Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

"Best Mario game ever. 'Nuff said."

Introduction

Super Mario RPG, the greatest Mario game ever. Maybe even the greatest game ever. It was the first game that featured Mario in an RPG. But it's more than just an awesome game. It's quite possibly the best ever, if not THE best, period. Mario's been a strong series since Super Mario Bros., the game that revolutionized gaming, in 1985. But finally in 1996, it happened. The best Mario game came out. Ever since then, the Mario games that have been coming out were still very awesome indeed, and some were close, but still just not as good as this one. Super Mario RPG combines the elements of an RPG, such as a party system, menu options, leveling up, and equipping items and stuff, and the elements of an action-platformer, such as jumping on platforms, and other Mario features, like the treasure chests that he jumps up to and hits to get the item. But the classic Mario features aren't the only thing in this that are classic. This whole game is a classic, and a very good one at that. Read on.

Story

This is a nice twist on the traditional Bowser kidnaps Princess Toadstool scenario, even though that's what first happens. Toadstool is in Mario's garden, looking at flowers, when all of a sudden, the sky goes black, and Bowser in the background in his carrier comes in and takes her. Toadstool screams for help, and out comes Mario on another adventure to save her from Bowser. BUT...here's where the story takes its twist from the typical Mario story. After their big battle at Bowser's Keep, a giant sword falls from the sky and crashes into the castle, sending Mario, Toadstool, and Bowser all flying to a different corner of the world. It's up to Mario to save her, but it gets even deeper. What is the mystery behind that sword? Who is Smithy? The 7 Stars in the title after the sword crashed into the castle that flew off in different directions! What are they for? Play the game and find out.

Graphics

These are definitely nice. They could very well be the best on the SNES. The 3D models, although they only have a certain amount of sides, are nice. But because Mario can only move in 8 directions, you can't see all of him like in, say, Super Mario 64. That also goes for the other characters in the game, as well, but is dictated by how many directions they are seen in. But this is isometric, not full-3D, like SM64. So that's not a problem at all. The Dry Bones also have good detail to them, as well. Their bones are more apparent than they were in Super Mario World. As for the areas, they, too, look nice. The World Map has very nice detail to it, too. It gives a good representation of what the general level looks like. Like Moleville, for instance, is a mountain, sort of. On the map, that's pretty much what it looks like. It has the blocks, the level structure (like elevation of the level, sort of), and a couple of caves. Although most areas may not look identical to what they look like in the World Map, they still look pretty detailed, and are a still well-represented by the World Map. Now, for the individual areas themselves, take Bowser's Keep, for instance. It's a typical gray castle area, but it has statues, and the floor tiles are visible and detailed as well. The lava, although not bubbly or anything, is now more than just a red sea. It has black and yellow sections in it. The landscape of Mushroom Way is a plain, but with bshes, and plateaus with brown rocks on them that look detailed, with greenery. The grass in this game is probably the least detailed thing (just flat green), but the movements, and what is detailed in the game (probably everything else), are awesome. I'd say that the graphics are around Donkey Kong Country's level. Also, when you get Geno and he learns his Special Attacks, they look awesome, especially the Geno Beam & Geno Flash. Geno beam is a blue-white beam that fires through the enemy, and Geno Flash is a sun-looking blast from when Geno turns into a cannon and fires it and it engulfs the whole screen, red, yellow, and orange. But I'd have to say that the level design is the best looking thing in this game. My only complaing is that some of the characters (or maybe just Mario) look a little blurry-ish, but it's nothing, really. Just a couple of red lines that go outward a little from his hat and arm. Mario's sprite, other than that, looks quite well.

Graphics: 10/10

Sound

The audio in this game is superb. The sound effects include, not only Mario sounds, like the jump, the coin, the fireballs (with the Fire Orb attack), and the 1-Up tone, but also, they can be as awesome as Geno's Geno Beam. It's charges up with a charging noise, and when it's unleashed, it makes a whoosh-like noise. But that's not all. The music is where this REALLY shines. There is an enemy theme, and two boss themes. The slow-paced boss theme is just another dude wanting a fight. The fast-paced one, however, is a member of Smithy's Gang, the main villains behind this whole mess (in the plot of the game). Usually, they have Star Pieces. Anywho, there is also the tone for the casual area, such as Mushroom Way, Rose Way, Land's End, etc., and the towns each have their different tone. But...when you first get to these towns, the music is all hoppy-like, but not in the good way, because it's kinda gloomy-ish, too). That's because there's trouble caused by the Smithy gang. But some of the best music comes from stages, such as Star Hill, Nimbus Land (in the castle), and especially the Forest Maze! But I don't think any theme in this game is better than the theme when you fight the hidden boss in Monstro Town. But there are also classic Mario tunes, as well, including the main theme, and remixes of themes from Super Mario Bros. 3 (a few notes in Mario's Pad) and Super Mario World world 1-1 (Rose Town Inn), and even the underground theme. But, those are only a few of the many Mario tones in this game, not to mention that there are a whole load of other tunes in this game that aren't in Mario games, of course. I found no gripes in the sound department, whatsoever.

Sound: 10/10

Gameplay

Ah...this is awesome! The gameplay consists mainly of RPG elements, but also has platform action, as well. You have various items, including healing and attack, party members, and a Weapon, Armor, and Accessory section in the Equip section of the main menu. Your charcters start unarmed (except for one), but you buy weapons and equip them to each character. You can upgrade them in each town that you enter, but they're different. Like, you get the Hammer in Mushroom Way (one of the very few occasions that you get an Equip item that's not in a town), and later, the NokNok Shell in Midas River (again, same story). But what I'm saying is that you're not leveling-up your weapons and stuff. They're practical upgrades when you buy them in a town or get a new weapon (e.g. Mario's weapons: Hammer -> NokNok Shell -> Punch Glove. Mario's Armor: Shirt, Thick Shirt, etc.). The accessories are the only things that don't get ''upgrades.'' They each have different effects. Anywho, you level up your characters with experience points after each battle. After they get to a certain level, however, they learn a new attack. ALso, you can upgrade either their HP, their Attack & Defense, or their Mg. Attack & Mg. Defense. Speed (which dictates which characters strike first) isn't one of the options to upgrade in the level-up screen. The only way speed can be upgraded is by giving a character an accessory, such as the Zoom Shoes or Feather. As for battle, when you touch an enemy, you go into battle, so it's not a random battle thing. In the battle screen, you and your party members are on one side of the field, while the enemies are in the side across from you. You have 4 options: Items (X), Special (Y), Attack (A), and Etc. (B). The letters in the parenthesis are the button that you push in the battle screen to do something. In items, you select an item to use, and you choose an item. It's pretty basic, if not completely obvious. Attack is what you use to attack your enemies with. Whatever weapon you have equipped is what you use in battle. Otherwise, you're unarmed. Special is your special attack option. As I mentioned earlier, your characters can learn attacks from leveling up. Those are the Special Attacks. Depending on who and what you use, they can range from a simple jump or fireball technique, to a spell that puts enemies to sleep, to summoning creatures that put a certain effect on the enemy (much like the spells), to a deadly attack that does 9,999 damage if timed correctly! And Etc. is either Defense, which you use to reduce damage from an attack, or Run Away. Here's another thing. If you attack with a regular attack, and push A at the right moment (like right before the attack lands), you can increase damage. This also applies for Special Attacks as well, but they are usually explained because many of them are more than just timing (e.g. Tap <button> repeatedly, etc.). But that's pretty much what the game revolves around, but it's great, because it adds much strategy to the game and how you battle. Also, the platformer elements are in this as well, so Mario can still do the classic platform-jumping, and at the same time, be in an RPG experience. Great!

Gameplay: 10/10

Replay

Will you want to play this again after you beat it? Why not? Not only is it fun to play again, but also, there are a BUNCH of side-quests in this game, mainly to get certain Equip upgrades. There are more, like finding hidden treasure chests. I'd estimate that this game is probably about 20 or so hours long on the first try. It's quite longer (longer than your typical Mario game), and side-quests help make it longer.

Replay: 10/10

To Buy or Rent? Buy this game! It's awesome! It's the best Mario game yet.

Overall: 10/10

Great graphics, strategic RPG elements and classic platformer action, and awesome replay value make this game one of the absolute greatest ever!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/21/04