Super Mario RPG Remake review: A remarkable adaptation of one of the SNES' best role-playing games

Super Mario RPG Remake is one of the games I was most excited about dropping this year. It’s a title that I fondly remember receiving as a much younger man, and the notion of a Mario Bros. roleplaying game just seemed too unbelievable to be real. It turns out the Mushroom Kingdom fits nicely for this style of game.

There is a wide assortment of characters, both old and new, who come together to create an unforgettable experience. Even the expectation of saving Princess Peach was subverted in a clever, new way.

That said, the game is incredibly easy if you remember even the littlest things about the original release. It’s such a fun game, and I appreciated that most of the things I remembered were still intact. From the more cleverly disguised adult humor to fun easter eggs, it’s all here in Super Mario RPG Remake.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.

Super Mario RPG Remake brings back a classic game in a remarkable way

At this point, Super Mario RPG isn’t a game that needs a lot of explaining. I’ll skip the big details of the story, but in brief, The Smithy Gang has invaded the Mushroom Kingdom and shattered the Star Road. It’s up to Mario and his gaggle of unlikely allies to come together and set things right.

The story is exactly how it was before, but with updated translations and some renamed items and enemies. Names that are considered problematic (Frogfucius into Frog Sage) are nice, and some of the bosses have also been renamed to fit the “Sword” aesthetic of the Smithy Gang. While I miss Mack the Knife, Claymorton fits better, I find.

There were also additional challenges introduced to the game, which I think was a nice idea. While Super Mario RPG Remake is a really short title, you can go take part in some boss battle rematches in the post-game. You also have all the mini-games to play and hidden chests to find, so there’s lots to do outside of the main story.

Super Mario RPG Remake features several Quality of Life changes

It's easier than ever to do timed hits (Image via Nintendo)

There are a few changes to the game, but I think they’re incredibly important. Even if they can potentially make the game easier, I think that’s just fine. For example, there’s a “Breezy” difficulty that newcomers to the game may want. One thing I noticed is that enemies in the mid-game begin hitting incredibly hard. The reduced difficulty might be nice for those who want it.

Another great change is that the Signal Ring isn’t found at nearly the end of the game, and the Frog Coin in Mushroom Kingdom Castle isn’t a one-shot, missable item. There are also Elite/Special enemies that, upon defeat, drop Frog Coins. This makes Frog Coin items far easier to unlock, so players don’t have to stress too hard about what they buy and when.

Be that as it may, these enemies are incredibly powerful, so be careful. I also appreciate that the game added fast travel because the map is pretty big; it’s so much faster to skip around to the appropriate zones.

The exclamation sign is your cue (Image via Nintendo)

The other must-discuss change is to Timed Hits. The timings are the same, and they honestly feel a bit easier to do. Super Mario RPG Remake tells you when an ability can’t be dodged, for one thing. It also has a system to keep you in the know when it’s time to use timed hits/defenses.

When it’s time to press a button in Super Mario RPG, you’ll see an exclamation mark pop up. When you’ve started to master it, this will go away, but if you start missing them, it will come back. I love this feature, and it makes even the newest player aware of how to avoid damage. Perfect defenses have you take 0 damage, so it’s worth it to master it on each attack.

With each timed hit and defense, you build a gauge - seen on the bottom left of the screen. When full, you can also do amazing Triple Moves. This was a welcome addition to the game, and while they are very powerful, you certainly cannot spam them. Each party combination has a fun, useful ability to utilize in combat.

The visuals and music of Super Mario RPG Remake are incredible

Let’s face it; this game is absolutely gorgeous. I was blown away by just how pretty and high-fidelity the graphics are. There are so many things that make sense now that didn’t make sense on the SNES.

Some enemies' visual appearances make more sense now that we can see them in HD like the enemy floating on a pair of shells. They looked like eyes on the SNES. However, I did notice some brief laggy spots in the game. They were rare - except when you dive into the water. Sure, the water is gorgeous, but I noticed that almost every time I dove into the water, Super Mario RPG would slow down for a few seconds.

Yoko Shimomura’s original soundtrack has been remastered in such an incredible way. The original songs were already a masterful blend of Koji Kondo’s iconic music, and they’ve been recreated with the full power of the Nintendo Switch’s audio capabilities. From Booster Tower to the hidden Culex boss, there are some memorable, emotional musical tracks.

In Conclusion

Super Mario RPG Remake doesn’t have many flaws, though I did try to find them. The worst thing is that it’s incredibly easy. Normal’s only real danger is that enemies really start hitting hard out of nowhere.

While yes, this game is a little on the shorter side, compared to other Squaresoft RPGs of its era, it didn’t feel short. The title itself is a beautiful tribute to an era where it felt like the company that would become Square Enix could do no wrong. It combined the turn-based RPG with Mario Bros. exploration and action-based combat.

The writing was sharp and clever. You could build your characters however you wanted based on the extra stats on level up, and there were plenty of secrets to find. Whether you’ve never played the game or know it by heart, you owe it to yourself to play Super Mario RPG Remake.

Super Mario RPG Remake

Platform: Nintendo Switch

Reviewed On: Nintendo Switch (Code provided by Nintendo)

Developer: ArtePiazza

Publisher: Nintendo

Release Date: November 17, 2023