would be what Square Enix is doing with their FFVII remakes.
I definitely would've picked this up Day 1 if it weren't for a certain paper-y fellow looming over the horizon but I'm thrilled to see this one turn out as well as it did. I absolutely adore the Mario RPGs I've played so I'll 100% be grabbing it later down the line whenever possible!

I haven’t played the original so I will definitely buy it
I love the original and will probably just stick with it but I'm glad to see remakes like this for those that never experienced it the first go round👍
Great review, I'm so happy we got a remake of Super Mario RPG and I'm really tempted to start playing it immediately despite being playing way too many games as is at the moment!
Let me add one thing that might not matter for most users on Nintendo Life, but for some it definitely will: thanks to this remake the game has been translated in several languages for the first time!
The only two Mario RPGs I've never played are Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario 2. Therefore it's great for me that those two games are being remade for Switch
Oooo, I'm excited to play this post-credits content!
Love to see it, want to get it, just not for $60!
Original's one of my favorite games ever and I've played it over and over through the years. Can't wait for this one.
It's a 10/10 for me. This will be a good use of my second voucher with my first going to Mario Wonder.
I'm pre-loaded and ready to rock.
Star Ocean Second Story R and this? Two excellent remakes in one year, this is how remakes should be done.
Can't say I am that interested in this, but I could see picking it up for $30 or less (likely sometime way in the future since this is Nintendo). It reminds me a lot of the Link's Awakening Remake, which I thought was not really worth it.
One can only hope that if this and next year's Thousand Year Door remake are successful that it will finally lead to a new Mario RPG in the not too distant future.
Is this the official cover for the game?
Wanted this game so bad as a kid but never got it. Excited to dive into it this weekend, thanks for the review!
Awesome review! I wasn’t expecting this game to suffer in the slightest. The lack of difficulty is a bit of a turnoff, but it’s expected — it’s Mario, after all, and the original wasn’t that hard. Friday can’t come soon enough!
@mikegamer Agreed — the same with RE4 and Dead Space.
This will be my first time!! I’ve heard so many good things. I love Mario, and I’m obsessed with RPGs. Of course there’s Paper Mario and M+L, but I’m so excited for this😆
Sweet! Never got to play the original SNES game, but really enjoyed Paper Mario 64 & the Mario & Luigi series later, so expect it to be a great fit for me
Got some points to use with The Game Collection to bring it down to £30 (approx $38 for those in the US who may be curious), so a definite purchase for essentially a newcomer.
Never played it the first time around, I can't wait ^^
RPG fans are eating well lately ^^
I've never played it before, so I am hyped.
I'm surprise they didn't give this game a plus expansion like they did their other Mario remake/re-release entries for example Super Mario 3D World had Bowser's Fury, New Super Mario Bros. U had New Super Luigi U, Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story had Bowser Jr.'s Journey, and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga had Bowser's Minions. They could had made a plus that focus on Smithy's Conquest with Super Mario RPG which would had made that $60 a better value.
How does this compare/differ to the Mario and Luigi/Paper Mario games? I never played it back in the day as it didn't release in Europe.
This is one of those rare times that I'd say the full retail price is worth it, even as a remaster. I rarely pay full price for any game, but I don't think I'd bat an eye at paying 60$ here.
.02
Visually, this is the mold Chrono Trigger could be fit to. Wouldn’t be surprised..
Even Wonder has been available cheaper since release, so I don't think I'm going to rush to buy this one, but might give the original a playthrough soon to fill the gap.
@NinChocolate I think I rather prefer Chrono Trigger to either follow the remake path of Live A Live (HD 2D), Star Ocean: Second Story R (2D 3D Remix) or Trials of Mana (Full 3D). This isometric 3D style only works with more cartoony IPs which is why it works best with Mario and Zelda, Chrono Trigger is more anime so HD 2D, 2D 3D Remix, or Full 3D works best for it.
Why doesn't this game have a "hard" mode?
Seems Nintendo must've mandated that the game be easy for average players, but if there's less of a challenge then there's less incentive for replay ability. Nintendo looks to have been going through this trend with recent Paper Mario games and I fear Thousand Year Door Remake will have a lack of challenge and won't be as normally difficult as the original.
I swear Nintendo is just incomprehensible sometimes. I bought the official SNES controller to enjoy both Mario Wonder and Mario RPG. Little did i know you can't remap the buttons like the switch pro controller, so you don't have a home or screenshot button. And i mean Mario RPG is a SNES remake! with the whole colored buttons thing! AND IT DOESN'T EVEN USE ZL OR ZR! ULTIMATE FACEPALM NINTENDO
So basically another 2023 banger by Nintendo. I'm looking forward to getting my copy on Friday especially as I never got round to playing the first game so it's a totally new experience for me. Hopefully Nintendo can continue with actual quality remakes of older games and not just lazy ports which they've been known for a lot over the last 7 years.
@teo_o TBH those were meant for NSO only and Super Mario Bros. Wonder and the Super Mario RPG remakes are not NSO games. You could just use 8BitDo SNES30 controller, those had the same look and feel as a real SNES controller and works best with those games too.
If you don't want to pay €60, get yourself 2 vouchers and buy this and one other €60 game. You'll save yourself €20 that way.
@russell-marlow tbh it’s more difficult than you think I’m playing on medium and I’m not far in and it’s been pretty challenging for a Mario game so far imo
Really excited for this. I loved the original game and it feels like this was done with me in mind. I can't wait to dive in.
Since it's part of the SNES Mini lineup, I'm going to give it a go there first. That is, when I get some free time during the holidays. If I like it enough, I might buy this remake.
@Kraven If you want to play a Super Mario RPG that is harder and more challenging then you should check out this hack called Super Mario RPG Armageddon for Super NES. It plays just as good as the original and had loads of contents but much much more difficult, it even had Rosalina and Luigi in the game too plus a bunch of Final Fantasy cameos thrown in.
Sadly, as expected, they lowered the difficulty (unless we beat the final boss for special challenge , but this is too much waiting). The SNES game was not that easy, some bosses were quite difficult (and not only the secret one).
I think I'll pass, I don't really see what this remake would offer to me compared to the original one.
@Maverick75 Okay, but I can't exactly measure you're experience to other players who are more competent at playing JRPG games.
Resisting watching the video, want it to be all a surprise for me having never played it.
Being a Genesis Kid in my youth I never got to play this game, so this remake is a Day 1 physical edition buy for me. The only thing that I dislike is the cover art (I understand the nostalgic appeal of it… but it loooks really lame IMO)
Will there likely be an official sequel?
I loved this game back then. Definitely recommend it to any first time RPG players and those who want to have a fun time! I will be getting it mostly for nostalgia, to hear those re-arranged soundtracks and the best part for me: to explore those post game challenges!? I cant wait!
I wish this came with an expert/hard mode for people who have beaten this game already. I haven't seen enough about the bonus content to justify a buy right now. Lovely game and a must buy for people who haven't played it, unfortunately for me I'll pass at this price. Wish Nintendo would make an optional hard mode for some of there games.
I've played a little bit of the remake already and it's utterly fantastic. I never beat the original game so I'm having a blast.
Quality games is what makes gaming! Who knew?
This remake is going to be amazing! I can't wait to play it.
If this game is good, I bet the TTYD remake is going to be great!
So excited for Friday. I'm playing super mario world as well. It'll be like the 90s all over again this holiday.
I’ve played the original but it’s been many years ago and this will still be completely fresh to me. I know it’s just a remake but this might just be my Nintendo GOTY, even in a year with so many hits. It’s a fantastic game that has gotten the fantastic remake treatment it’s deserved. It’ll be great enough for me but I can’t imagine how much better it’d be for a complete newcomer. If someone likes Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi, I can’t see how they can possibly dislike the one that started them both. May this be the start of a Mario RPG revival!
Nintendo knows how to do remasters right while a few third party devs are just lazy so cant wait ti pick this up along with big man,shiver,and fry splatoon 3 amiibos too.
"grinning from ear to ear"
This tired and overused phrase should be outlawed.
@NoLife It really is dreadful, huh? It looks like a placeholder.
I know this is unrelated to SMRPG, but is anyone going to review Hogwarts legacy?? I assumed it's trash because it hasn't got one yet, but nobody seems to be saying anything about it. The only thing i've seen is that it's got load times and it isn't as bad graphically as people were expecting
i already played it on the snes way back then.. but i will get this version as well..
@UltimateOtaku91 squaresoft made the original game mostly by themselves..
@AlanaHagues Is there any new content to the game? I mean, it doesn’t matter because the game’s fantastic, but just curious.
@Exerion76 Both are remakes of Square games from the 90s outsourced to longtime partners of Square Enix, but sure
Does Nintendo have to pay licensing fees to Square? That could factor into them pricing the game at $60.
They renamed Frogfucius?! That's it, 0/10 no buy. ( )
This'll be an eventual grab. I've played the original - through the Wii U VC - more recently than some, but I'd still like to revisit the game with this remake. Not a huge priority on my personal slate right now even with some of the nice QoL changes.
@sonkeids who knows. Remember Square Enix owns part of the original game as well as some of the original characters such as Geno, and most likely Mallow.
@JohnnyMind This is one aspect a lot of people don't see. I'll most definitely play in Spanish, regardless of the actual quality of the localization. I just wanna see how the Spanish localization compares to the Japanese one.
Super Mario RPG is the best Mario RPG. I booked Friday and Monday off to play this, it's gonna be a good weekend. Just rolled credits on Star Ocean 2 so the timing is great!
Yes Alana, it is an RPG
really feels like they are downplaying the big bad sword guy (Smithy? its been a while) compared to the first time. also wasnt it called Super Mario RPG something something Seven Stars?
this version feels a little flavorless at face value but if the game is the same i suppose i dont care. 👍 looking forward to eventually getting a deal on it somehow.
I was reeeeeeeeeeeeally hoping for a Hard Mode from the start. Ah well. This should still be a fun retread.
I’m sure a lot of us would have been satisfied with this just coming to the SNES online. I’m still getting this remake because I really enjoy the original. But I’m definitely passing on the Mario vs Donkey remake when that drops.
This is a remake. People saying otherwise don't know what they're talking about. A remaster would be the same game with enhanced visuals, not a fully remade game. Comparing it with FFVII Remake is also wrong as that's not even a remake.
Perfect game to curl up on the couch with some eggnog, (or your beverage of choice), and play over the holidays.
@LadyCharlie I'm not sure what you mean by whole new generation. This game was released 5 years ago on SNES classic. But for all those people that missed out I'm sure this will be nice. Though $80 for 20 games including this would have been much nicer. Imagine if the had a SNES classic compilation instead of this.
@russell-marlow I’ve played loads of JRPGS I just mean for a Mario themed one it was more difficult than I expected obviously not to the point where you want to launch the tablet at your tv lol
@somnambulance there are some post-game boss rematches, but they're really the only "new" things. I can't be specific on what those are at the moment, but the trailers have shown a couple of them off.
so far the remake game has only a 83 score on metacritic which is shockingly low
Between this and Wonder for Christmas and TTYD remaster early next year, my Switch is going to be a busy bee.
Removed - trolling
Damn, so no New Game+ or Hard Mode, then, huh? TwT
last night i was playing my old Super Nintendo game Super Mario RPG Legend of the Seven Stars to refresh my memory of stuff in the game. Been a long time since I played the game. I even tried to get some ring rust out of pressing B at the right time for defense and etv.
anyone still happen to know when to do 9999 attack damage with Geno Whirl? its still tough for me to try to do that
@AlanaHagues Got it. It’s still so worth the $60 regardless of anything new, but it’s always fun to see if there’s a surprise in a remake.
Day one, baby!!
(That’s all I will say, NL 🤦🏻♂️)
@Serpenterror i'm not asking to play Breath of the wild on a SNES controller, i'm asking for a home and screenshot buttons, which are system features, and the N64 controller has. both.
Great review, yet another banger published from Nintendo this year. I'll be getting this around Christmas next month.
I love Mario and Jrpgs, but the latter tend to take several hours to finish, therefore I personally require 2 things from them: A good story/world and at least a decent challenge. Seems like although it succeeds in the first department, is a little bland on the difficulty.
I will pass on this one for that reason but happy for the fans
I'm kinda surprised people are saying the $60 price tag is a no go considering it was either $50 or 60 when it came out on the SNES... Day 1 game for me, and I've played the SNES version multiple times. The game will be absolutely worth it.
Removed - disrespecting others
I would of bought this right away if they added a hard mode. I already own this game and not going to buy it just for better graphics. I really wish Nintendo would think about people who likes a challenge. How hard is it to add a hard mode. I mastered the timing within a hour without the explanation mark. Yea I really enjoyed this game when it first came out and I guess it's good for kids but got no replay value for experience players which is sad
I’m so excited for this! One of my favorite games and this time I’m going to be playing it with my five year old. I think she’s gonna love it, and I think she might even be able to play it herself.
Awesome review, will buy it day one. Just for nostalgia sake 😂 i seriously hope this game gets a sequel on switch 2 with some new gameplay, special attacks, some new characters from the Nintie kingdom.
Played this at a friend's place all the way back in the day. All I remember is, "The Forkies have come to their senses!"
@AlanaHagues This is the unfortunate casualty of accessibility, having it so prioritized to the point where the core experience that was carefully designed in the original is pretty much made less enjoyable because there's less of a genuine challenge, whether or not some people may agree.
@Zeroo it is a remake not a remaster. A remaster takes already existing code and simply adds more on top of that. A remake is made from the ground up with all new code. This is absolutely the latter.
This game will be my birthday present!! Comes out 2 days before my bd, so gonna play this all weekend long
@Bwight33 technically they did add a hard mode with the boss challenges at the end of the game
@The_Blue_Mage enjoy your birthday!
There's just something off about all the visuals for me, like the shape of the characters and the way they've done the levels. It has an almost fan-made project done in Unreal look about it or something. It's subtle-ish, but I think some people will get exactly what I mean. I'm starting to get this more and more with Nintendo's work, which is not good for me personally. The Super Mario Bros. Movie was one of the few things in recent times with Nintendo's name that truly feels like top tier Nintendo ip realised to near perfection in terms of design and presentation imo--and it wasn't even really made by Nintendo.
@AmplifyMJ Thank you!
A part of me wishes they had expanded the content just a smidgen, like adding a proper boss fight on Star Hill, instead of the same underwhelming sequence the original game had.
Other than that I am loving it. It's like going back to a good book.
@teo_o Here's how to use screenshot and capture using SNES Online controller.
@henkes_10 So perfect for you then?
@russell-marlow If Nintendo makes The Thousand year old door easier... I will be disappointed. Hope they make it optional (Not sure why Nintendo is "afraid" to make QOL changes optional.)
And for the RPG game, i'm gonna get it regardless because I just really love the art design of the remake.
@Serpenterror these shortcuts only work in the NSO apps. If only Nintendo enabled remapping for the SNES controller just like for pro controllers...
@Serpenterror i thought the Secret of Mana remake was really good, it just needed the level of detail this game has got.
I have no issue with the price, one of my most nostalgic and favorite rpgs on SNES aside from ff6 and secret of mana, getting a makeover? There's no way I'd pass on this.
@Jireland92 no, a remaster updates the graphics while keeping the game design the same. A remake takes the original and updates the graphics and game design, for example, the FFVII remakes. Super Mario RPG is a remaster.
Awesome! Super stoked.
Now do Xenogears!
I tried and tried to like this game so many times, from way back when it was new until recently, and I just can't get into it. I love RPGs and I don't hate Mario (loved the Mario and Luigi games as well as Paper Mario) but this one never truly grabbed me.
For $60, that's going to remain true. I'm more looking forward to the Thousand Year Door remake (since I never played that) and might be more willing to pay full price for it.
Justice for Frogfucius.
@TCKuma just looked at their post history...wow! Such insight, such creative use of the English language, you can't help but be inspired by every word. Truly a colossus of the comment sections.
Have it preloaded and waiting for the unlock time here.
Really liking some of the improvements this remake has over the original, also.
I really would have liked if it had voice acting, at least giving Mario and Peach voice clips...
Played it, and as I was smiling throughout the first minutes of the game, one has to admit that its gameplay and storytelling feels kinda dated (at least for me), combat tends to get tedious after a while, specially in the first couple of hours.
It's a great remake, the graphic overhaul is beautiful, but I honestly wish they also added or changed things everywhere else, adding some voice acting or some "noise" like Animal Crossing would have felt better IMHO. Also making combat faster.
@zeroo - actually I think we're in a bit of a murky middle ground here - it's neither here nor there. Public definitions of the terms for Remake or Remaster do waiver at the best of times.
For example, the branding of "Remaster" for a game like Final Fantasy X on PS2 -> PS3 cannot literally be the same for a SNES title that's been completely overhauled 5 generations of consoles later. This isn't just an upscaling of graphics and textures into HD. the game was completely rebuilt in a new engine by a different team.
Your use of Final Fantasy VII remakes probably wasn't the best idea for an example of a remake though - especially as the first game in the series uses a title that is a deliberate misdirect from Square. The trilogy of games also aren't really "remakes" in the traditional sense (not to mention they are sequels to the original FFVII if anything). But then hey... we also got Crisis Core right? That's arguably is a literal translation, but also has big improvements on visuals which is impressive coming from the PSP handheld. Is it a Remake? Remaster? Who knows. No wonder they sidestepped and called it "Reunion". XD
...BUT I will say that I do also understand your argument that's it's not just about the graphics. And whilst there has been changes made in Super Mario RPG, it does seem like it follows the original gameplay pretty faithfully all things considered.
It begs the question of how do we classify games like the Switch's Links Awakening, or even Metroid Prime: Remastered - a label Nintendo themselves placed on the box... yet it is arguably closer to a remake than a remaster. But then look a Luigi's Mansion 2 coming next year... is this a remaster? Or is it an upscaled port? Red Dead Redemption classified itself as a "direct conversion" but still had differences. The Last of Us: Part 1 has a Remaster AND and Remake which give interesting grounds for showing off these differences in other ways. But even then, the definitions get muddier and muddier.
In honestly, I sometimes wish we'd just do away with the labelling as it is largely meaningless and only done to justify retail pricing or the value of a (re)purchase to the consumer. If the game is quality, then the game is still quality at the end of the day so should be judged on all merits brought to the table.
Edit: apologies, I @ the wrong poster originally, I’ve now corrected.
@RetroGames - I actually agree that it looks off - but mostly because they've been a bit too faithful in the translation from the SNES original, especially with the models. It probably would have served the subsiderary developers that worked on this game to approach the visuals with a more distinct artstyle (like Paper Mario or Mario and Luigi), or with one that's more familiar or closer to your typical Mario adventure - Odyssey or Wonder are probably the best examples here for an expressive design that is still faithfully captured.
I think where they tried to re-engineer the SNES pre-rendered sprites makes for an interesting (and nostalgic) choice, but the SNES game looked like this because of the limitations that they were pushing back then. We're far beyond this now, and I'm not entirely convinced that this chibi-ish looking Mario & Co would have been this visual intention 30 years ago if they could help it.
I'd still say no to the Movie looking Mario though. The actual animation and attention to detail in the film references was superb of course - but those illumination 'redesigns' often felt too far 'alien' from Nintendo's IP that it makes me quite uncomfortable. Princess Peach especially feels me with dread in the poster promotions lol. XD
I loved the original. It's one of my favourite games, but I somehow never owned a copy...just rented it enough times that it would have been cheaper to buy it.
I'll pick this up after the holidays, if no one buys it for me as a gift, because I am excited to play it again and to introduce it to my kids.
As great as this looks, I may have hit the saturation point of what I can reasonably play in 2023, and my SNES Mini, which is an almost perfect collection of games of the era, already has it.
60 USD is hard to swallow for what is essentially just the SNES game with better graphics…but wow, those graphics are beautiful. I still have the original on Wii U, though (and that was only 8 USD!), so I don’t know. Some parts were a pain (tricky platforming with a less-than-ideal camera angle), but I had fun with this one overall.
Also, any difference between “remaster”, “remake”, “rerelease”, “port” and so on is completely arbitrary. I suppose these words can be useful in identifying how much was changed, but I don’t believe there’s much about these definitions that’s generally agreed upon. Ultimately, if it’s the same game, it’s the same game, and if it isn’t, it isn’t.
@LadyCharlie Wait for the early buyers to finish the game and buy it from them. Shouldn't take more than a few weeks for used ones to be listed for $30-$40.
At the moment, due to financial reasons, I have to choose between RPG and Wonder.
I never played the original version of RPG which is what makes this decision tougher 😭
@Zeroo no it is a remake because it was remade from the ground up rather than updating existing code. Final Fantasy 7 remake is also a poor example to use because that changes so much it’s more of a reimagining on the original. A better example would be the Resident Evil 1 remake which kept the same game design but updated it with quality of life improvements.
@Sonicka That seems like a very reasonable take on it, and you clearly get what I'm meaning here. Totally fine with your view on the film. Don't agree, as I still think something like that translated directly to any Mario game would be about as good as Mario and company have ever looked and expressed in 3D, but that's just differences of opinion and taste there.
Si from afar it looks like it uses the same engine as Link's Awakening. Is that really the case? It would be great if that look was their go to look for remakes of that era.
And also do we finally know who is developing this?
@mlt
From what i read its Artepiazza who worked on things like the DS remakes of DQ IV-VI and the modern versions of Romancing SaGa 2 and 3, iirc the engine used is unity.
@HammerGalladeBro Not sure why it didn't tag me properly so I've only seen your comment now but yep, similarly I'll play this remake in Italian first and eventually I'll replay it in Japanese, too!
Cannot wait to play this remake of an all time great RPG. Reads pretty much how I would've wanted it remade and a bit more. Cheers for the reviews
Now of they would only HD up Super Paper Mario I'd be even more thrilled.
Words cannot describe how excited I am to finally play this game for the first time!
@WiltonRoots poor little guy probably just needs a friend.
@russell-marlow @rvcolem1 it has a hard mode!! Just confirmed in a review I saw today!!
@russell-marlow note: there are 3 difficulty setting for the game now, including a hard mode for the whole game!
I’d much rather pay $60 now than wait a year or longer to save myself $20.
Waiting for sales on stuff you want is dumb imo, the little extra is worth not having to wait months more.
I think they games will sell out and eBay scalpers will be talking Blood Money soon here. People think someone will give up this game this fast even if they finish it? Keep Dreaming Nintendo here. They most likely will eBay Scalp the game. Trying to talk as though the game should be cheap in itself here since Mario series has a long deep history of track record of high sales and enthusiasm game plays.
@pixelpatch awesome thanks for the update, you may have just cost me 60 bucks...
@Exerion76 Judging from ArtePiazza developing this Square Enix were the main force behind who made this remaster.
Also the developer behind the excellent SO Second Story R wasn’t Square either but Gemdrops
The SNES is one of my all time favorite systems yet I somehow never got around to playing this. Will be picking it up tomorrow.
@pixelpatch Post the review. Nothing I have found has remarked on this. There are two to choose from at the start, and there isn't anything about there being a hard mode after beating the game. You're either lying or were misinformed.
Inverse says there's no hard mode at all.
"It’s kind of baffling there’s no Hard mode, even for a New Game Plus run."
https://www.inverse.com/gaming/super-mario-rpg-remake-review#:~:text=It's%20kind%20of%20baffling%20there's,was%20typical%20of%20the%20time.
Why is the box art so utterly crap? I get that they've used art from the original but seriously, it's so bland and looks really weird. Most people that will pick this up aren't even going understand the reference to the original.
Of course. I hope Nintendo takes the hint that we need a sequel to this classic!
I hope you youngens enjoy it.
the game is very short maybe 12-15 hours to easy nostalgia can only carry you so far but the price is the big issue 60 bucks preposterous. when metroid prime remaster was 39.99..the metacritic score has not moved still holding at 83 now i can see why it is lower then many expected..
I never owned a SNES so this remake is the first time I’ve ever played this game. My only memories of the original is the freaky grandpa in the commercial.I’m liking the game alot so far.
@pixelpatch Are you sure?
I haven't seen screenshots of it or anybody mention it.
Tap here to load 138 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...