Game: Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Platform: Super Nintendo
Year Released: 1996

As soon as Nintendo announced on Monday that Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars would finally be hitting the North American Virtual Console, I knew that two things were going to happen: one, I was going to download it immediately and spend most of Labor Day playing it; and two, I would likely review it for Throwback Thursday. Well, as you can see, both of those predictions came to pass. Despite my continued excitement for this game, I had never actually played it before (just another downside to missing out on the 16-bit generation the first time around). Still, I had it on good authority that an old-school RPG/platformer made by both Square and Nintendo would be right up my alley, and the fact that this game is still beloved by fans twelve years later is a testament to just how great it really is.

Super Mario RPG, as the title implies, uses many elements common to role-playing games, and even without the familiar Nintendo cast is a very solid 16-bit RPG. Though the story is more shallow than some games of the genre (Princess Toadstool has been kidnapped by Bowser… again!), it becomes more intricate as the game goes on. Items like potions have been Mario-ized, becoming mushrooms, and MP is known in this game as Flower Power; these little details give the game a more unique feel than the average Final Fantasy-wannabe. As expected, there are some well-known Nintendo characters to be found within the game, as well as some new and quirky characters that will also join the fight.

As Mario, Nintendo’s most famous mustachioed protagonist, you will travel around the Mushroom Kingdom, making both friends and enemies along the way, in an attempt to find the Princess and bring her safely home. While on this journey, some new foes make themselves known, and Mario discovers a mysterious star when Toadstool’s palace is invaded. These things add depth to the story, and though it probably still would have been fun without the extra plotlines, I’m glad that Nintendo didn’t skimp on content and just rely on Mario to carry the game.

In addition to its RPG factor, Super Mario RPG still uses some platforming aspects, such as allowing Mario to jump to reach treasure chests, platforms, and even save points. Enemies appear on the world field, similar to games like SaGa Frontier, so you can choose whether to fight them or try to avoid them. The actual battles, however, are turn-based, and as someone who loves the strategy involved in turn-based fighting, this just made the game so much more enjoyable.

The battle controls are fairly simple, with each category (attack, magic, items, defense) being mapped to a different button on the controller. Characters earn additional magic spells as they level up, and can equip various items from the Super Mario games as weapons. Sure, it’s very odd seeing Mario use a turtle shell to take out enemies, but it’s also very effective. The battle system also allows the player to increase his or her offense and defense with carefully-timed button pushes, which adds another level of strategy to these fights and gives you more to do than choose an attack and sit back and wait.

As this game was made late in the Super Nintendo’s life, it is one of the most graphically remarkable titles of the era. From swamps to forests, castles and towns, Super Mario RPG sports a variety of 3D environments, all of them impressively detailed. The visual style, while not even comparable to what we’ve seen in more recent years, remains appealing because of its lovely and artistic look. The RPG remixes of familiar Mario Bros. music is also another thing to love about this game.

While every game has flaws, you have to go out of your way to really find the troublesome aspects of this game. One annoyance is being unable to carry very many items; even in the early hours of the game, your inventory is going to fill up pretty quick. Also, I found the battles less challenging than your typical Square RPG. Even though the characters had special moves, I hardly ever found the need to use them, other than Mallow’s healing ability. Also, even though the story grows as the game progresses, I still would have liked to see a deeper narrative, although that also might have felt strange on a Mario game.

Problems aside, this is one game that’s held up wonderfully over the past twelve years and is probably one of the most worthwhile Virtual Console titles available. Before this week, you could only find this game on eBay probably upwards of its original retail price, so getting it for $8 is an absolute steal. It’s a shame that neither Square nor Nintendo makes games like they used to.

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