Should you play? - Absolutely, delightful game that expertly adapts the mechanics and world of Mario to RPG systems

I've never played the original on SNES so when this was announced I was very excited. I had always heard good things about the game but to my
delight it surpassed even those expectations. This remake worked really well, the art direction and graphics felt in line with what I have seen of the original and the additions they added (for example, new cut scenes and a level up screen that I adored) felt right at home.

The mechanics and staples of Mario games (i.e. jumping, question blocks, recognizable enemies, etc) were skillfully adapted into the RPG framework. At the same time, new elements (i.e. characters, enemies, character personalities, etc) were created in this game that were fun to experience and have carried on in the franchise to this day.

I was surprised by and very happy with the amount of different enemy types, bosses, and even minigames that they were able to fit into the game. The humor was another unexpected highlight for me, a lot of it catching me off guard and embracing the quirky and endearing tone of the game.

While I have some minor nitpicks, like the at times repetitive nature of the game, they fall more in line with common criticisms of RPG systems as a whole and never detracted from my enjoyment of the game.

All in all, an absolute pleasure to play that I can't wait to replay again in the future!

Should you play? - Definitely play but be weary of post-game difficulty

A delightful puzzle platformer with eerie and enthralling visuals and vibes. Really asks you to use your brain which leads to some awesome a-ha moments and feelings of accomplishment. One discovery I made early on just playing around with the game mechanics and paying attention to the environment stands out as a core memory with this game, very rewarding.

My main criticism, however, is that once you enter post-game, the difficulty of solving puzzles and finding secrets starts jumps up significantly. I ended up using a guide towards the end as I wanted to see as much of the game as possible but did not want to spend hours upon hours trying to figure out everything on my own (one secret in particular not possible to do on your own). I'm very impressed by the dev's trust in the player/community, I just personally wish certain challenges weren't as difficult to overcome or hidden.

Still, a game I'll remember fondly and would definitely recommend to anyone who loves puzzle platformers