I'll start by saying I have never played the original SNES version of this game so I have no comparisons in that regard. Regardless, this was a fun little JRPG. The updated graphics are great throughout but the cutscenes, as rare as they might be, look really good. Specifically the triple moves were really fun to use because of the little cutscene that plays each time you use one. The story is pretty basic as far as Mario RPGs go, but it still had it's handful of charming moments. I think the little chibi-esque character models they decided to use were a really great idea. In my opinion it makes the game much more endearing. I also think this game gives Mario so much character without him saying a single word throughout the game. Watching him hop around and emote during dialogue was always funny, especially when he re-enacts previous scenes from the story in an attempt to explain to other characters what is going on. Every faceplant in the middle of a scene was chuckle-worthy no matter how many times they did it.

I think the characters and the humor are where this game really shines. Mallow and Geno are great companions, although I will say I enjoyed the latter much more than the former (I now understand the Geno for Smash push, he rocks). A Mario and Bowser team up is always a welcome addition, too. Bowser is great in this game with his "trying to act tough but really is kind of a loser" act. Peach is there too. She doesn't really do much. Good healer though. I will say though, the enemy and boss design is pretty unique in terms of Mario games. I'd be hard pressed to find any enemies that look this nutty in other Mario games. It's almost to the point where they don't fit, but I think it works.

As for the actual RPG mechanics of the game, they're fine. The game is pretty easy throughout and I don't think I ever really faced an actual challenge. And yes, I know this is a Mario RPG, it's a game for children, but a little challenge would have been appreciated. More often than not I would just use each character's basic "Attack" feature ad nauseam because it usually did more damage than all of the characters' special moves. There really wasn't much depth to the combat system. The saving grace of the combat was the "Action Command" feature. This is a common feature used in Mario RPGs that can either enhance your damage or reduce enemy damage by timing a button press properly with when the attack is going to hit. This at least kept me a little engaged during the battles.

Overall, this is far from the deepest RPG you will ever play, but it's charm was enough for me to enjoy my time playing.