This is a rare DNF for me, it never happens with mario games, rpg or otherwise.

I just couldn't be bothered to continue. The aesthetics are bland and ugly, the character/enemy designs are out of place in what is supposed to be a quirky way, but it just feels jarring to me. Enemy and boss designs are as forgettable as it gets.

Gameplay is fine, but it is miles behind any other mario rpg. Combat QTEs are poorly communicated and the timing often feels arbitrary. If you don't have a manual you basically won't be able to know what any status effect does, or even what they look like.

The game progression is a bog-standard maguffin hunt, in a world that is a beeline of uninspired areas one after another, each and every one ruined by the godawful art style and confusing isometric perspective.

The main cast has some interesting character designs, but that's it. You can barely even call them characters, they have basically no personality, dialog or development.

I reached the point where you get the sixth star and just gave up out of pure boredom.

I know this is a highly revered game, and I'm sure that it has charmed many people. Unfortunately, I just can't see the appeal.

Top 10 characters from this game that should be put into Super Smash Bros:

10. Gecko
9. The Forkies
8. Mack (not Claymorbius or whatever they called him)
7. Princess Toadstool
6. Toadofsky
5. Dr. Topper
4. Johnny Jones
3. Valentina
2. that Toad with a bazooka
1. Chef Torte

The fact that Square Enix took on the mantle of creating a Mario game in itself is hard to believe! I can absolutely see why this game was cherished at the time. An RPG taking place in the Super Mario world where u get to play as Bowser, the story being something other than saving Peach, a combat system that's not only strategic, but also having to time your commands and the overworld incorporating platforming mechanics was probably really ambitious... at the time. The game's feel and controls have absolutely held up by today's standards everything else kind had me going, "I've seen this elsewhere before." Its got very cute/unique character designs, comedic writing, incredible ost (some of Shimomora's best work) and an engaging combat system, but it doesn't have much to offer beyond that. Its still a good game, but it's not the "one of a kind" game that it probably was during the 90s. Also the story is surprisingly lackluster considering this was made by the devs who were known for being the king of storytelling in gaming at the time. Overall, I still had a good time w/ it and it's a really good intry point for those who've never/barley have any experience in turn-based RPGs. Same goes for those who are just now getting into the Mario RPG games. I'll always appreciate this game for inspiring the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi series and u can definitely feel this game's influence on those series, but I can't help but feel most Mario RPGs ever since have outdone this game.

Cara esse jogo tem a mesma gameplay de outros jogos que eu adoro, tecnicamente não tem nada de errado nele, é um jogo completamente funcional. Mas eu não consigo gostar dele simplesmente porque:

Isso não é Mario

Eu não tanko esses inimigos bizonhos que são só uns objetos com cara de mal nem esse monte de raça de pessoa bicho genéricas q eles tentam implacar. E e o reino cogumelo desse jogo é disparado o mais sem graça de todos os Marios RPGs

Os visuais são todos amarronzados e esquisitos. Os action commands no meio do combate não tem feedback visual nenhum praticamente, e o jogo é super desbalanceado

Nunca vou recomendar isso como primeiro Mario RPG pra alguém

For the longest time I used to write off this game as something only nostalgic boomers liked and because I associated it with people who say things like "I hate Turn Based RPGs... but I do like Mario RPG and Paper Mario!" and that annoyed me to no end. I'm not a petty teenager anymore though and I wanted to examine the game for myself (not counting that I played until the mid point of the story like a decade ago, I forgot everything about it so it doesn't really count).

What I found here was a charming little RPG, that takes the usual Square trappings from the Super Nintendo era and recontextualizes them into Mario's world and style. It's no wonder that some of the same team here also worked on "Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest", another attempt at an easy and approachable RPG which was FAR less successful to this goal. Mario RPG still offers much of what makes the genre appealing: exploring dungeons, buying and finding equipment to keep your characters strong, leveling up and leaning new abilities, boss fights that force you to use your best skills, multiple characters for different party formations... it actually has it all, just in an easier and more streamlined version.

The story is very straightforward and I actually don't have much to say about it. I like Bowser's characterization here a lot and Mallow was the absolute highlight of the entire plot for me, it almost feels like this is his story on an emotional level.

Anyway, pretty decent little RPG, I get why it's remembered so fondly now.

Way back in the distant year of 1996, in a time where Mario wasnt so heavily brand protected, Nintendo teamed up with Square to give the Super Nintendo one last late goodbye. What came out of that team up is still beeing described as one of the best rpgs of all time. A timless classic many europeans like me never got to experience due to it never beeing released outside Japan and North America. But now as the christmas time and the remake just came out, I thought I finaly look into what so many describe as their favorite game. Does it hold up or is it just childhood nostalgia ?

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars follows the most basic JRPG story you can get. Mario is fighting Bowser as usuall but suddenly a giant sword falls from the sky, releasing an army of weapon themed badguys that reck havoc upon the World. Thats your evil empire, que the quest to collect the 7 Stars to save the world. Its a formula many old school rpgs used and one Mario RPGs specially would reuse in every game to come. And its a good formula for stringing a lot of fun vignietts together, not so great for a compelling story, but thats not the focus for Mario. The Journey really is the destination and youll be amazed how creative Square got with all the places you get to visit. The great writting and wacky situations keep the game running at an enjoyable jog as you visit Molle people, go up the clouds or fight shark pirates in a sunken ship. All with a party of companiens who arent at all deep, but lovable enough that your gona remember your time with them. Everyone has their little story arc with wich you come to appreciate them.

In terms of pressantation Square chose a isometric 3D Render style. It admitly looks kinda cheap in pictures, but I was seriously amazed of how it looks in motion. Their are so many little animations and different sprites they managed to crame into a tiny Cartridge. Although much like the enviroments, not everything is a hit. Theirs realy neat locations like Boosters Towers and Nimbus Land, while places like the Lands End and Kero Sewers drove me kinda nuts in their saminess. That and the enemie color swaps at the end make the visualls 50/50 for me.

Luckily all the enviroments have very disticnt Musicals tracks. Square really treated this like a reall rpg in all aspects, so you get everything form the big orchestral tracks, upbeat cartoon vibes and the occasional 90s techno midi during boss fights. Its all fantastic except the main battle theme for me. Great at first, but long battle gauntlets had it seriously get on my nerves. And the battle them is sadly the main music track you will hear.

The battles are as one would guess turn based. Each of the face buttons correlate to a specific action. Attack, Magic, Items, Run/Defend. This set up is kinda genius. You really dont have to scroll through any menus and actions are right at your finger tips. The battles managd to hold such a fast past, so they almost never get stale. Mana is also shared between all party members so thats also a lair of complexity you dont have to worrie about. I wouldnt say its a bad system at all, but its very simple. Perfect for beginners tbh.
In addition you get a lot of Luck based bonuses and the now famous action button commands. I personally could never figure out the timing for perfect hits and blocks, mostly because of the perspective. The perspective also snaps the games kneecaps in half whenever theirs a sudden platform segment. For me climbing the beanstocks or platforming across lava is akin to water toture, by far the worst aged part.

In the end I still pushed through and Im glad I did. As the credit music plays and the stars you collected show you little epilogues of the places you traveld to, it all seems so worth it. Beyond its age, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars still delivers a one of a kind adventure. And if Im looking for anything in a JRPG, its that feeling of warmt, that I just completed a journey. I now get why this is so beloved by many and Im excited to someday play the remake.

Brimming with charm, sharp comedic writing, and steady pacing, Super Mario RPG for the SNES is a truly special experience that left me grinning ear to ear the entire time. I am no stranger to Mario RPGs. I have experience with both the Mario & Luigi series and Paper Mario. While those games reinvent, expand, and refine the formula started by Super Mario RPG, there is something incredibly endearing about the simplicity found in this game. The characters are charismatic, the world is wondrous, the music is jubilant, and the writing is impressively amusing. It is a rare RPG that I began and played non-stop until rolling credits, completely hooking me with its charm till the very end.

I don't know that I'll be finishing this game any time soon, but I felt like I needed to at least talk about it for a little bit.

Let me start by saying that I really appreciate what this game essentially is and what it did for Mario as a character and as a series. It was an honest attempt at fleshing out the world of the Mushroom Kingdom and those who inhabit it, and turned Mario, Peach and Bowser into real personalities instead of the designated hero, damsel-in-distress and villain. Yes, they frequently play those roles to a T even now, but the fact that they will occasionally step out of their paradigms and show us flashes of nuance can certainly be at least partly attributed to Super Mario RPG informing these traits for the cast. Mario here is your classical heroic mime who, while goofy and unquestionably eager to save the day, does have brief out-of-pocket moments where it's obvious he's exasperated about the nonsense he's having to put up with (if not outright pissed). Peach makes it clear here that she's in no way opposed to taking a proactive role in saving her kingdom and, similar to Mario, can be pushed from cheerful optimist to dangerous spitfire if you get on her nerves. Lastly, there's Bowser, who unquestionably gained the most from this experiment. Going from your typical princess-stealing evil dude to a bumbling, prideful, but ultimately well-meaning guy who is way out of his depth paints him in a completely different light and makes him easy to love. There are of course the other protagonists and the rogue's gallery of enemies that have never been seen before or since this outing. Mallow is cute if largely forgettable, and while Geno struck me as being a lot more one-dimensional than all the fanfare surrounding him might suggest, I really like his design and his role in Super Mario RPG's world. It is a shame that he hasn't made a proper appearance since, especially because it could be an opportunity to do for him what this game did for the main trio. And yes, the Final Fantasy crossover is kind of neat and I applaud Square for shoehorning in a superboss because it would be weirder if Square didn't. Overall, this iteration of the world of Super Mario is full of charm and humor, and it's easy to see why the game is so beloved, even if the main story being presented is in no way revolutionary.

BUT

The gameplay is, for lack of a better word, feeble. I understand that it probably isn't intended to be an exceptionally difficult game to begin with, and the little timing-based quirks in combat do at least make it a bit more engaging than it might be otherwise. However, there is just no agency you have as a player. There is very little reason to modify your party, as Mallow and Bowser are sorely lacking in efficacy and utility set next to Geno and Peach. Skills and equipment are largely just here because that's what RPGs of the time were supposed to have. It's easy to settle on just using the same few moves, and rarely if ever did I feel like there was a reason to not simply upgrade to the gear with the best stats as soon as they were available. If you're halfway awake you can steamroll every enemy and boss this game throws at you, with whatever gimmicks they bring to the table being fairly easy to figure out. Thus, Super Mario RPG falls into the same pitfalls so many JRPGs do, turning into a game where most of your time is spent mindlessly pressing "confirm" and watching numbers go up and down for hours. As far as its contemporaries are concerned, I can at least find games like Earthbound and Chrono Trigger more palatable because they offer a lot in terms of style and narrative to keep me invested and wanting to see what happens next. Super Mario RPG, by comparison, feels like its entire reason for existing is that it's an RPG based on Super Mario. It's in the title! I can't help but be acutely aware the entire time I'm playing this game that I'd be having much more fun playing something like Super Mario World, or if it absolutely had to be an RPG, The Thousand Year Door. Ironically, the fact that the game is mind-numbingly simple is about the only thing that kept me going: I wasn't nearly invested enough in the story that was unfolding before me to feel assured a major roadblock or setback wouldn't turn me off altogether from finishing it. Sure enough, that's exactly what happened.

I came thiiiiiis close to reaching the end when something borked my save file, and the backup I had was much, much earlier than I was personally comfortable with having to retread. I guess I ought to come back and revisit it at a later date, but I must admit I just don't feel any particular desire to. I can see why others have a lot of affection and nostalgia for this game, and yet just about anything that makes it unique has been done much better in other places, even within the Mario franchise. I don't feel right giving it a rating without completing it, but I feel confident in saying it wouldn't be any higher than three stars for me.

I guess I could always play the remake - but I have absolutely zero faith it rectifies any of this game's flaws. Nintendo has a recent habit of putting out full-priced remakes of games that make them look prettier (or uglier, depending on your preference) but don't actually iterate or improve upon the original in any meaningful way. Everything that I've heard about 2023's Super Mario RPG smacks of much the same. I'd be more willing to take the plunge if I thought there was any desire to elevate the original experiences. But I feel like paying $60 when I can have the same experience, warts and all, for free is just one sin I can no longer afford to keep indulging in.

I revisited this game for the first time in a while with the remake so it's a good time to write down my updated thoughts on it.

Releasing this game for $60 in 2023 really shows how much this game has aged. It's short, yes, but that can actually be a positive depending on your perspective. The issues lie elsewhere. The combat is both too simple and too easy. The platforming is very imprecise. The isometric viewpoint is arguably not as immersive as full camera control. There are too few battle themes and many songs have too short of a loop. Some characters did not get enough screen time. Some of the writing is pretty basic. The item descriptions don't explain things well enough. And if you're playing the original game you'll see that the graphics did not age well.

This game is a classic but it's unfortunate that it doesn't hold up as much as an RPG as Super Mario Bros. 3 does as a platformer. If you've played the Paper Mario or Mario & Luigi series then you'll see many elements in Super Mario RPG that PM or M&L did better.

This game is still good and has many great qualities to it. It's very well paced for an RPG. The different chapters of the game are paced like platforming levels in that you can sort of breeze right through them. It's a very replayable game. The constant movement to different setpieces and bosses keeps things interesting. It's also easy to appreciate the large cast of weird characters that don't seem to fit in a Mario game. Super Mario RPG plays fast and loose with the Mario canon and that's one of the best things about it. The soundtrack by Yoko Shimomura is brilliant. There are many secrets in this game. All the hidden easter eggs and secrets make the world feel very lively. Also, this game can be pretty funny. It's not hilarious, but the general weirdness of the game is chuckle-worthy from time to time.

It's a good game and a classic. However, it definitely doesn't hold up perfectly. Maybe someday we will get a Super Mario RPG 2 that will give Geno more screen time.

It's really funny when you see an original Final Fantasy-like enemy next to a stupid ass Boo or Goomba.

Super Mario RPG was a surprise for me, I honestly thought it would've been some generic and boring JRPG with a Mario skin on it but damn Square really put a lot of work into this game, it had more love than what Nintendo pulled out at the time, shoutout to one of the first NES Mario sprite easter egg ever.

Overall this game is a really basic JRPG that mostly gets carried by its character, charm, and universe and not so much by the gameplay, what I'm trying to say is that it's fairly simple if you compare it to Final Fantasy 5 for example.
But to hell with the gameplay, sometimes it's nice to have a chill, dumb easy JRPG to just lay back with.

However, that doesn't mean the game isn't a chore to play because it does have some jank and rotten moments, for example, the Pirate Ship, Bowser's castle with the "Minigame" rooms, and anything that requires some "3D" jump in this rough, isometric art style.

Now, the art style, the most divided portion of the game, it's kind of a hate-it or love-it thing y'know? I personally think pre-rendered 3d textures like Donkey Kong Country, Sonic 3D Blast, and a shit-ton of GBA games looks really cute, but if someone finds it disgusting I can't blame them in the slightest because technically this game aged like shit, but congratulation we are in 2023 (at the time of this review) and the Remake finally dropped with... another hate-it or love-it art style... I'm not sure which of them I like better...
But most of the issues with this art style come with the fake 3D and the platforming which can sometimes feel like a legit "3D" game but it can also feel like crappy jank...

And finally, the most important part of the game, the soundtrack Story.
The story feels like a cartoon, it has this episodic feel with quirky and lovable characters, my favorite arc of the game was the Booster storyline, he's literally Wario 2, please Nintendo bring them back! Bring them all back!
And yeah, the soundtrack fucks.

Overall not the most competent JRPG but as baby's first JRPG it's really good, no challenge is waiting for you here, just a silly story with silly characters, and that's exactly what we want with Mario.

I only played this game because I wanted to finish it before the remake came out... for the most part this game is pretty decent.

This game is what started it all for mario rpg games and I can definetly say that it was a great start. This game has many positives to it, the music is wonderful, the scenary/backgrounds were well developed and I could definetly tell that the team worked hard on it. The new characters were great additions to the nintendo cast and areas were very fun to walk through. Theres also many other small factors that made me enjoy this game.

One important thing about this game that I believe made this game much better, was that the difficulty was at a good level. The game wasn't too easy nor too hard at parts. The bosses were actually somewhat difficult to beat and the puzzles took just a bit of thought to actually beat.

You'd think that after all of these postitives that I have said should make this game atleast a 4 or 4.5 for me but there is a reason as to why this game has dropped by a few points. The story is a big factor of the game that I didn't like too much. It was pretty bland for me, pretty mediocre and cut and paste where the heroes have to collect something to beat the enemy. The story really didn't stand out to me as much as I wished it did and at some parts I really just wished for the game to end already.

Nevertheless, this game was enjoyable for the most part except for the small nitpicks. IMO this game holds up to its hype somewhat and if you are contemplating on playing this game, you should definitely give it a try.