Game Thoughts: Super Mario RPG (2024)
Today I finished Super Mario RPG. I never owned the original as a kid, but definitely rented it a handful of times in my youth. I've also played it multiple times on emulators and own a physical copy I bought years ago to adorn a shelf -- but I don't think in all my experiences I've ever made it past chasing the dinosaur after Mallow joins up. The Switch remake was a good excuse to finally cross this one off my backlog, as I'm an RPGs-in-bed kinda person.
It was exactly what it sells itself as: a 12-hour silly charming turn-based RPG featuring Mario characters. It was simple fun without much to take away, though I like to try to take something away from each thing I play.
Here I'd like to focus on the combat. While the combat system in the game is fairly simple turn-based RPG stuff, it does something a little extra for interactivity: during attacks and spells you can hit A at just the right time to increase damage, add additional effects, or even completely negate damage when the attack is directed at one of your own characters. While I can think of several RPGs with a "click button at the right time for bonus damage", I feel the addition of blocking damage is a rarer feature. While it trivialised some boss battles, it definitely kept me more engaged in even basic battles, and I think it would be an interesting feature within a more robust battle system.
On that note, there's not much in Mario RPG that's robust outside of its charm. It's really just a bog standard RPG mechanically and progression-wise -- you go to the next town, buy the only available upgrade for each character**, solve the local issue, move along.
That said, there's so much charm that it transforms a basic RPG template into a super fun experience that manages to constantly surprise (if not challenge) with silly events, weird bosses with weird abilities, and charming locations. It's a wonderful and consistently funny experience.
Overall I had a great time with the game and its cast, but I'm glad it's short; by the last area I found my party overpowered and was on the cusp of getting bored, but the credits rolled before it could sink in.
**Obvious exceptions being some of the end-game equipment and Work Pants, which are WAY too OP and make almost all other armour you can acquire in other towns obsolete.