Mario RPG is a dang good first attempt to kick off the long line of mario rpg's. It's got an incredibly charming presentation, with very fun characters and writing, a goofy plot with a lot of memorable moments, and a fun soundtrack. All of that stuff is consistently really good.

The gameplay is also quite good, although there's a number of places that feel a bit aged or annoying. The combat is good, nothing too complicated. It's mostly carried by a ton of bosses that all bring something new to the table, which does a good job of keeping things feeling fresh.

I did find that I was a bit tired of the same few enemy types by the time I reached the end of a handful of areas. The area design is much more varied than you usually get in an RPG, to mostly positive results. Sometimes you get a neat puzzle or some light platforming. There are a few gimmicks that don't work, like platforming that requires depth perception that doesn't feel good with the isometric perspective, or combat gauntlets that go on too long.

All in all though, this is a tightly paced and very fun rpg that doesn't overstay it's welcome and has a ton of variety to it, on top of a great presentation.