One of the best Super Mario SNES games was released on this very day, March 9, 30 years ago, and its remake is available on the Nintendo Switch, and playable on Switch 2 via backward compatibility. That said, while the game in question was published by Nintendo and released as an SNES exclusive game, it was actually developed by Square before it merged with Enix and became known as Square Enix.
For those who have not connected the dots, the game in question — originally released on March 9, 1996 — is Nintendo’s Super Mario RPG. This is at least the game’s first, initial release date, but its debut was limited to Japan. It didn’t come to North America until May 12, 1996. Upon release, it earned an 89 on GameRankings and became one of the best-selling SNES games of its year. It was a substantial success for the duo, yet beyond a re-release in 2008 on the Wii Virtual Console, and then again in 2015 on the Wii U Virtual Console, Nintendo more or less let the great 90s RPG sit and collect dust on the SNES. That is, until 2023, when a remake was released for the Nintendo Switch.
A Fitting Remake
As you may know, this remake was made by ArtePiazza, which is fitting. Why? Well, this is a Japanese company that dates back to 1989, though it didn’t get into games until 1996. Since then, it has primarily worked with Square Enix on the Dragon Quest series. So not only does the team have RPG chops, but it has been working with the company that developed the original. And it proved a decent pick, because the remake came out and was by and large universally praised, as evidenced by its 84 on Metacritic.
Play video
A Timeless Classic
While many enjoyed the remake, most agree the original is better, especially when you factor in time and place. Of course, anything Super Mario-branded is often popular and eventually nostalgic, but the game is more than just the branding. It famously took the more adult and complex nature of Square RPGs, such as Final Fantasy, and basically Mario-fied it, making it more inviting and friendly to non-RPG fans, whilst keeping the core of what everyone loved about Square RPGs. And of course, it laid the groundwork for the likes of Paper Mario, as well as the Mario & Luigi games.
Super Mario RPG was more important in the 1990s than it is now. In many ways, Nintendo has evolved past the series. That said, on its anniversary, it’s worth revisiting whether in its original form or via the remake.
All of that said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think, or join the conversation over on the ComicBook Forum.