RETROspective: Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

 Just about everyone knows who Super Mario is, gamer or not. While I can't speak for everyone, Mario games were a staple for many of us since we first picked up a Nintendo controller. So for my RETROspective I chose to focus on Super Mario RPG, one of the more unusual of the SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) Mario titles.

The most noticeable difference between this game and it's predecessors was the fact that, well, it's a turn based role-playing game. I'm fairly sure I didn't even know what an RPG was when I first played it, but I became addicted to it very quickly. Maybe it was the fact that you got to play as other characters besides Mario or Luigi, or that it had a more complicated and involving storyline. Regardless, I loved/love that game. I even remember having a Nintendo Power magazine with strategies about beating each boss, which came in handy on more then one occasion. Being my first RPG, I didn't have a concept of how important it was to level accordingly, so I had a really bad habit of skipping through the side battles and ultimately getting my ass kicked by bosses down the road. Especially that stupid Croco guy. It took me FOREVER to get past him the first time. Any way, onto the game!
You're given five playable characters: Mario (the strong-and-silent type), Mallow (the loveable goof), Geno (the mysterious outsider), Bowser (the tough guy) and Princess Peach (the girly healer). Each character has both physical and magical attacks, though Geno is about the only character that seems to be proficient in both skills at equal levels, i.e. Mario and Bowser are more warrior class and Mallow and Princess are more magic class. Of course, you start out with only Mario and slowly gain more characters. The more I played this game, the more I started to appreciate all the characters for their unique strengths, though I distinctly remember not using Mallow very much when I was younger. His base hit points seemed to be lower then most of the other characters with the exception of Princess. However, the most exciting thing about the different characters was that you actually FINALLY get to play as Bowser! Aside from Super Mario Kart, that was a complete first and AWESOME. I mean you get to play as Mario's arch nemesis. Not many games had offered a role reversal like that before.
The world Mario RPG is set in is unique and different from any of the previous worlds you see in other Mario games. This game certainly pushed the graphics capability of the SNES at the time it came out and despite the fact that games on the X-Box 360 and PS3 would put it to shame now, it still looks good and has functionality even after all this time. It's also one of the few Mario games on SNES that was not a side-scroller.

An example of a typical battle scene in Mario RPG.

The enemies in Mario RPG are interesting to say the least. You get to see a few of the old, familiar faces like goombas, troopas and magi-koopas. But the main quest enemies are...different. They're monsters that are supposed to be living weapons lead by this mysterious boss called Smithy (cause he smiths weapons, get it?) Smithy is trying to take over Mario's world and you, of course, have to stop him. The fact that you are fighting against these living weapons is a strange concept and I would not be surprised if it's supposed to be a social commentary. But in any case, they're jerks and it's really satisfying to defeat them and make them vaporize and turn into coins, kind of like Scott Pilgrim but a tad less dramatic. There are lots of other challenges and side quests too along side the main quest so if you want a break from the story for a short while, you have options.

So to sum up, before this becomes too long (if it hasn't already), here are some of Felon's favorite things about Super Mario RPG: easy to play, engaging storyline, fun and different characters, good music and good graphics for it's time. In short, if you have a Wii, BUY this from the virtual store and PLAY IT! You're missing out on something amazing if you don't. Felon says so.