Super Mario RPG: Looking Back at Mario's First RPG Adventure

Mario seems to be more popular than ever nowadays, with his recent games becoming massive commercial successes and ranking with his classic games as being true masterpieces. Over the years, Mario has found success in ways that no one would ever think possible. Indeed, back in the mid-1990s, who could have predicted that he would star in his very own role playing game, and a fantastic one at that? Yet in 1996, Mario starred in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, his first RPG adventure and his final Super NES game. Fourteen years have passed since its release, but its appeal has not diminished in the slightest. Allow me to tell you more about this wonderful game.

It all starts with Mario out to save Princess Toadstool (after this game, she would be known as Peach) from Bowser once more. No sooner than he defeats his old nemesis, however, than a giant sword comes crashing down on Bowser's Keep. The sword turns out to be a part of the Smithy Gang, a group of machines who wish to fill the world with weapons and destruction. On top of that, they have destroyed the Star Road, a place where wishes once came true, and its seven Star Pieces have been scattered all over the world. Only Mario, along with some old and new friends (and an old adversary!), can retrieve the stars and defeat Smithy and his minions before their dream for world domination can be fulfilled. For a Mario game, the story line is deeper than it usually is, though it largely takes a back seat to the action and humor that is featured throughout the adventure.

Our hero, Mario, must explore many areas to find the Star Pieces and the villains who guard them. These places range from a maze-like forest to a hot volcano to a sunken ship and even Yoshi's Island (called Yoster Island here). They tend to be filled with treasure boxes filled with items, puzzles, and the occasional mini game. From time to time, Mario can visit towns where he can purchase a variety of healing and attack items, recover his health at inns, and discover other neat secrets. Often, he will need to head to these towns in order to further advance the plot, whether it occurs by receiving clues as to where he should head next or defeating a villain who has invaded the town. Every area is filled with plenty of cool surprises, so it pays to check every nook and cranny to see what you can discover.

As this is an RPG, there are plenty of battles to fight. Since the enemies roam around in the normal areas, you can choose to run into them to initiate a fight or run past them. The battles are turn-based, so your party members (up to three at a time) and your foes will take turns in attacking each other. While in combat, you can take advantage of the action command, in which you can deal more damage by pressing the button at the right time. Doing so gives the sense that you are a part of the fight instead of merely issuing commands and seeing how well they work. Winning battles will reward you with experience points used to level up the characters, coins for buying items, and occasionally, items that perform a variety of functions.

Leveling up is important, as you will find later battles tough if you are not very powerful. While you can skip a lot of battles, some fights are unavoidable and must be won if you are to progress any further. In an interesting move, and one that would pop up in most subsequent Mario RPG games, when you level up, not only do your stats increase, but you can choose to upgrade one stat even more. You can upgrade your hit points, attack, and defense this way, making the game as easy or as tough as you want it to be. Also, at certain levels, you can learn special magic skills that can be used in battle. You can beat the game at a low level (your maximum level is 30), but this is recommended only for those who are proficient with the game and are looking for a real challenge.

Your party consists of five characters who will join the adventure at various points in the game. First, there is Mario, whose trademark jumping ability serves him well, and he can learn how to shoot fire to fry his foes. Next, there is Mallow, a marshmallow-like creature who at first thinks he is a frog and is known for being a crybaby. Nevertheless, he uses the power to use rain and snow against his adversaries while he searches for his real family. Geno is a doll who comes to life in order to search for the Star Pieces, and his laser-based attacks can really hurt his enemies. Then there is Bowser, who initially joins strictly to get his keep back after he was evicted following the Smithy Gang's invasion, but slowly realizes that much more is at stake. His specialty is using some of his minions to deal with Smithy's cohorts. Lastly, there is Princess Toadstool who has weak attacks, but is vital because of her incredible healing powers. Choosing which members are best for which battle is essential for success, though Mario is the only character who must be in the party for the entire game.

Mario RPG games are known for being humorous at various points, and this one is no exception. There is plenty of funny dialog from the characters, and at one point, Bowser even recites a haiku! Also, there are references to earlier Mario games, and there is a cool trick where you can change into the old NES Mario. Even characters from other Nintendo games make cameo appearances, and you can check them out if you know where and when to look. Equally rewarding are the numerous optional side quests, from finding invisible treasure boxes to defeating very strong bosses, which give the game a lot of replay value long after the main quest is finished. This is one huge game, and the exciting surprises contained within means you will go back to find them again and again.

Of special note is that, at the time of the game's release, it would be the last Nintendo game to be developed by Squaresoft (before they became Square Enix) for a time. Since the Nintendo 64 could not handle the advanced technology required to run Final Fantasy VII, Square ended up developing games exclusively for the Playstation for a time. They have since gone back to making games for Nintendo systems, but they have yet to create a true follow up to Super Mario RPG. Intelligent Systems would develop a trio of Paper Mario games, while Alphadream would create three games in the Mario and Luigi series. While these games featured many of the ideas that first appeared in Super Mario RPG, none of them are direct sequels to that game. Hopefully, Nintendo and Square Enix will collaborate to create a true sequel to the game, which would be a dream come true for many players.

The game itself is nothing short of amazing. The battles are fun, the humor inspired, and there is hardly a dull moment to be found. The story line is engaging, the side quests are entertaining, and the inspiration for subsequent Mario RPG games is apparent throughout the game. About the only major disappointment is that it all has to end at some point. As for visual and audio presentation, they are flawless (for the game's time, anyways). The rendered graphics, while dated now, still look lovely and showed what the Super NES was capable of doing even with the release of the Nintendo 64 on the horizon. Unlike Sonic 3D Blast, the isometric view is put to good use and gives Mario a sense of freedom by having him move in eight different directions. As for the music, it is chock full of memorable tunes, particularly the Forest Maze, Barrel Volcano, Booster's Tower, and Nimbus Land songs. The SNES was known for presenting players with amazing soundtracks, and this one stands among the very best ones ever created.

Even though the Super NES was slowly approaching the end of its life, there were still great games that would be released for it before it would be discontinued, and Super Mario RPG was one of them. It would be an amazing game by itself, and it would span sequels of sorts that improved upon its incredible features. While the original SNES version has become hard to find, those with a Wii can take heart, because the game is available on the Wii Shop Channel and can be downloaded so those who remember it fondly, and those who never got a chance to play it before, can experience what makes it so wonderful. Now if only Nintendo and Square Enix would make a true sequel that is every bit as impressive as this game...