A remake of a beloved Super NES game, Super Mario RPG has not only been announced for the Nintendo Switch but is coming very soon as a completely reimagined styling of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. The new game will feature a similar art style as most of the modern Super Mario games as well as the recent The Super Mario Bros. movie, combined with the turn-based combat of the original RPG title. A trailer for the game debuted as one of the announcements in a recent Nintendo Direct event, opening with the classic pixelated look and then transforming into modern 3D graphics.
The original Super Mario RPG is over 25 years old, and many fans have been asking for a remastered version of this classic for a long time after having found themselves disappointed in recent Mario RPG attempts such as Paper Mario: The Origami King. The classic Legend of the Seven Stars featured Mario, Peach, Bowser, and more friends teaming up to fight a new threat, King Smithy, after the evil robotic blacksmith destroys Star Road and scattered seven star fragments across the world. This Super Mario RPG features the same characters, game mechanics, and plot of the treasured, definitive Mario RPG, but with a whole new look.
When The Super Mario RPG Remake Releases
Super Mario RPG is expected to be released for the Nintendo Switch on November 17, 2023. The game was revealed at the Nintendo Direct event on June 21, 2023, with a teaser trailer that can be found on the official Nintendo of America YouTube channel.
A digital edition of Super Mario RPG is available for preorder on the Nintendo Store already, although there are no preorder bonuses associated with the game at this time. The first version of the game, The Legend of the Seven Stars, launched for the Super NES in 1996, over 27 years ago.
Gameplay & Story Of Super Mario RPG
Gameplay for the Super Mario RPG appears to remain pretty consistent with the original version of the game but with newly remastered graphics. Mario and Peach are ed by Bowser and characters unique to the game, Mallow and Geno, to face off against the evil Smithy Gang and King Smithy himself. In the Super Mario RPG story, Bowser's Keep is taken over by the Smithy Gang after a giant sword named Exor crashes into it and destroys the Star Road. In order to defeat King Smithy, Mario embarks on a quest to find Princess Peach, Bowser, and new friends while searching out all seven of the scattered star fragments so peace may return to the Kingdom and wishes may be granted once again.
Super Mario RPG's gameplay takes players through many different zones such as the Mole Mountains, Nimbus Land, and more while Mario rights wrongs for local townsfolk and makes new friends to assist him in his quest. The overworld is filled with enemies which Mario fights in a turn-based battle system. Similar to other RPGs, the fights include not only Mario but a party of his friends that take turns in fighting, and there are items that can be utilized during the battles. Each party member in Super Mario RPG has stats that are leveled up through battling which include Hit Points, Attack, Magic Defense, Speed, and more. The various zones each have specific objectives that the player must complete before they can progress to the next.
Changes & Similarities Between Super Mario RPG & The Original
The most obvious difference between the Super Mario RPG and the classic SNES-era Legend of the Seven Stars is the graphical overhaul that Nintendo has given it. This bright and colorful game's graphics and cinematics are consistent with the modern Mario games and also similar to the look of the recent The Super Mario Bros. movie, but also still utilize the short and squatty character style of the original game. Unique characters from Super Mario RPG like Geno and Mallow return from the original in the remake's redesigned artwork, as well as enemies such as Birdo and Booster.
The original composer for Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is also returning to update the music for Super Mario RPG on the Nintendo Switch. Composer Yoko Shimomura confirmed that she is involved with the project arranging all the music for Mario's updated adventures. Some of the music can be heard in the trailer, showcasing its timeless but updated score. Newly designed cinematics also showcases a more modern feel with the animation and artistry for even the original characters such as Geno, who were uniquely designed specifically for the narrative of this RPG experience.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars was one of the first times that Nintendo allowed a third-party company, Squaresoft, to create a game using one of Nintendo's intellectual properties. Although the SNES game was released just a few months before the new Nintendo 64 console shifted buyers' attention from the older games, it still gained a cult following and has often been referenced as the pinnacle of the Mario RPG experiences. This beautifully remade edition of the game is something that has been long desired by fans of not only Mario games but also of the RPG genre at large. Super Mario RPG will be released for the Nintendo Switch on November 17, 2023, and is available for digital preorders on the Nintendo eShop.
