Super Mario RPG is an endearing, perplexing relic

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Super Mario RPG’s new Switch remake is prompting reevaluation of the 1996 SNES original, with players split between seeing it as a charming “baby’s first JRPG” classic and a fun but slight experience that never reached the heights of contemporaries like Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy VI. Many recall its unusual Square-developed design, timing-based combat, hidden secrets, and offbeat humor as formative, tying it to a broader “golden age” of 16‑ and 32‑bit JRPGs. Others use the release to lament modern trends—especially the reliance on remakes over new entries and the gradual loss of dense secrets, mystery, and experimentation in big-budget games.

Overall Reception & Nostalgia

  • Many recall SMRPG as an all-time favorite, tied to strong childhood memories, including it being a “consolation prize” for not getting newer hardware.
  • Others bounced off it repeatedly, even while loving peers like FFVI, Chrono Trigger, and Super Metroid; some describe it as fun but “snack-like” or lacking pull.
  • Several discovered it via emulation (ZSNES, PSP) and were surprised by its quality and unusual tone for a Mario game.
  • The remake provokes mixed feelings: some praise it as faithful and carefully updated, others hesitate to play for fear of diluting nostalgic memories.

Gameplay, Tone, and Design

  • Often described as “baby’s first JRPG”: very accessible UI, straightforward stats, universal timed-button actions that keep battles snappy.
  • Compared to later Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi games, its mechanics now feel basic, but some enjoy the simplicity versus later “mini-game” style commands.
  • Overworld design and progression can be opaque in places; some players got stuck as kids.
  • Its humor and writing are praised as “Square weirdness” mixed with real narrative gravity, before later Mario RPGs leaned harder into pure goofiness.

Comparisons to Other RPGs & Eras

  • Widely situated alongside FFVI, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, etc., in discussions of the SNES/PS1 “golden age” of JRPGs.
  • Strong debate over successors: some see Paper Mario (originally “Mario Story”) as the direct lineage; others argue those series lost depth, secrets, and customization.
  • FFVII Remake is cited as a counterexample to straightforward remakes, with its own timeline-twisting approach.

Secrets, Easter Eggs, and World-Building

  • Players fondly recall dense secrets: Boo flags, hidden chests, Culex, Geno’s 9999-damage attack, Monstro Town belt quest, frog coins, the Marrymore debt/innkeeper event.
  • The Culex–Final Fantasy connection is clarified as a deliberate homage (music and style) rather than an imported boss, with rumors persisting for decades.

Remakes, Preservation, and Platform Politics

  • Some are tired of remakes and wish for a true new Mario RPG instead of replaying long JRPGs with the same story.
  • Frustration that Nintendo sells a $69.99 remake while the original isn’t on Switch Online; some prefer accessing the “relic ROM.”
  • Others note positive remake additions like music options and in-battle character swapping.

Technical and Historical Notes

  • The original cartridge used the SA1 enhancement chip, effectively making it a “computer on a cart” and complicating early ROM ripping.
  • It released very late in the SNES lifecycle and never in Europe, which may explain why some RPG fans missed it.