5/5 ★ – Manic_Zucc's review of Super Mario RPG.

What a phenomenal experience. I always heard that the original Super Mario RPG was a great game but part of me wondered if it was a case of a game getting an overly positive reputation because of its scarcity. Well I was finally able to get my hands on a copy of the 2023 remake and all I can say is it lives up to its own hype. This game is just pure concentrated fun. I’ve spent so long saying I wasn’t a fan of turn based RPGs, but essentially every issue I have with the genre isn’t present here. It’s easily beatable in about 12 hours, the gameplay remains interactive throughout the battles, the story is charming and doesn’t get overly complicated, and the game is always moving you to the next fun location. Super Mario RPG has a great sense of humor that had me legitimately laughing out loud on more than one occasion. The game basically invented Bowser’s personality and the fact that game original characters Geno and Mallow haven’t appeared elsewhere in the Mario franchise is a crime. I’m officially joining the “put Geno in Smash” bandwagon. Super Mario RPG isn’t the most technically impressive or groundbreaking game ever made. But it takes the best aspects of JRPGs and puts them on full display. The game has made me rethink my stance on turn based RPGs as a whole which is no small feat.