Preview: Super Mario RPG is a faithful remake with subtle improvements

destructoid.com:

Back when Nintendo announced that Super Mario RPG would return this year, I actually gasped. For years, I assumed this unique collaboration with SquareSoft was lost to time. But lest you believe that announcement was actually a fever dream, I can tell you that it is, indeed, real.

Ahead of Super Mario RPG’s launch on November 17, I got to play this new twist on an old classic. Based on this experience, much of this remake felt the same as the SNES classic it’s based on. Yet despite only featuring a few small tweaks to the original game, what I played was remarkably fresh, even by modern standards.

From the first moments of the game, I felt an overwhelming wave of nostalgia wash over me. Sure, that opening cutscene where Bowser kidnaps Peach remains faithful to the original. But even the smaller touches are retained to a tee. For example, seeing Mario walk up to the door of Bowser’s castle, pause, and then run in place before dashing in like a classic cartoon character made me vividly remember when I was seven years old in my childhood room, watching the exact same moment play out.

Are there differences? Sure, there are a few new shots thrown in here to show off the enhanced 3D graphics. However, most moments played out at least closely to how I remembered them. I don’t think being this faithful is necessarily good or bad, but I was impressed by the attention to detail nonetheless.

Granted, it’s been long enough since I last played Super Mario RPG that I had to rebuild my muscle memory. For those just tuning in, combat in Super Mario RPG is mostly turn based. Similar to the Paper Mario games that followed, the strength of your attacks and defenses involve timing button presses right at the point of impact (with