Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

"Super Mario RPG - A Unique Tale with a Classic Character"

In 1985, the Nintendo Company produced one of its first games. Entitled “Super Mario”, this game began a video entertainment system revolution, of which an overall wearing plumber would be the head. Named Mario, this high jumping plumber introduced us to Luigi, his brother, Princess Toadstool, his girlfriend, and Bowser, his turtle-like enemy. Then, 1991, after several more Mario games had come and gone, Nintendo came out with their first Mario game for the Super Nintendo, “Super Mario World”. Once again, Mario and Luigi met their fearsome foe, Bowser, but this time with a new friend, Yoshi, a green dinosaur who was glad to help. Searching out Princess Toadstool from Bowser’s clutches, Mario games were instantly seen again as the classics they once and always were. In 1993, the classic Super Mario Kart came, and went, amazing fans with the Mario series first racing game. But then, in 1995, a new Mario story emerged, the story I am reviewing here. Super Mario RPG (Role-Playing Game) came out and, to all the fan’s surprise, a new evil emerged. Long gone were the days of simple Mario play, retrieving Princess Toadstool from Bowser, and flattening Goombas. It was a new Mario, with new characters, and a new enemy…

NOTE: There will be small spoilers in this review

Characters 9/10: Super Mario RPG has not only new characters for your allies, but also a totally new enemy. With a totally new enemy, a new storyline appears, and is, incredibly, as entertaining as the regular story. The characters of your party in Super Mario RPG are as follows:

Mario- 7/10: In Super Mario RPG, obviously Mario is a main character. Given the element of fire and a great talent for jumping, Mario is just as he ever was before, yet a problem arises. During the period of the game, many Super Mario RPG players find that Mario is not one of their best three players, and therefore the would like to replace him with another character. The problem that arises is that Mario cannot be switched. He is permanently in your party. While this is annoying, it is fitting, as the game is based around him.

Try this: When you get Mario to a high enough level, he learns the magic spell “Super Jump”. Using this spell, Mario can jump many times on an enemy’s head. A challenge for Super Mario RPG players is this: You control how many jumps Mario makes by hitting “A” when he hits the enemy. If timed correctly, Mario will go back up for another jump. Hit the enemy as many times consecutively as you can! Try to get as many as you can, trying to beat your own records! It’s addictive.

Bowser- 8/10: Finally, a Mario game where Bowser is playable! Strong as ever, Bowser is a great asset to your party. He is, by far, the strongest character in your party, yet lacks greatly in the magic department. Many Super Mario RPG players find that they skip over this powerful baddie because they are so dependent on magical skills. Bowser also has a sizeable amount of Hit Points (HP), making him very useful in consecutive battles. Do not look Bowser over when you are playing this game, as he will give your party a strong edge when fighting enemies that are not damaged much by magic.

Peach (Princess Toadstool)-10/10: Princess, as in Super Mario 2, for NES, is not captured during most of game. When Mario rescues her from Booster’s clutches at their wedding, Princess resolves to join him on his quest. Bringing along her great talent at healing and attacking, Princess is possibly the most useful character in the game. Able to equip strange items like the frying pan, the Princess returns to the Mario series with a bang, showing how strong she really is.

Mallow – 9/10: Mallow is a new character that first debuts in the Mario series here. A puff-like boy, resembling a Marshmallow (hence, his name), Mallow is a strong magician, ranking in the same league as Princess herself. With useful spells like Psychopath, which checks an enemies remaining Hit Points, and Thunderbolt, which pierces enemies which a bolt of lightning, Mallow truly is a very useful character. Despite his incredible magic skills, Mallow is a very poor fighter, and loses much credibility due to this. Even so, Mallow is a great character that shouldn’t be passed up.

Geno – 10/10: Seemingly a doll, yet really a spirit from the Star Road, Geno joins Mario’s party realizing that Mario has the most potential at returning the 7 stars that were lost from the Star Road. Very strong and having a great talent with magic, Geno is, in most player’s opinions, the best character in the game. Surpassing even Bowser at some points in attacks, and even presented a greater talent for magic at some points than both Mallow and Peach, Geno is Super Mario RPG’s “Jack of All Trades”. Geno is truly a great character, one not to be passed up, if for some reason you thought to do so.

I was amazed when I finished this game to find that Luigi was barely mentioned! This practically main character of the series was left out of this game, which I feel he would have fit into nicely. Despite this fact, everything else involving the characters in this game was great, and I congratulate Nintendo on that point.

Gameplay/Controls- 9/10: Super Mario RPG was a great game. Chock full of bosses, monsters, treasure boxes, and secret levels the game was truly amazing. The Battle System, while new, is not difficult or confusing. Flower Points (FP) take the place of Magic Points (MP), yet are still understood. Super Mario RPG remade the RPG format successfully.

Battle System – 10/10: Super Mario RPG took it unto itself to remake the Battle System, and did a great job. Finally, an RPG that put the Y button to use. Assigning a command (fight, run, magic and item) to one of the letter buttons (A, B, X, Y), the Super Mario RPG Battle System is easy to master. I found that, even though it is different, I enjoyed the system much more than those of other RPGs. The only problem that arose with me was that, when if the Magic Menu (assigned to the button letter “Y”), you must always use the “Y” button to select spells (being an avid user of the “A” button to select commands, it takes so training). Even so, this system was wonderful overall.

Secret or Optional Puzzles/Bosses – 10/10: Super Mario RPG is chock full of secret puzzles and bosses. From invisible treasure chests to the hidden Shy Guy Casino, this game has not only secret items, but also places and people. This fact is one of the main factors in the high replayability factor of this game.

Secret Bosses- 10/10: While many bosses in this game are mandatory, certain bosses are not. Jinx and Culex are to name a few, and, surprisingly, they are found in the same town. Jinx, a small yet versatile ninja, fights you several times and, when you win each time, awards you with the “Jinx Belt”, an item that increases some of your stats. Most if not all optional bosses are existent only to protect an strong item you seek, and I think it is much more exciting that way. Having to work your way to getting a weapon is much more exhilarating than just opening up a treasure chest and discovering it inside. Super Mario RPG excels in this area, as it has several optional bosses who guard fabulous items.

Side Quests- 9/10: The only problem I found with side quests was that there are not enough in the game. A such quest is getting to and into the Shy Guy Casino, a small area designed to spend your cash, as a real casino. These quests all lead to increasing your stats, or discovering more secrets, which, overall, are great fun. Super Mario RPG is riddled with side quests, which make the game that much longer, and that much more entertaining.

Graphics9/10: Super Mario RPG has some of the best graphics found in a video game for the SNES system. The backgrounds of the same caliber as the characters themselves, the game is a true artistic masterpiece by the Nintendo Company. Each character, even the townspeople, are capable of expression, many different angled views, and all sorts of movement. Super Mario RPG is a fantastic example of the potential of the SNES.

Character Sprites- 10/10: Each character in this game looks exactly as they should. The animation and movement of the characters is realistic, and makes the game that much more enjoyable. Even the townspeople, though repetitive, seem to sparkle with the talent of the animator, and cartoonish realism. Despite the idea behind them, even the moles of Moleville seem to have some aura of seriousness around them, which shows the true talent of Nintendo.

Monster Sprites- 8/10: While the character sprites in this game are great, some of the Monster sprites are less than adequate. Some blotchy, blurred or confused, the monster sprites are not of the same caliber as even that of the townspeople. Even so, some of the monster sprites, such as those of the caterpillars in forests, are smooth, accurate, and beautiful! If any aspect of the animation really lacks, it would be in the monster sprite area.

Boss Sprites- 10/10: The boss sprites are of equal quality to the character sprites in Super Mario RPG. Bosses like the Belome, who’s animation was wonderful, we couldn’t have asked for more, to Yaridovich, who was also greatly drawn and animated, the Bosses of Super Mario RPG were done well both on the world map, and in battle. The great depth of animation in battle in Super Mario RPG gives it an edge over great games, like Final Fantasy 3/6, which have little or no animation.

Magic Animation- 10/10: All spells in this game as beautiful and wonderfully done. Every character has their own set of spells that are a pleasure to behold, and a clear and concise. From Mario to Geno, all spells “look” good.

Backgrounds/Sets- 10/10: Super Mario RPG presented a truly 3D sense to the Mario world for the first time. Not only was the background exceptionally good looking, but also the 3D effect put this game’s background graphics over the top.

The graphics of Super Mario RPG truly passed the artistic boundaries set by previous Role Playing Games on the SNES. From character sprites to bosses to the backgrounds, this game truly took the first step towards 3 Dimensional games.

Soundtrack/Effects-9/10: This game is accompanied by a truly great soundtrack, which shows, all in all, the potential of Nintendo’s musical talent. From the quick and snappy Boss tunes, to the smooth and beautiful tunes of the towns, Super Mario RPG has a great soundtrack, one comparable to any Playstation or Nintendo 64 track. Along with the great music are the character sound effects, adding to the feeling of the game, developing the game into a masterpiece. While most of the music is great, some of it is tedious, and repetitive, yet not so much. Super Mario RPG truly has a great soundtrack.

Replayability-10/10: As stated before, Super Mario RPG is a truly addictive game. With so many secrets and optional ways to go, the game truly allows for a player to play the game many times without getting bored, or finding everything. Long and difficult at parts, Super Mario RPG was truly a masterpiece of its time, and calls to a previous player to pick up the controller and start over. Super Mario RPG is a great game, which beckons for a player to play it repeatedly, re-finding characters, places, and the game itself.

Buy or Rent-BUY- Super Mario RPG, now scarce, is not a game to pass up, if you can find it. I would recommend to any avid RPG player to go out and find this game, as you will not be sorry. With incredible graphics, wonderful gameplay, and exceptional music, Super Mario RPG is a true masterpiece for the SNES. As many Mario fans would agree, this game is a classic for the ages. Go to your local used-video game store today, and look for a copy of Super Mario RPG. You wont be disappointed!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/31/01, Updated 03/31/01