Super Mario RPG in the test: role-playing game remake for Nintendo Switch

In addition to the party game and sports genre, the company also explored the role-playing game genre, so in 1996 Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars saw the light of day. 27 years later, players get a remake of the classic video game on Nintendo Switch under the abbreviated name Super Mario RPG. You can find out in our test how Mario is doing as a role-playing game hero and how the classic video game performs on Nintendo Switch this time.

The game begins with the well-known Super Mario premise: the villain Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach, after which Mario rushes to help. Instead of a boss battle against Bowser and the subsequent liberation of the princess, the hero has to face a new enemy called Exor. The sword-shaped enemy breaks into Bowser’s fortress and destroys not only the fortress but also the Star Street located there. So now it’s time to free Princess Peach again, defeat Schmidrich’s henchmen and find the lost seven stars of Star Road. The journey takes players through the Mushroom Palace, Quapenquell, Star Hill and many other locations.

As the game progresses, Mario repeatedly meets old and new friends who join him in his fight against villains. There’s the little pink-headed Mallow, the wooden doll Geno, Princess Peach – and even archenemy Bowser joins Mario’s journey to defeat the new common enemy.

The story is staged through dialogues, short cutscenes and Mallow’s personal notes. The cutscenes and dialogues in particular always provide entertainment and offer a three-dimensional insight into the Mushroom Kingdom that we don’t otherwise know from Mario’s platformer titles. Anyone who has grown up with the franchise can also look forward to the appearance of many old and new opponents such as Bob-ombs, Koopas, Cheep-Cheeps and many more. The variety of opponents benefits the game as players spend a large portion of the time fighting opponents.

True to its name, Super Mario RPG features mechanics that players already know from other role-playing titles. Within a turn-based battle system, Mario and two of his four available friends compete against different types of opponents. Each character can be equipped with a weapon, clothing and an item. If you gain enough experience, you can level up by increasing your strength, HP or magic. The higher the magic value, the more flower points are available in battle. These are needed to execute the characters’ special moves.

On the player’s turn, they can either attack, use one of the items, or use one of the mentioned special techniques. While the attack depends on the equipped weapon, special techniques are gradually learned as the level increases. Mario’s techniques include attacks such as the super jump or the fireball. Princess Peach, on the other hand, can restore the group’s HP with the special technique Group Hugging. Bowser, in turn, poisons his enemies with toxic vapors or scares them. As part of the remake, Nintendo is also introducing the so-called Trio Technique, a powerful attack that must be charged up beforehand through a combo. Depending on which characters are currently on the team, the Trio Technique also changes. If Mario, Bowser, and Peach are on the team, they can perform the Trio Technique Cosmo-Tankbuster. Mario, Mallow, and Geno, on the other hand, perform Star Shock.

Another special feature of the game are the action commands. With every attack and every defense against an enemy attack, you must press the A button at the right time as soon as the red exclamation mark appears above the character. If you time the pressure, you can increase the damage during an attack or prevent enemy damage through a successful defense. Even with special techniques, it is sometimes important to press the A button as many times in a row as possible, release the button at the right time, or quickly rotate the left joystick in a circle.

When it comes to game mechanics, Super Mario RPG has a lot to offer. The turn-based battle system as the main mechanic is wonderfully complemented by elements such as special techniques, available weapons and the strengths and weaknesses of Mario’s friends. A highlight here is the aforementioned action commands. These, combined with the variety of different opponents, ensure that even the hundredth battle in the quest for the seven stars remains a fun experience. A perfect blend of tactical thinking and quick reactions.

If you still need a little break from all the fighting, you can enjoy one of the many mini-games like Yoshi Super Cup, Goomba Stomping or Lorry Race. The coins you win can be used to buy items or equipment in one of the many shops.

As a remake, Super Mario RPG must meet some extra points in terms of graphics. Long-established fans in particular often criticize remakes of classic video games. Too much refined graphics destroys the old charm, too many changes to the game provide a distorted experience. On the other hand, Super Mario RPG manages to find the perfect balance of old and new. If you compare the Nintendo Switch version with the original version on SNES, a graphical difference is obvious, and yet the old charm remains in the form of saturated colors and highly stylized 3D objects. Nintendo has done a great job in keeping old fans happy and making the old classic accessible to new fans.

There are some performance issues from time to time when accessing menus, where the frame rate drops for a while. In terms of graphics, we only noticed an exposure error in the game world, which resulted in the game environment becoming brighter or darker depending on Mario’s location in the game. However, the effect is fleeting and has no effect on the gaming experience.

Its original price was 60 euros when it was released last year, today the game is good 40 Euros Available on Amazon.

Super Mario RPG is a timeless classic that now reaches a whole new generation of gamers thanks to the remake on Nintendo Switch. The turn-based battle system with all its supporting mechanics is the highlight of the title and shines even more than on the SNES thanks to new additions like Trio Technology. The graphics, despite obvious improvements, remain true to the style of titles of the time and find the perfect balance between nostalgia and upgrade.

In terms of gameplay, the title offers a successful challenge with its boss fights and action commands, which sometimes bring us into the game on the screen by making action commands and particularly strong opponents disappear. As always, entertainment is the top priority at Nintendo, and so the presentation of the story and wandering into one or two mini-games ensure the perfect mix. Super Mario RPG is a must-have for those who want to get hold of a strong part of Nintendo’s history and, even without any nostalgia effect, can easily connect with today’s turn-based role-playing games.