Super Mario RPG (Switch)
By: Nintendo
RELEASED in the SNES's twilight years, Mario RPG was the last of the mascot's games developed for the console, and now Nintendo blows the dust out of the 27-year-old cartridge with a gorgeous re-make that marks the first chance for many of us to experience one of the finest titles from a halcyon age.
With Square's Final Fantasy series basking in its mid-90s pomp, Nintendo wanted a slice of that sweet pie, turning to the Japanese adventure-mongers to co-develop an adventure that combined Mario's turtle-stomping hop 'n' bop gameplay with the turn-based battles of the role-playing genre.
Released in 1996, only our Yank cousins got a look-in outside of Japan, with European joypad junkies forking upwards of £100 for overpriced imports.
Given a Switch makeover, the modern-day result is a fantastic gateway drug to the heady world of role-play. One toke and you'll soon be shooting up Final Fantasy and losing your septum to Chrono Trigger.
With gameplay deeper than the Brooklyn plumber's usual "run to the right and rescue the princess" shenanigans, Mario RPG kicks off with players once again saving Peach from Bowser. One rug-pull later and the Koopa King is fighting alongside Mario and the gang to save the Mushroom Kingdom from cosmic weapons who aim to destroy the Star Road.
Read more:
- Games: WarioWare: Move It! will make your Christmas parties plain flailing
- Games: Super Mario Bros Wonder offers a slice of retro platforming genius
- Games: Super Mario Bros Wonder offers a trippy tribute to Mario's 2D roots
Role-play with stabilisers, Mario gathers an oddball party of heroes for a sprawling quest where beating baddies involves turn-based combat and roaming the world of Mushroom Kingdom. All those trees and pipes – hitherto just background furniture – can now be fully explored, and while statuses and special attacks need juggling, the combat is seasoned with a little bit of Mario action, where perfectly timed button-taps increase damage when blows land.
In an era of ground-up remakes, it's remarkable how little Super Mario RPG deviates from the source material, and while enlivened no end with glitzy cutscenes, not much has changed. However, the visual upgrade is impressive, and Nintendo's digital sandpaper has polished the SNES effort's rough edges for pin-sharp visuals – even if, with her plastic sheen and doe-eyed expression, Peach looks like something you'd buy with a footpump in some back-alley shop.
And, while Nintendo's cosmetic surgeons do a Harley Street-worthy job, their facelift merely highlights how old the game's bones are, with faithfulness to the original meaning mechanics that can feel a tad archaic to seasoned role-players.
Still, as a nostalgic trip down the warp pipe, Mario RPG is made with deep love and respect for the original, with enough breezy action to please kids while the adults dine out on its retro trimmings.
A whimsy overload from a bygone age perfect for RPG virgins – even if the closest you've ever come to role-play involved fluffy handcuffs and a safeword.
