Released on the US on May 13th, 1996, Super Mario RPG was the result of a rare and magical collaboration between Nintendo and Square. Combining the whimsical nature of the Mario universe with the somber and epic tones of that the likes of a Final Fantasy RPG, this is a game that hits all the right notes in appeasing players of either preferred genre. It's in fact a good jumping ground (pun intended) for players not overly found of the intimidating complexities or repetitive turn-based nature of RPG's. The adventure begins on a familiar note: Bowser kidnaps Princess Toadstool (aka Peach), and Mario springs into action. But from here, the series of choices following this very intro completely shift player expectations and set the tone of what will be an incredible grand and memorable adventure.
The first shift in expectation begins with Mario charging into Bowser's Keep, what is typically reserved for your end game being served right at the start. And as the title of an RPG would imply, players get their first taste into the turn-based combat against some very weird Square-stylized Koopas. After a few battles and a sprint across a fiery bridge, players reach the throne room to find Peach perilously dangling at the ceiling with Bowser perched atop an impressive chandelier. Mario jumps up to ensue in what already feels like a riveting final bout, which I should remind you that we're only about 5 minutes into the game here. And even this boss fight teaches players to consider varied tactics, as they need not target Bowser, but rather the chandelier itself. Just as the day looks to have been saved, a sudden earthquake sends all characters flying across the Mushroom Kingdom as a giant ominous sword pierces the entirety of Bowser's Keep. It's here that the title actually appears and that the realization dawns of what incredible tasks are about to unfold.
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| Concept art of Super Mario RPG. |
And the memorable moment in this game never slow down. The awe of entering the grand interpretation of the Mushroom Kingdom. The wonder of meeting new intriguing new characters like Geno, a star spirit / wooden, blue puppet who uses magic and has a machine-gun for a finger (a character so cool and iconic, he's still being clamored for in Smash Bros despite this game being his only playable appearance). How you could stay at the fanciest, 5-star hotel for an outlandish fee, then continually sleep day after day after day before checking out, in which you've racked up a debt you can't possibly pay off, so the hotel forces you to actually work the front desk, showing guests to their suite, and you actually get tipped with power-ups. Or what about the hidden Final Fantasy boss who sends your party to another dimension as it attempts to consume all matter and cosmos.
Enough ramblings of these riveting narrative beats though, because this game delivers in so many other areas as well. Such as the unique action-based combat system that rewards players with extra damage or defense when properly hitting inputs for various attacks. This clever mechanic helps break up the tedium typically associated with turn-based RPG's, keeping players constantly involved and always looking to learn / master new timings to new weapons or enemies. It's amazing to consider this being Mario's first foray into the world of RPG's that this intuitive mechanic was so well implemented, and would go on to be a staple feature in the other Mario RPG series, such as Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi, to follow.
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| Come on, Geno for SMASH! |
The game also just oozes style from its imaginative art direction to ornate soundtrack. The quirky sense of almost stop-motion-like animation, in which Mario never speaks and pantomimes every conversation in the game, no matter the complexity, is such a delight to behold. The musical score of this game perfectly encompasses the playful yet majestic tone this adventure sets to tell. This game is a work of art on so many levels and truly highlights the potential of two esteemed studios such as Nintendo and Square putting forth such a collaborative effort. I dream of the day these two should team up once again and fathom what the results would bring given the exponential leaps in technology since this last joint partnership. If Super Mario RPG has taught me anything, a world of dreams and wishes is worth fighting for, so I'll hold onto that dream for however long it takes.
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