Super Mario RPG

Super Mario RPG on Switch is a faithful remake of the legendary 1996 SNES game, then created by Square in collaboration with Nintendo, which laid the foundation for later offshoots like Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi. The story begins when a giant sword named Smithy falls from the sky and shatters the Star Road, interrupting Bowser's wedding to the kidnapped Peach and scattering seven star fragments across the kingdom, which Mario must gather together with new allies like the cloud-like Mallow and the star warrior Geno.

Unlike later platformers, this is a classic turn-based RPG enriched with an action element - by pressing a button at the right moment during an attack or defense, the player increases damage dealt or reduces damage taken, giving battles a rhythmic, almost musical dynamic. The remake made this mechanic clearer with a visual effect on a successful timing and added group attacks charged up through a series of precise hits. World exploration takes place in an isometric view and is interspersed with jumping segments, hidden chests and bizarre side activities from mine-cart rides to rhythm minigames, so the game never falls into a rut of corridors and random battles.

The remake completely redid the graphics into a stylized 3D look while preserving the original level design, dialogue and humor, and added a clearer world map along with minor control improvements. Yoko Shimomura's music, later famous also thanks to the Kingdom Hearts series, ranks among the most iconic in Nintendo's history, and the remake offers it in both a rearranged and the original chiptune version. Thanks to the combination of nostalgia, accessible difficulty and refreshing humor, the remake was warmly received and reminded players just how influential this game was for the entire JRPG genre on Nintendo consoles. Characters like Geno or Mallow have also returned to wider recognition thanks to the remake, even beyond the hardcore fanbase that had been asking for their return for decades.