2023-11-15 14:00:00
More than 25 years following its initial release, Super Mario RPG gets a facelift with a new remastered edition. But it is much more than a simple makeover that we are offered today, Nintendo having succeeded in infusing a scent of novelty and thus perfecting an already truly astonishing game.
Anyone who owned a Nintendo console in the 1990s has, at one time or another, inserted the game cartridge into it. Super Mario RPG. And for many players, it was this adventure of the mustachioed plumber and his gang that served as a gateway to the subgenre of role-playing games, called RPGs in video game jargon.
For what? Because Super Mario RPG was infinitely more accessible for novices, already accustomed to the world of the Mushroom Kingdom and its colorful characters. Mario, Peach, Bowser and company therefore held their hand to enter this universe with very specific codes which, let’s admit it, require a certain amount of learning before finding comfort there.
Rather than revolving around action scenes, role-playing battles are fought, as the name suggests, in turns; each character strikes, one following the other, blows at the enemies. Objects aimed at increasing the power of attacks, restoring a character’s health gauge or even reviving a KO’d accomplice can also be used instead of offensive maneuvers.
Photo provided by Nintendo
Mario and Bowser together
This is how our heroes invited us into a new intrigue where a new enemy – the infamous Blacksmith – sows consternation among the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom. To defeat his army of minions, Mario and Peach will have to team up with Bowser (yes! yes!) and two new allies: the frog Mallow and the doll Geno, both with very specific personalities and skills.
And if it worked so well, it was because the saga broke with its own tradition, but it still retained its luminous aesthetic and its good-natured tone, two of the pillars of its success. This is still the case today with this new remastered edition of Super Mario Bros RPG, launched this week. But we go further than a simple visual enhancement to give a second life to this video game adventure.
Improved in every way
Because yes, the result is magnificent; the environments are richer, enhanced with many details and textures. The animation sequences have also been revised and improved – thank goodness! –, just like transitions and selection menus. We expected that, the images and videos revealed ahead of the release confirming it.
But the combat mechanics have also been refined for this new port, making them more fluid and instinctive. And, it should be noted, precision is rewarded this time; a button pressed at the right time will multiply the damage caused, or even cancel the blows received. We thus energize the affronts, making each sequence more immersive and gripping.
Result: a revised and improved edition of a classic game that will undoubtedly charm the new generation of players, while pleasing longtime fans. In other words, a sparkling success from Nintendo.
Super Mario RPG ★★★★☆
Available on Nintendo Switch starting November 17.
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