Growing up in the 90s, I had exposure to some of gaming’s greatest titles at a very young age. This was partly due to my next-door neighbor’s Super Nintendo. With titles like Super Mario World, Mortal Kombat, and Donkey Kong Country, gaming immediately got its hooks in me! My neighbor wasn’t the type to get new games, leaving us with limited options. As a result, that left me with lots of games from the era, I never had a chance to play. One of those games happened to be Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
Although Mario was made famous for his platforming adventures, today’s gamers are used to seeing him in a role-playing environment. The Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi series immediately come to mind. The concept has been done multiple times, however, it was very fresh back in 1996. Nintendo allowing outside developers to work on the Super Mario franchise, let alone an RPG, was surprising. Square Enix’s take proved to be a success, paving the way for future role-playing Mario games.
The story starts where a typical Super Mario game would end. Everyone’s favorite plumber finds himself at Bowser’s castle. Mario’s goal, something that has been seen time and time again, is to free Princess Peach from captivity. Mario confronts Bowser and successfully defeats him. Immediately following, Super Mario RPG turns the tried and true Mario formula upside down. A giant sword, slashes down into Bowser’s Castle, separating Mario, Bowser, and Princess Peach. Afterward, one of the most unique Mario adventures unfold.
For more information on Super Mario RPG, check out my video, which goes in-depth on my playthrough and my overall opinions on this 23-year-old classic!
If you would like to play the game yourself, see the official website for the Super Nintendo Classic Edition.
