Super Mario RPG Review - Feel Like A Kid Again

mmorpg.com:

Full disclosure right out of the gate: Super Mario RPG is a game near and dear to my heart. It's a game I go back to once a year, and I know this weird and wonderful take on the Mario universe like the back of my hand. I hadn't gotten to 2023's run yet when Nintendo dropped the news of a remake on my lap back in June, so I waited with excitement and a bit of concern for this new version to drop. 

Would this remake stack up to the original? Heck, would this remake retain the weirdness that endeared me to it in the first place? Luckily, thankfully , the game is fully intact, with a few new elements added to make things interesting, especially after the credits rolled. ArtePiazza understood the assignment, and Super Mario RPG is back, baby. 

For those unaware, Super Mario RPG is the result of a partnership between Nintendo and Square Enix (then Squaresoft). It melded the turn-based RPG style of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest with Super Mario, and it did so with a silly and humorous bent that neither Super Mario nor FF/DQ had ever seen before. It was an introduction to the turn-based format for Mario fans, and for turn-based RPG fans, it was a new and unique spin on the format. 

This new version of Super Mario RPG faithfully recaptures the feeling of the original in every way. The silliness of the cutscenes – particularly ones where Mario and friends are acting out major story beats for other characters – and the unexpected humor in the writing are both intact. I still laugh at everything involving that delightful weirdo Booster or when that one Toad screams about leaving a bazooka at home, and the list goes on. All of the secrets from the previous game, from hidden treasure boxes to optional boss battles, have also made