Super Mario AlrightPG
Disclaimer, I wasn't alive when the first iteration of Bing Bing Wahoo man's mighty adventures through RPG-dom first erupted into the hands of SNES players in 1996. I came around a little after, dodged out on JRPG gaming almost entirely until I discovered an indie title by the name of Final Fantasy X. Jokes aside that's the tie in to SMRPG, while FFX isn't as hardcore of an entry into JRPG's like a Shin Megami Tensei might be, it's no cakewalk. On the other side, SMRPG is a Squaresoft title originally crafted to serve as baby's first JRPG and it... feels like it. The takeaway that you can get from my review going forward, and my utmost qualm with the title is that it is ultimately too surface level of a game.
There's a lot to like though, and I'll start with that first. Hey you know what Square did really good back in the day? Write video games. Mario and the gang are notoriously unremarkable characters in the realm of quotables or narrative sequencing. "Your Princess is in Another Castle" has been a gaming meme since Mario first hit the big time in his own original release outside of being Jumpman. You've never expected a big story out of Mario nor an elaborate Metal-Gear level speech, and that's alright.
Going into SMRPG I was curious if Square and Nintendo EPD had made a full length experience with the beloved red plumber that was captivating throughout. I think I got that, there existing a plethora of moments within the shorter runtime that I chuckled or smiled at the interpretive ways they weaved storytelling into Mario's lexicon. My favorites were the moments where Mario had to explain the plight of the story thus far to allies and he would emote topsy-turvy: spinning around and morphing into different characters to convey his message rather than speak. His party members in Peach, Geno, Mallow, and Bowser were cracking sly jokes or utilizing ridiculous humor in dire situations. Other times I chuckled included Peach's ill-fated marriage, the dissolution of the not-so-powerful rangers, and Bowser's "recruitment" of Mario into his army. Not only were the written moments pretty funny, but the unwritten as well. About two-thirds of the way through the game you must use cannons to traverse a rocky landscape, and if you accidentally send Mario the wrong way he'll run in place Looney-Tunes style before hoisting himself back up to safety. It's events like this in a Mario title that give the little guy and his team the personality they need to make these games fun. Mario is fun, fun is Mario, that's what its about.
There is a power giving a little narrative spunk into a Mario game, moreso than ever existed before, but was it enough? That's a tough question to answer, but I felt like it wasn't. The narrative was simply uncompelling, but I'll give them credit for trying something new outside of the "Bowser is the big bad trying to ruin the day" schtick, but honestly that's been more successful to tickling my "that's good enough" meter. I didn't get the villain at all, his motives were clear yet served as the exact same motivation that Bowser has in every title.
The stars that you're tasked with collecting seem to hold little intrinsic value to the people safekeeping them, perhaps the fallout of having a JRPG with this short of a runtime (sub fifteen hours, mine ran more with AFK time.) I don't really know what compelled Mario and company to move on in this game other than the fact that there was a big bad and monsters in the world as a result, I guess after typing that out loud that was pretty much it... Difficulty in the march towards the end didn't seem to spike, neither did the stakes at hand. Danger is a fantastic narrative tool in storytelling, upping the consequences of failure as your party reaches their ultimate encounter with the paramount evil gives you a motive in and of itself outside of the immediate "bad guy" mystique. When your ragtag group of miscreants is in their glorious battle with the fate of the universe on the line, the tremendous implications of success should guide them to victory. With SMRPG, this consequence doesn't exist in a level of stakes that is interesting nor engaging towards the story. Now as I wrote above it may be unfair to hold a Mario title up to this expectation because of the general milquetoast of the stories in his journey thus far, but with Squaresoft DNA and the acclaim I'd heard this game given, I expected pretty much anything more.
Generally speaking, the writing in this game was good, the narrative mediocre at best, but an unfortunate miss for me was in the addition of Mallow and Geno as party members. Smash playing SMRPG fans I weep for you, as you watched your hopes and dreams perish in the lines of duty when Geno was included as a Mii Fighter costume into SSBU, I did the same when Dante met the same fate, but Geno is a patient of Surface-Level-itis as well. I get why the character exists from a lore standpoint, and the point at which he's introduced to the party felt like I was a kid watching one of my toys come to life as well, but outside of that he's just bland. He's a puppet with a neat design, but he doesn't really bring much to the table outside of being a vessel for the resolution of the story, and the way his arc ends just had me in a realm of confusion. I felt like there was supposed to be a heartfelt moment there but I effectively rolled my eyes and thought of the thousand games that have done that narrative technique better.
Unlike Geno, who I felt was mostly bland, Mallow just kinda sucks and mostly because he's a pointless unit that is outclassed by everyone you get as a party member. Damagewise? Use Geno or Bowser. Need a healer/magic user? Use Peach. He's cute and sure Nintendo really succeeds in the kawaii-factor, but he's ultimately pointless and the arc he embarks on in finding his true family was dealt in such a surface-level manner within the story that I found it hard to care. Why am I typing all of this about a game I called surface level? A Mario game at that? I don't really know, but here we are, enjoy your stay. I'm still not quite sure why you end up going to Nimbus-land or whatever it's called and I was just there in the game yesterday, but for whatever reason it was the McGuffin needed for it's-a-me-a-Mario guy to save the world.
Combat is basic and inoffensive, definitely the right caliber for a simple game designed to introduce a younger audience to JRPG's. You can get through the entire game through physical DPS (source: me) and basic healing through bosses with Peach or items. Normally that would become grating for me, but as I've mentioned already the runtime wasn't long enough for any legitimate monotony to set in. Battles felt a little long in the early sections but with Geno and Bowser in the party, it was generally a couple turn affair. That being said, the splash damage and perfect guard timings that use the action button felt unnecessary and often awkwardly inconsistent. It's another moment where I applaud the effort and vision, though I don't think it came together at the right level.
Despite knowing that she's an industry legend, and the soundtrack to the youth of many generations of gamers, I hadn't quite fell in love with a Yoko Shimomura-composed game yet... until SMRPG. She did an incredible job marrying so many different influences and sounds into a series with an already impressive soundscape. The silly and jovial of Mario was orchestrated to a superb extent to fit within the realms of the journey that exists within a JRPG. Towns got fitting town themes, bosses got an appropriate (yet recycled) boss theme, the zones each had a sonic vibe that matched the environment... everything clicked. Couple this with another great optimization and graphical touchup job by Nintendo and you had a game that was simply gorgeous on the eyes and ears.
Though I felt like it missed the mark for me overall, it was generally speaking a good enough game. I liked hunting for the easter eggs and references in regards to other Nintendo IP's and I enjoyed my time with a piece of history, but it isn't a game that I ultimately believe fits the billing its been given. I recommend SMRPG to anyone chasing the nostalgia, but honestly speaking there are better JRPG games, and better Mario games out there to play right now.
Disclaimer, I wasn't alive when the first iteration of Bing Bing Wahoo man's mighty adventures through RPG-dom first erupted into the hands of SNES players in 1996. I came around a little after, dodged out on JRPG gaming almost entirely until I discovered an indie title by the name of Final Fantasy X. Jokes aside that's the tie in to SMRPG, while FFX isn't as hardcore of an entry into JRPG's like a Shin Megami Tensei might be, it's no cakewalk. On the other side, SMRPG is a Squaresoft title originally crafted to serve as baby's first JRPG and it... feels like it. The takeaway that you can get from my review going forward, and my utmost qualm with the title is that it is ultimately too surface level of a game.
There's a lot to like though, and I'll start with that first. Hey you know what Square did really good back in the day? Write video games. Mario and the gang are notoriously unremarkable characters in the realm of quotables or narrative sequencing. "Your Princess is in Another Castle" has been a gaming meme since Mario first hit the big time in his own original release outside of being Jumpman. You've never expected a big story out of Mario nor an elaborate Metal-Gear level speech, and that's alright.
Going into SMRPG I was curious if Square and Nintendo EPD had made a full length experience with the beloved red plumber that was captivating throughout. I think I got that, there existing a plethora of moments within the shorter runtime that I chuckled or smiled at the interpretive ways they weaved storytelling into Mario's lexicon. My favorites were the moments where Mario had to explain the plight of the story thus far to allies and he would emote topsy-turvy: spinning around and morphing into different characters to convey his message rather than speak. His party members in Peach, Geno, Mallow, and Bowser were cracking sly jokes or utilizing ridiculous humor in dire situations. Other times I chuckled included Peach's ill-fated marriage, the dissolution of the not-so-powerful rangers, and Bowser's "recruitment" of Mario into his army. Not only were the written moments pretty funny, but the unwritten as well. About two-thirds of the way through the game you must use cannons to traverse a rocky landscape, and if you accidentally send Mario the wrong way he'll run in place Looney-Tunes style before hoisting himself back up to safety. It's events like this in a Mario title that give the little guy and his team the personality they need to make these games fun. Mario is fun, fun is Mario, that's what its about.
There is a power giving a little narrative spunk into a Mario game, moreso than ever existed before, but was it enough? That's a tough question to answer, but I felt like it wasn't. The narrative was simply uncompelling, but I'll give them credit for trying something new outside of the "Bowser is the big bad trying to ruin the day" schtick, but honestly that's been more successful to tickling my "that's good enough" meter. I didn't get the villain at all, his motives were clear yet served as the exact same motivation that Bowser has in every title.
The stars that you're tasked with collecting seem to hold little intrinsic value to the people safekeeping them, perhaps the fallout of having a JRPG with this short of a runtime (sub fifteen hours, mine ran more with AFK time.) I don't really know what compelled Mario and company to move on in this game other than the fact that there was a big bad and monsters in the world as a result, I guess after typing that out loud that was pretty much it... Difficulty in the march towards the end didn't seem to spike, neither did the stakes at hand. Danger is a fantastic narrative tool in storytelling, upping the consequences of failure as your party reaches their ultimate encounter with the paramount evil gives you a motive in and of itself outside of the immediate "bad guy" mystique. When your ragtag group of miscreants is in their glorious battle with the fate of the universe on the line, the tremendous implications of success should guide them to victory. With SMRPG, this consequence doesn't exist in a level of stakes that is interesting nor engaging towards the story. Now as I wrote above it may be unfair to hold a Mario title up to this expectation because of the general milquetoast of the stories in his journey thus far, but with Squaresoft DNA and the acclaim I'd heard this game given, I expected pretty much anything more.
Generally speaking, the writing in this game was good, the narrative mediocre at best, but an unfortunate miss for me was in the addition of Mallow and Geno as party members. Smash playing SMRPG fans I weep for you, as you watched your hopes and dreams perish in the lines of duty when Geno was included as a Mii Fighter costume into SSBU, I did the same when Dante met the same fate, but Geno is a patient of Surface-Level-itis as well. I get why the character exists from a lore standpoint, and the point at which he's introduced to the party felt like I was a kid watching one of my toys come to life as well, but outside of that he's just bland. He's a puppet with a neat design, but he doesn't really bring much to the table outside of being a vessel for the resolution of the story, and the way his arc ends just had me in a realm of confusion. I felt like there was supposed to be a heartfelt moment there but I effectively rolled my eyes and thought of the thousand games that have done that narrative technique better.
Unlike Geno, who I felt was mostly bland, Mallow just kinda sucks and mostly because he's a pointless unit that is outclassed by everyone you get as a party member. Damagewise? Use Geno or Bowser. Need a healer/magic user? Use Peach. He's cute and sure Nintendo really succeeds in the kawaii-factor, but he's ultimately pointless and the arc he embarks on in finding his true family was dealt in such a surface-level manner within the story that I found it hard to care. Why am I typing all of this about a game I called surface level? A Mario game at that? I don't really know, but here we are, enjoy your stay. I'm still not quite sure why you end up going to Nimbus-land or whatever it's called and I was just there in the game yesterday, but for whatever reason it was the McGuffin needed for it's-a-me-a-Mario guy to save the world.
Combat is basic and inoffensive, definitely the right caliber for a simple game designed to introduce a younger audience to JRPG's. You can get through the entire game through physical DPS (source: me) and basic healing through bosses with Peach or items. Normally that would become grating for me, but as I've mentioned already the runtime wasn't long enough for any legitimate monotony to set in. Battles felt a little long in the early sections but with Geno and Bowser in the party, it was generally a couple turn affair. That being said, the splash damage and perfect guard timings that use the action button felt unnecessary and often awkwardly inconsistent. It's another moment where I applaud the effort and vision, though I don't think it came together at the right level.
Despite knowing that she's an industry legend, and the soundtrack to the youth of many generations of gamers, I hadn't quite fell in love with a Yoko Shimomura-composed game yet... until SMRPG. She did an incredible job marrying so many different influences and sounds into a series with an already impressive soundscape. The silly and jovial of Mario was orchestrated to a superb extent to fit within the realms of the journey that exists within a JRPG. Towns got fitting town themes, bosses got an appropriate (yet recycled) boss theme, the zones each had a sonic vibe that matched the environment... everything clicked. Couple this with another great optimization and graphical touchup job by Nintendo and you had a game that was simply gorgeous on the eyes and ears.
Though I felt like it missed the mark for me overall, it was generally speaking a good enough game. I liked hunting for the easter eggs and references in regards to other Nintendo IP's and I enjoyed my time with a piece of history, but it isn't a game that I ultimately believe fits the billing its been given. I recommend SMRPG to anyone chasing the nostalgia, but honestly speaking there are better JRPG games, and better Mario games out there to play right now.