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Super Mario RPG is an endearing, perplexing relic

polygon.com

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Re: Super Mario RPG is an endearing, perplexing relic

#61

Post by moduspol »

wingmanjd wrote: post #48

One feature I loved was that player characters that weren't in the current main party would still gain XP from battles, even if they weren't involved. It allowed me not to have to choose early on who would be the party member and avoid my terrible case of analysis paralysis.

In case you haven't played it: they actually improved on this in the remake. You can swap fighters during the battle like Pokemon, so you can make use of all five characters (which helps a lot on some of the post-game fights).

Re: Super Mario RPG is an endearing, perplexing relic

#62

Post by yamazakiwi »

noirscape wrote: post #20
JoshTriplett wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Paper Mario series is commonly considered to be the successors of SMRPG: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_Mario That said, I'd love to see a sequel to SMRPG in a 3D style, rather than always using the "paper" style for RPGs.

Not even considered, in Japan, Paper Mario is iirc called Mario Story and we have early development screenshots calling it Super Mario RPG2, denoting it as a successor to the SNES game. It's very explicitly the successor of this game (also seen in how it kinda mimics some of the basic plot beats), it just got renamed during development.

SMRPG also marks the initiation of the comedic writing style that would later become characteristic of games like Paper Mario and later Mario RPG titles.

Re: Super Mario RPG is an endearing, perplexing relic

#63

Post by geraldwhen »

ninkendo wrote: post #53
djur wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not surprising that you would find a game boring if you've only played the first 10 minutes of it 50+ times, but you might enjoy it more if you stick some of those 10 minute sessions together and try getting past the tutorial.

In their defense, I also tried it semi-recently and literally couldn’t get past the tutorial. I got to a point where I didn’t know what to do next, walked around for 20 minutes, then gave up. I could’ve searched the internet but I generally make it a policy not to do that with games. I’m probably just stupid, but games back then had this tendency to make everything into a maze, where the “challenge” was in figuring o…

Earthbound is a game where talking to everyone is a delight. There’s humor abound, and there’s no rush to get to an endpoint.

You’re a kid out on an adventure. Relish it.

Re: Super Mario RPG is an endearing, perplexing relic

#64

Post by a_e_k »

tobiasSoftware wrote: post #45
noirscape wrote: post #19

SMRPG is great. It's absolutely "baby's first JRPG" (but with actual stats, not the low stats of Paper Mario) and it wears that badge with pride. I don't think there's a JRPG more accessible than this one if you're not familiar with the genre - the UI of the original is very much geared around "make it understandable to people who've only ever played the Mario platformers" and it just... works. From what I've seen, t…

" I don't think there's a JRPG more accessible than this one" I'd argue there's one more, though I may be biased as it's what got me into RPGs - Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. It's a relatively unknown title as it was an attempt by the Final Fantasy franchise to get beginners into RPGs. It's like Super Mario RPG in a lot of ways, including seeing monsters on the overworld. However, it's much more like table-top RPGs, wi…

It's generally a fun game and fairly streamlined, but there are some trash fights (mainly in the fire region) where it's really easy to get stun-locked to death. Or get a game-over from having both party members get petrified by the monsters in between your turns.

With SMRPG, you can at least still block while asleep/mushroomed/scarecrowed.

Re: Super Mario RPG is an endearing, perplexing relic

#65

Post by chrisco255 »

tobiasSoftware wrote: post #45
noirscape wrote: post #19

SMRPG is great. It's absolutely "baby's first JRPG" (but with actual stats, not the low stats of Paper Mario) and it wears that badge with pride. I don't think there's a JRPG more accessible than this one if you're not familiar with the genre - the UI of the original is very much geared around "make it understandable to people who've only ever played the Mario platformers" and it just... works. From what I've seen, t…

" I don't think there's a JRPG more accessible than this one" I'd argue there's one more, though I may be biased as it's what got me into RPGs - Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. It's a relatively unknown title as it was an attempt by the Final Fantasy franchise to get beginners into RPGs. It's like Super Mario RPG in a lot of ways, including seeing monsters on the overworld. However, it's much more like table-top RPGs, wi…

FF: Mystic Quest was also my first JRPG. After playing it I had to try all the others.

Re: Super Mario RPG is an endearing, perplexing relic

#66

Post by low_tech_love »

cdelsolar wrote: post #4

Mario RPG might possibly be my favorite video game of all time. I grew up pretty poor and really wanted an N64 for Christmas. We couldn’t afford it at the time so I found an alternative - I remember being sad about it, but I found a used copy of Mario RPG for something like $30, this was at the end of 1996. When I sat down with it it’s like something clicked. I didn’t get the N64 for another year but it didn’t matter…

Finding the three Boo flags and getting into crate guy’s casino are some of my most treasured memories of childhood…

Re: Super Mario RPG is an endearing, perplexing relic

#67

Post by chrisco255 »

PaulHoule wrote: post #60
chrisco255 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah I wonder if Square could have taken the series in a more Kingdom Hearts-like direction if it had had the runway to do so.

I dunno. I was a big fan of Secret of Mana which has a really disappointing multiplayer. Three people really can control three characters at once but if you want to cast a spell or change weapons you open up a menu that stops the action for everyone else. Sometimes I think about hacking the game so the menus appear out-of-line so the multiplayer really is fun.

A multiplayer RPG was almost unheard of though until MMOs became a thing. Local multiplayer RPG was always quite rare. Interesting that Secret of Mana even attempted it.

Re: Super Mario RPG is an endearing, perplexing relic

#68

Post by pierat »

29athrowaway wrote: post #13
cdelsolar wrote: post #4

Mario RPG might possibly be my favorite video game of all time. I grew up pretty poor and really wanted an N64 for Christmas. We couldn’t afford it at the time so I found an alternative - I remember being sad about it, but I found a used copy of Mario RPG for something like $30, this was at the end of 1996. When I sat down with it it’s like something clicked. I didn’t get the N64 for another year but it didn’t matter…

The SMRPG cartridge comes with a processor that is faster than the SNES one.

There was also a host of anti-ripping tech in there too. We had bad rips for like 2 years after it came out.

Re: Super Mario RPG is an endearing, perplexing relic

#69

Post by 29athrowaway »

toast0 wrote: post #25
29athrowaway wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The SMRPG cartridge comes with a processor that is faster than the SNES one.

Sure, but the snes game came with a second processor, you might not have counted that. (But it probably doesn't matter)

What I mean is that the SNES cartridge for Super Mario RPG had a SA1 enhancement chip which is a processor that's faster than the one shipped with the original console, the Ricoh 5A22.

So unlike most games today which are mostly a ROM device, SNES games were actual computers on a cartridge.

Re: Super Mario RPG is an endearing, perplexing relic

#70

Post by echelon »

JoshTriplett wrote: post #14
gowings97 wrote: post #8

Easily my favorite single player game of all time. I would love to see a true sequel on Switch 2 with new characters and new lore - give Mario some new friends once every 25 years! Would be an innovative way for new characters/IP/stories to build out over time/generations.

The Paper Mario series is commonly considered to be the successors of SMRPG: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_Mario That said, I'd love to see a sequel to SMRPG in a 3D style, rather than always using the "paper" style for RPGs.

The Paper Mario series and the Mario and Luigi series feel nothing like Super Mario RPG. They remove too many RPG elements and feel much more linear. They aren't packed with secrets, mythos, and a vivid primary and supporting cast. There's much less mystery and intrigue, very little to go back and unlock, and scant customization.

Dealing with the disappointment of the new installments was one of the many things that ultimately weaned me off of regularly playing video games. I realized things didn't strictly get better, and that we often get sold things with just with a different coat of paint.

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