When it comes to iconic characters, it’s hard not to think that 2023 was the year of the one and only Super Mario. First of all, the Super Mario Bros. Movie was released this past April and made a remarkable $1.3 billion around the world. The, just a few short weeks ago, the brand new Nintendo Switch game Super Mario Wonder arrived, and received a rave review from our own Wade Stokan.
Then, hot on the heels of Super Mario Wonder arrived the long-awaited Switch remake of the beloved Super Mario RPG. First released all the way back in 1996, the game took our beloved plumber and other familiar characters from the Super Mario world and put them in a role-playing setting. The game was a fan-favourite when it was released nearly thirty years ago, and gamers were chomping at the bit to get an updated version. The wait was well worth it, as Super Mario RPG feels fresh and fun in 2023.
Check out the logline and the trailer below:
Set out on a classic Mario adventure
Enter—or revisit—a world of whimsy with Mario on a quest to repair Star Road and defeat the troublemaking Smithy Gang. Team up with a party of unlikely allies, like the monstrous Bowser and a mysterious doll named Geno, in a story-rich RPG packed with laughs and quirky characters.
There’s so much to like about this Super Mario RPG. The graphics are bright and pop right off the Switch screen. The gameplay is intuitive and should be easy for newcomers to the RPG genre to pick up and play, while veterans won’t have any issues at all. In fact, for older gamers who may have youngsters in their home who have yet to play a larger and challenging RPG, Super Mario RPG is probably the greatest introduction you could ask for. It gives you all the basics of the genre in an easily digestible format.
As a longtime gamer with a short attention span, the fun factor of Super Mario RPG is what I’ve enjoyed most about the game. While it doesn’t completely hold your hand as you figure things out, there’s a constant interaction between characters and NPCs that kept me engaged as I was playing. While you don’t necessarily turn off your brain with Super Mario RPG, I definitely found it much easier to have fun with it than other, more challenging RPGs.
Along with Super Mario RPG, there are so many other Nintendo Switch titles that would be great gifts this season. Check out our reviews for Super Mario Wonder, Pikmin 1+2, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, to see just a few must-haves from this past year.
You can order Super Mario RPG here.
