The first of many RPG games to come out of the Super Mario franchise, the SNES classic title, Super Mario RPG will be making its return on the Nintendo Switch! Coming November 17, 2023, the game now opens for preorders at the Nintendo eShop!
First released in 1996 on the SNES/Super Famicom, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (or simply Super Mario RPG) was developed by Square Enix and coincidentally was the final Mario game to come out for the system. The game is recognized for being one of the earliest examples of a turn-based RPG to use timed button press sequences in combat, which became a mainstay mechanic of every Mario-role playing game.
Revealed during the recent 40-minute Nintendo Direct presentation, the trailer started with the 2D pixel art graphics transitioning to full 3D, showing off the beginning parts of the original game’s opening cutscene. Familiar faces such as Mario, Princess Peach, and Bowser were shown in the new art style retaining their distinct chibi-like proportions as well. Mallow and Geno, the two fan-favorite original characters that were newly introduced in the game were also predominantly shown in the trailer.
The memorable battle mechanics that blends timed inputs with turn-based battle were previewed, as Mario and co. take the fight to their foes with different actions that possess different attributes and powers that make them effective against foes. Alongside battle gameplay was the preview of iconic boss encounters such as the fight with Yaridovich and Smilax.
A subsequent tweet by Yoko Shimomura, the composer of the SNES original also announced that 27 years later, she would be in charge of the game’s soundtrack once again. Shimomura added that the Super Mario RPG remake will feature newly arranged versions of the entire OST stating that she “hopes both fans of the original and those playing it for the first time can enjoy it”. Yoko Shimomura is a prolific video game music composer, who is best known for her works on Street Fighter II, Final Fantasy XV, and the Kingdom Hearts series.