“Super Mario RPG” made its debut on the Nintendo Switch in November 2023 as a remake of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System classic of the same name from 1996. It is, as the title says, an RPG game in the world of Mario.

Graphically, the game has been brought out of the sprite era of gaming and turned into a fully 3D game. Every character, set piece, particle, item and more has been digitally remade from the ground up into 3D. This only works because of the balancing act Nintendo pulled off with this game’s style. It utilizes high-quality models and HD graphics, but rather than just making them look like Mario games now, they took the sizing and character design of everyone from the original game and made them HD. For example, in the original SNES classic, Mario’s body features weird proportions where he looks smooshed like an accordion. In the 2023 remake, they utilized that same style — it feels weirdly fresh while remaining heavily nostalgic.

RPGs, or role-playing games, can be harder to get into for people who have never played them. “Super Mario RPG” makes a perfect beginner game due to its simplistic combat system and menus. Stats are incredibly easy to keep track of and raising an avatar’s attack, magic and HP is truly all players need to do. The tutorials sprinkled throughout the first hour or so of gameplay also feel seamless and helpful without boring players.

The biggest thing about this remake comes in the form of its retainment of the original 1996 game’s charm. It’s the original game with a few minor tweaks here and there. The music also remains intact and as fun and engaging as ever. In an era where remakes sometimes stray too far from the source material, it’s nice to have a game that tries new things while also retaining the majority of what people loved in the first place.

“Super Mario RPG” makes for a must-play for anyone curious about the original. It carries the same charm as the 1996 classic and makes a good entrance into the world of RPGs for those too scared to try.

8 mushrooms out of 10