also known as Super Mario RPG - Legend of the Seven Stars
Super Nintendo (SNES)
🇯🇵
Reviewed in 1996
90
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✪ Reviewed on January 23, 2023
82
The full alternative title for Super Mario RPG, identical in content. Nintendo and Square collaboration essential for JRPG fans.
Your verdict
Category
RPG1 player7+
Description
RPG developed by Square and Nintendo in which Mario and friends quest for seven star pieces. Published by Nintendo, released in Japan in 1996. Mario's world revisited in isometric 3D with Square characters, timed turn-based combat and allies including Mallow and Geno. A unique masterpiece collaboration between Nintendo and Square.
Super Mario RPG review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
MAX
Story
★★★★★
"Masterful"
Pre-rendered CGI sprites, shimmering roundness and colourful isometric settings: the Square-Nintendo collaboration yields an RPG of unprecedented visual charm. The softness of the hues and the expressiveness of the characters overflow with tenderness. This art direction, polished and joyful, stands as a jewel of the console.
From the pen of Yoko Shimomura, the music deploys a score of rare inventiveness and charm, from the famous "Beware the Forest's Mushrooms" to the most moving themes. Each place is adorned with a melody full of wit and tenderness. This sonic elegance, joyful and refined, makes this RPG a treasure for connoisseurs.
When a giant blade splits the sky and shatters the road of stars, Mario teams up with unlikely companions to mend it. Blending Nintendo's humour with Square's writing, the tale overflows with endearing characters and inventive gags. This unexpected marriage, warm and mischievous, opened the way for the Mario RPGs.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Under its Western subtitle, this crossover between RPG and platformer makes every blow resonate thanks to well-judged button presses. Jumps, isometric exploration and puzzles air out a turn-based system that never stiffens. As clever as it is warm, it keeps a freshness of game design that makes it a delight to play through today.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Plunging Mario into a humour-filled role-playing game, where turn-based battles are spiced with timed actions and colourful characters: this bold blend charms from the first hours. The warm world, the 3D-rendered scenery and the tasty lines grip you for the long haul. Accessible, clever and bursting with charm, a unique RPG that delights as much as it surprises.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Blending playful exploration, timing-based battles and mini-games builds an RPG of a freshness that nudges you to push a little further. Hidden items, well-tucked secrets and inventive bosses constantly rekindle curiosity. Accessible and generous, this Mario-RPG crossover keeps a charm and a grip that stay remarkably intact.
The Japanese Super Famicom version of Square/Nintendo's Super Mario RPG from 1996, Japan-exclusive under this shortened name. The Japanese cart sports an original cover and preserves the unremastered original audio. The modern 2023 Switch release revived foreign interest in the original. Intact boxed CIB with cardboard sleeve and illustrated Square/Nintendo manual has become a structuring target for Square SFC collectors, and the cote climbs hard.
Is Super Mario RPG still worth playing in 2026?
Super Mario RPG - Legend of the Seven Stars is the only 16 bit Square RPG starring Mario, namely a combat system with timed inputs that would inspire Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi. The pre rendered 3D presentation, the humor laden writing and the introduction of Geno and Mallow make this entry a one of a kind object. A modern version exists on Switch, but the original cartridge keeps its charm. Recommended to fans of accessible RPGs and to Mario enthusiasts seeking a refreshing universe variation.
