Mario's incursion into new genres continued with the Square/Nintendo collab of Super Mario RPG, that also paired action game precision with JRPG menu selection. Its combat is essentially Beyond the Beyond done right: Turn-based gameplay that grants bonuses upon synchronizing inputs to the impact of one's offense (e.g. heightened stats, extra turns) and defense (guarding), but with guaranteed damage rather than purely chance-driven side effects. Instead of magic types, Square's version of timing-oriented battling offers variety in a more tactile context. Weapons and abilities are characterized not only by their effects, but also by their skill check, and those variations are enough to distract from its below average pool of options (whether skills or allies) while helping them disguise what is - ultimately, the same battle approach of many console RPGs at the time (i.e. partitioning damage). What follows is straightforward and almost barebones, albeit with something to do in-between commands, an apparently simple feature which ends up distorting combat's flow (focused less on the menus and more on the animations) and tension (stemming from performance over prediction).

Outside battle mode are small, isometric 3D stages with traces of platforming and on-map mobs, alongside numerous ventures into minigames, unique scenarios, secrets (invisible blocks) and even Zelda-style challenges. The rest is - instead, little more than JRPG traditions dressed up with Super Mario's vibrant, colorful aesthetic, although with a few major exceptions: Stat-allocation (whose inherent replay value benefits from the game's length), the charming cast and above all a prevailing cartoony sense of humor. If its low difficulty leaves a bit to be desired, the experience is nonetheless well-produced and radiates wacky fun.