Super Mario RPG Preview

If you have never played Super Mario RPG before, you are in for a real treat when the enhanced version drops on November 17th. This is a weird preview to put together because, for those of us who have enjoyed it in the past, the game itself has been out since the days of the Super Nintendo.

Many regard Super Mario RPG as one of the best Mario games of all time, and specifically the best Mario RPG title (although I’d still put The Thousand Year Door ahead of this)! With the game fully enhanced for the Nintendo Switch, it’s time to look at whether or not it is worth picking up.

It has been a long time since I played Super Mario RPG, and when I heard Nintendo was planning to remake it for the Nintendo Switch I was thrilled. There are many who are upset that Nintendo is yet again releasing another remake, but I think this one is going to hit different for Nintendo fans.

Super Mario RPG released in 1996, so it’s almost been 30 years since the game was initially released. The number of new Nintendo fans in that time frame who likely have never played this gem is in the millions, so this is the perfect time for Nintendo to bring it back.

And bring it back they do. Splendidly in fact! Super Mario RPG has been given a complete overhaul, with some dialogue changes to reflect the changes in mechanics and modes, and more. Right away, Nintendo shows how they shine in the age accessibility space by offering two different modes of play, Breezy and Normal.

Super Mario RPG is a pretty difficult game, and does require some grinding to raise your character levels. Playing on Breezy mode strips that aspect of the game away by making timed attacks hit with more ease, allowing characters to deal more damage, and reducing the hit points of various enemies. Without this necessary update, my 9 year old son Lochlan would have a struggle getting through this game. With it, he is having a blast.

I love the other upgrades to Super Mario RPG as well, including new battle systems that utilize all three characters in a new three-way power move! It’s new and not overly complex, but unique and fun none-the-less. There are also other powers you can get that will aid you along the way, such as having Toad show up in the battle and offer up a treasure chest. Again, a minor inclusion, but a great one! You can also link together a perfect chain of attacks and blocks that help your characters immensely in fights!

The game has been rebuilt from the ground up in almost every way. Graphically things look amazing, and the cutscenes littered throughout are wonderfully done and bring so much more life to the game. While the various areas still remain familiar to me, they all look new and fresh, truly given a 2023 overhaul. I think a bit of an improvement in the controls of the game would have been ideal. The game is built for a d-pad on the Super Nintendo controller. Perhaps it wasn’t possible, but updating things a bit for a joystick would have been nice.

It’s worth noting that while I felt it could have been better, my son thought it was fine. This could be a nit-picky sort of thing.

And that is for good reason. So far into the game – and I haven’t finished yet, still lots to play – I’m having issues pinpointing any major issues I have. Perhaps after some time completing the game and reflecting on my experience, I might have something further to say, but I’m still very much being swayed by the nostalgic wave that hits me each time I pick up the controller to play. My initial thoughts on this one are very positive, and I think this is one worth investing in. Still, I will have my final thoughts on the game in just a few weeks, so stay tuned!