Post by wafflerevolution on Sept 10, 2013 18:35:58 GMT
by CodingGenius
Learn more about this collector's dream...
In 1996, before Square became Square Enix, it collaborated with Nintendo on this RPG-platforming hybrid. Nintendo guru Shigeru Miyamoto produced the game, ensuring that the upbeat feeling from the Mario series was maintained.
The size of the game is incredible: seven stages and 29 areas, with literally hundreds of secrets. There are hidden super weapons that require perseverance to find, a hidden casino, and lots of reasons to replay this game over and over again.
This was one of the first games to flesh out existing platforming characters with three dimensional characterizations. Mario is the hero, as always, but his party is filled with other Nintendo characters Princess Toadstool and Bowser. Toadstool attacks with umbrellas and, I kid you not, a frying pan.
Two new characters were introduced in this game as major playable characters:
Mallow
Mallow is a character whose childish crying causes the skies to open up and rain to fall. When he is first encountered, he believes he is a frog adopted by Frogfucius. Without spoiling the story, not surprisingly, he is not a frog, and joins Mario to try and find his real roots. I found this physically, emotionally soft character whose strength grows over time very different from other action characters I had encountered.
Geno
Geno is a mysterious character, a possessed doll who tells Mario about the Legend of the Seven Stars and inspires in him the need to rescue the Star Road. He is quiet, but very powerful and an excellent addition to the party.
Fighting combines the typical turn-based fighting with the ability to add extra power to the attacks through pushing action buttons at the right time. Each playable character has their own physical and magic attacks, related to their personality.
Although it has not had an "official" sequel due to Square's copyright issues, many games are its spiritual successors. Paper Mario (N64,VC), Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (GC), and Super Paper Mario (Wii) all owe their existence to the success of the Super Mario RPG. The two Mario & Luigi handheld titles: M&L: Superstar Saga (GBA) and M&L: Partners in Time (DS) use similar battle systems and light-hearted humor.If you can't wait for it to be released on VC, or afford it for SNES, try one of its sequels for a lot of laughs and fun.