Review: Super Mario RPG is a lovingly crafted update of an all-time classic

videogameschronicle.com:

At times, the Switch version of Super Mario RPG feels authentic to the point where you can imagine flipping a switch and replacing its crisp new visuals with their original 16-bit undercoats – brilliantly, as you can already do with its soundtrack.

The new version – Nintendo’s careful not to call it a ‘remake’ – is an incredibly faithful retread of one of the very best role-playing games of the 1990s, down to the smallest of details like its endearingly jittery animations, and plump, off-brand character models.

That unprecedented level of authenticity makes Switch’s Mario RPG feel like a love letter to the original game. Fans of the 1996 version will be delighted by the care that’s gone into recreating the SNES title scene-for-scene, just how they remember it.

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For newcomers, it offers an adventure that’s just as entertaining and memorable as it was back in the day, with striking scenarios and quirky characters that are still as strong as anything the modern Paper Mario games have offered decades later. There are some sections that could’ve justifiably been left in the 90s, like its jarringly dated mini-games, but even they add to Mario RPG’s retro charm and authenticity.

The original Super Mario RPG (subtitled Legend of the Seven Stars) was released in 1996 in Japan and North America. Developed in collaboration with Final Fantasy creator Square, the game is fondly remembered for its fun story, approachable gameplay, and brilliant soundtrack.

It’s a testament to how well these elements stand up nearly 20 years later that the Switch version virtually doesn’t change a thing about Mario RPG’s moment-to-moment structure. You could run