Super Mario RPG (SNES) Playthrough [1 of 2]
191A playthrough of Nintendo's 1996 role-playing game for the Super Nintendo, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
This is the first part of a two-part playthrough, showing up to the party's arrival in Nimbus Land. Part 2 can be found at https://youtu.be/yOW_uZN6wXc
4:57 Bowser's Castle
9:08 Mario's pad
35:08 Mallow joins the party (Mushroom Kingdom)
1:09:32 First star piece won (Toadstool's castle)
2:42:19 Second star piece, Geno joins the party (Forest Maze)
3:42:36 Third star piece (Moleville Mines)
4:04:05 Bowser joins (Booster Tower)
5:11:48 Princess Toadstool joins (Mushroom Kingdom)
5:26:07 Fourth star piece (Star Hill)
5:32:33 Starman grinding (Sea)
7:27:05 Fifth star piece (Seaside Town)
8:58:14 Monstro Town, side-questing, battling Jinx and Culex
9:36:42 Land's End heading toward Nimbus Land
9:47:51 Grate Guy's Casino
Super Mario RPG was one of the last major releases for the SNES in North America, and it was an incredible display of what the system was capable of near the end of its commercial life. Prerendered graphics being used for in-game sprites and backdrops wasn't a new thing on consoles, but SMRPG elevated them to the next level. The clean lines and bright colors of the Mario games were a perfect match for the limited technology, and the forced isometric perspective gave the look a surprising sense of depth.
Square, who developed the game, really blurred the lines between console generations with their work here, perhaps even further than Rare had with DKC and Killer Instinct. Their influence can be felt throughout the entire game - the writing is stellar throughout and could carry the game on its own. The bizarre storyline and its sense of humor are huge draws - the game has some real lol-worthy moments between the more serious plot points. Mario and company were fleshed out in ways that hadn't been seen before, and the characterizations felt completely on-target with what my imagination had always painted. Mario is a peacemaking do-gooder, Peach is headstrong and independent instead of being a helpless damsel-in-distress, and Bowser is hilariously insecure and proud. Mallow and Geno fit in nicely alongside the classic series mainstays, and the cast of bad guys is totally off the wall but endearing. It's hard to pick a favorite character, good or bad, because they're all well written and have tons of personality.
There's even some amusingly adult humor buried here for effect, like Valentina's hyper-bouncy bosoms and the Princess's hidden vibrator.
The gameplay is pretty fantastic, too. The game is very much a JRPG with lots of dungeon exploring, extended dialogue sequences, and turn-based combat, but a lot of clever touches help it rise above most others of the time. The battle-system was among the first in JRPGs to introduce timed button presses. Right before you hit an enemy, if you tap the button at the right time you'll do extra damage. You can minimize damage the same way when you are being attacked, and sometimes you'll even trigger secondary effects with spells. It adds a lot of variety and some action to the mix, and helps it to stay pretty engaging over its short duration.
There is also a fair number of sidequests that you can take on that will provide some great rewards if you see them through, and a few hidden superbosses await those that want more challenge. SMRPG is a pretty easy game, but the optional Culex fight is there for anyone that wants a beatdown.
Finally, no discussion of SMRPG would be complete without a shoutout to Yoko Shimomura - the music is beyond amazing, and is easily one of my favorite SNES soundtracks. It mixes Final Fantasy-style orchestration with electronic elements to fantastic effect, and the music is far more complex than the typical you'd hear in 90s console games. Of course, great things were expected from someone as talented and prolific as Shimomura, but she really outdid herself here. The soundtrack makes the game.
I got this for Christmas the year it came out (I was still a few months away from getting a PlayStation) and my mind was thoroughly blown. It combines all of the hallmarks of a classic RPG by Square with all of the charm and charisma of the best Mario titles, producing something wholly wonderful and unique from the pieces. I actually still prefer this over any of the later RPG Mario games - they are good, but few of them carried the magic as capably as Square and Nintendo's original collaborative effort. It's an amazing game, through and through, and I can't wait for the remake.
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
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