I'll be honest, I never got a chance to play this game until I got an emulator for it. I downloaded it, but never really played it. Only recently, I have gotten to play the game and my GOD, I underestimated it. After beating the game today, I hit myself in the head for not playing this game sooner. The game is like the cult classic that people of heard of, but never really played. But what am I talking about? I'm boring you! Let's dive in.
The first thing you will probably notice is how cool the game actually looks! You play as a birds eye view of Mario throughout the game which was an excellent design choice by square, because it fits it so well! I know this is the view that most role-playing games have, but it looks so much better in this! The controls are also very basic for an RPG, B to jump, Start for the menu, D-Pad to move, etc, etc. Another thing is that this game actually plays like an RPG! It's not some kids game, it is a full role-playing experience. You can level up, find secrets, special moves, use items, a combat system, it is like any other RPG you have previously played.
The system used for combat works nice too. There is no random encounters like in FF, or Pokémon, you actually get to see the enemy, and try to run, or fight it. During combat, the interface is much easier to use. You can simply navigate menus easily, and you don't have to go searching for that one thing. Everything is there, and easy to select. The combat itself is also pretty easy to use, in which you select how you want to attack, and you can press the A button in the right spot for extra damage, or to save your butt from an enemy attack.
There are also a wide variety of likeable and memorable characters that you will meet throughout your quest. You can gain party members such as Mallow the frog, Princess Peach and even Bowser. The story is easy to grasp and follow, with a giant sword falling in Bowsers Castle named Smithy. He has stolen all of the star pieces of Star Road, and it is up to Mario to find them and allow wishes to be, well... "Wished" again. You can also find armour, accessories and weapons for Mario and other party members that are hidden throughout the large world. These things can increase you stats, from damage to defence to your special attacks.
Overall, if you have never played a good RPG in a while and/or want to, this game is perfect for just that. It has a good plot, a good combat system, memorable characters and you can even have Bowser join your party. I highly recommend this as well to new gamers that may want to try out some classic games.
Liked my article? Send me a suggestion! All of them I look at, and do not be afraid to limit it to the SNES. I will do any game, any time, anywhere.
Thank you for looking (And hopefully reading,) my Retrospective on Super Mario RPG.
