Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is a video game that consists of 3 releases

Edit Article

EDIT BLURB SUBSCRIBE

Join Mario in his first RPG adventure! Explore new and previously unseen areas of the Mushroom Kingdom on a quest to stop the mechanical Smithy on a path of conquest.

Overview

The title screen

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (often abbreviated to Super Mario RPG) is a 1996 collaboration between Square (before their merge with Enix) and Nintendo. At the time that Super Mario RPG was developed, Square and Nintendo had an excellent relationship, with Square making several great games on the Super Nintendo and NES. Super Mario RPG was a more story-centered version of the Mario titles on the NES and Super Nintendo beforehand.

Super Mario RPG was added to Nintendo's digital download service on the Wii, the Virtual Console, on Labor Day in the United States on September 1, 2008. It was added to the Virtual Console in Europe on August 22, 2008 making Super Mario RPG available for the first time overseas. This happened during the Hanabi week, a release week Nintendo dedicates to games, previously unreleased in Europe. The original Super Nintendo cartridge wouldn't work with import adapters available back then, so the game couldn't be played without an America Super Nintendo. Super Mario RPG costs the standard Super Nintendo price of 800 Wii Points to purchase the game (900 Wii Points in Europe). The game takes up 59 blocks of Wii Memory in the United States and 64 blocks of memory in Europe. The game is compatible with the Wii Classic Controller and the Nintendo GameCube controller, but can't be played with the Wii Remote or Nunchuck.

The changes made to the Wii version of the game from it's original Super NES release are few and fairly insignificant, but here is a short list of some of the changes or differences:

There is more slowdown in the game, which is pretty significant in some portions, such as the boss fight with JJJ.
There is a few spots where you will see weird visual glitches, such as in battles where it will cover your characters for a bit. It's brief though, not that noticeable and doesn't effect gameplay.
The Fire Wall attack from enemies has changed color. Instead of being red/orange and white it is now red and black/translucent.
The Mokuka enemy in Land's End can appear as a blue cloud instead of just white
Timed Hits can be made harder to perform when playing with a Classic Controller due to the face buttons on the controller being raised higher. Thus it takes a longer amount of time for you to press the button all the way down. This can make timing harder to do if you are playing with the Classic Controller. You will get used to it, but it can make reaching above 30 Jumps from Mario's "Super Jump" attack more difficult to pull off.

Gameplay

Super Mario RPG is one of the most unique RPGs for it's time, and is still unconventional today. The reason is due to the fact that Super Mario RPG incorporates jumping elements into all aspects of it's gameplay; from traversing the overworld, to fighting battles, the developers worked hard to make the game feel like a Mario game, and that meant lots of jumping. The gameplay is similar to that of later game Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.

The game is seen from an isometric perspective and you are allowed to jump on most objects, whether it's a dresser, bed or even a character's head. Not only does this allow you to reach places you can only get to by jumping, but the game also has many hidden treasure chests strewn throughout the game. These chests can only be found by jumping into them from below, at which point they will appear and reward you with the contents inside.

A traditional battle. This particular battle is with the boss Belome

Unlike most RPGs of it's time, Super Mario RPG does not contain random battles. Instead, you can see enemies that you'll fight walking around the overworld. If you touch them, then the battle will take place on a separate battle screen. Naturally, this means you can avoid fighting all together if you want, although that's not recommended since you won't grow stronger. Battles are menu based, which makes the game feel like your traditional RPG, but setting it apart are what the game dubs "Timed Hits". Time Hits come into play when both attacking and defending in battle. When you attack, whether it's with a normal attack (Like a punch from Mario, a bop with a stick from Mallow or a finger shot from Geno) or a "Special Technique" (i.e. a spell), you'll do more damage if you press a button at just the right time. For example, with Mallow's Lightning Strike spell, you want to press Y just as the lightning is about to end, this will do another quick strike, giving more damage to the enemy. Subsequently, you can do more damage with Mario's punch attack by pressing the A Button just as he strikes with his fist, this will cause him to throw another punch doing more damage than before. As mentioned above, you'll want to press A when you are attacked by enemies as well. If you time it right, then you'll significantly reduce the amount of damage you take.

These "Timed Hits" make Super Mario RPG unique and more action packed because you need to constantly be alert and time button presses to defend or do more damage. And the timing is different depending on the attack. Mario even has Jump spells where you can keep jumping on the enemy an unlimited amount of times as long as you can time presses of the Y Button just right. But of course, this is difficult to do unless your timing is exact, so getting above 30 jumps can be quite the challenge. But if you're good at it, you can do some serious harm to enemies. And that's probably the best example of how Mario RPG shakes things up. If you've played one of the Mario & Luigi games, then you can see that the battle system used in that game is a significant upgrade of what was began in Super Mario RPG.

Walking around the overworld, the enemies are visible

Outside of those aspects, Mario RPG is a very conventional role-playing game (RPG). You traverse the world, both towns and "dungeons", chatting with townsfolk, taking part in a very large number of mini-games, fighting enemies and bosses to level-up (you'll gain experience and money with each battle fought), purchase or find items & equipment to increase your stats or help in battle and keying story sequences to move the game's plot forward (although there are no "cut-scenes", most of the dialogue and story takes place within the game's text windows as various characters speak). It's also significant to note that Mario is mute in this game, although he will "act out" what he wants to say at certain points to often hilarious effect, as he will even morph into other characters, which is never explained as to how he does this, it just happens!.

The ultimate goal of Super Mario RPG is to collect the titular "Seven Stars" from the title and rid the Mushroom Kingdom and "Mario's World" (as the the instruction booklet calls it) from the evil Smithy and his gang of thugs. However the progression of the game is very linear and Stars are not so much "collected" as "gotten as you come across them in the story". This does not dampen the game though and many consider it one of the best 16-bit RPGs of all time. It's extremely fun, funny and well written with tons of side-quests to keep you busy and entertained for at least 15 hours.

Mini-Games

Mini-games of all kinds can be found throughout Mario's adventure for the Seven Stars. Some of the mini-games are part of the story and you will experience them in one form or another before you can play them at a time of your choosing, while other mini-games are completely optional. In addition to the many mini-games, there are numerous side-quests that will reward you with additional items and equipment that can significantly help you in your adventure.

Melody Bay

Playing the Melody Bay minigame

Price: Free
Prizes: Alto Card, Tenor Card and Soprano Card

Melody Bay can be found at Tadpole Pond and allows you to compose "songs" by jumping on tadpoles that represent different notes (stand on the rock in front of the music lines to summon them) and each make a different sound (Mi, Do, So, Do, Re, La, Ti, Do). There are three songs you will be able to compose in order to win an item from Toadofsky (a composer with composer's block). They are relatively easy to find except for the last one. You will gain clues to the songs you need to compose from various characters in the game. You prizes include the Alto, Tenor and Soprano Cards, these allow you to purchase special items with Coins from the Juice Bar.

Goomba Thumping

Price: 10 Coins
Prizes - 20: Flower Tab, 23: Flower Jar, 25: Frog Coin, 28: Frog Coin

Like the name suggests, the goal of this game is to stomp on Goombas to rack up the most points. The Goombas pop out of four pipes. Mario stands in the middle with a green pipe in each corner, and you are tasked with jumping onto the pipe to smash a Goomba when they pop out. But watch out! Spiney's will also pop out of the pipes. If you smash a Goomba, you get 1 point, if you smash a Spiney, you lose 3 points and if you smash a Golden Goomba you earn 3 points.

Mushroom Derby Racing

Mushroom Derby Racing

Price: 3 Cookies
Prizes: 3 Yoshi Cookie Items, the ability to race other Yoshis.

You will find the Mushroom Derby in Yosh'ter Isle. First you will need to talk to Yoshi and ride him, in order to speak to the Yoshi residents, as Mario can't understand their language. You then will need to talk to the pink Yoshi near the GOAL letters, who will give you three cookies, these are what you'll need to race the crowning champ of the Mushroom Derby, Boshi. Talk to Boshi to challenge him to race.

To race against Boshi, you need to alternate pressing the A and B Buttons to the beat of the music. Press the Y Button to eat a cookie, which will give you a boost of speed. Beating Boshi will net you "Yoshi Cookie" items that you can use to "summon Yoshi" in a battle (he will then eat the enemy) and allow you to race against the other Yoshi's on the island.

Moleville Mountain Mine Cart Ride

Riding in a mine-cart

Cost: Initially free. 10 Coins later
Controls: A and Y to break, B to jump, X to use a Mushroom speed boost.
Prize: Coins

This minigame, found on Moleville Mountain has Mario riding a mine-cart through a twisting 3D track (which uses Mode 7 effects for the 3D look). A timer in the upper right keeps track of how long it takes you to reach the end of the track. The track has a general path although you will encounter side rides you can enter by holding right or left when you pass by them as well as turns in which you will need to break to avoid going off the track. If you go off the track it takes a bit for Mario to return to the track, thus cutting down your finish time. Twice you will enter a side-scrolling section which plays much differently than the 3D parts as there are platforming elements. As you go through the track you can collect coins as well as Mushrooms, which you use to boost. Initially you will play this mini-game as part of the story, and whatever time you get is the time you will need to beat in order to earn more coins when the mini-game is opened later on as a game you can play anytime at a cost of 10 Coins. Beat your previous time to earn coins. If you wager 30 coins and beat your old time you'll earn 50 coins.

Beetle Mania

Beetle Mania (Listed as "Game" on your Menu when you get it)

Cost: 500 Coins to purchase the Game Boy, free to play afterward
Prizes: Coins for Male and Female Beetles, a Frog Coin per Golden Beetle

Beetle Mania is a shooter in which you control a Beetle who can move left and right along the bottom of a static screen as Koopa Shells fall in from all angles from above. You can shoot Stars out of the Beetle as quick as you can press the buttons in order to break the Koopa shells. Doing so will cause them to shatter and release stars which will break any shells they hit. But be careful! If the stars from a shattered shell hit you, then you will die as well. To revive yourself you must rapidly press the buttons, you can use either A or B to fire. As stars from shattered shells hit other shells they will cause them to explode if you keep tapping the fire buttons. Before long, the screen will fill with more and more shells and you can gain extremely huge combos by rapidly tapping the shoot buttons. If you make a big enough combo you will hear a unique sound and hearts will start falling from the sky. Collect them to increase your score and the ability for you to revive yourself once you've been hit. After being hit, you must rapidly tap the fire button to come alive before the count of three. At count three you will burst into stars, giving you one last chance to rack up some points. At the top of the screen you will see your current score (on the left) and your "Hi-Score" on the right. Played successfully with quick fingers and you'll easily be able to beat the original set high score. This game can be played at any time once you have purchased the Game Boy from the kid playing it in the Mushroom Kingdom Inn.

Sky Bridge

Sky Bridge

Cost: 5 Coins
Prizes: Coins or Frog Coins

The sky bridge is a bridge made of floating blocks that you need to jump across, if you stand on them too long they will fall. As you jump across, bullet bills will shoot from the other side toward you and will literally push you off the bridge if you don't jump over them. Since they literally push, it means that if you jump fast enough you can still save yourself even if a bullet hits you. In fact, you can even ride atop them! There are three courses: Normal, Special and Expert. With each one, the bullet bills will shoot faster and the blocks will fall quicker when you stand on them. And once you complete the bridge the first time, you can try it twice more, each time the amount of coins you will win if you succeed is doubled, but if you fail you lose it all, and the course will be harder. The first two courses give you regular coins, while the Expert course gives you Frog Coins.

Lands End Cliff Scaling

Cost: None
Prizes: Troopa Pin, beat previous time to earn Frog Coins

Koopa Paratroopas line a tall stone cliff with Sergeant Flutter at the top. You need to use the Koopas as platforms to make it to the top. When you stand on a Koopa it will move along a line to the next Koopa. However you can move freely and jump whenever you wish to get a faster time.

Mario gazing upon Bowser's recently captured castle

Story

This Mario game starts out like any other. Princess Toadstool has been kidnapped by Bowser and you must fight your way through his castle to bring her back. During this highly familiar sequence you fight and defeat Bowser. Right as you are about to claim victory and return home with the princess a huge magical sword, Exor, crashes through the castle sending all parties flying off into the horizon. The crash is so mighty that it flings Mario so far that he falls into the Warp Pipe on the roof of his house. Mario immediately sets off to inform the Chancellor of the happenings, and from there it becomes a whirlwind adventure to save not only the Mushroom Kingdom, but Star Road and wishes to come true.

Characters

Throughout the game you run into a number of characters that join your party. Some of which you know from past Mario games, while others are totally new.

Super Mario

Super Mario

After being flung from Bowser's keep, Mario tries to return, only to find that the large sword now sticking out of the keep will have none of it. While Mario is trying to open the doors, the large sword rocks the keep so hard that the bridge Mario is standing on begins to fall apart. At this point it is no longer possible to enter Bower's Castle until much later in the game.

Mallow

Mallow joins the party vary early in the game. After speaking to the Chancellor about the issue at Bowser's Castle, Mario meets Mallow as he is chasing a biped crocodile thief named Croco. He has stolen Mallow's shopping money that was given to him by his grandfather Frogfucius. Once Mario defeats Croco and gets Mallow his money back, Mallow opts to join your party back to his home. Once they arrive and meet Frogfucius he tells Mallow that he is not a tadpole (even though he resembles a cloud wearing pants). Mario agrees to help him in his quest, and Mallow joins your party for the rest of the game.

Geno

Geno

Mario first encounters Geno as a doll. In Rosetown, Mario will enter a pub and find a child named Gaz playing "Super Mario" with a Mario, Toadstool, Bowser, and Geno doll. It is during that time the otherworldly traveler decides to utilize the body of the doll to quest against Smithy. He/She/It then runs off into the Forest Maze while everyone is asleep. Mario eventually finds Geno in the Forest Maze, where they team up to defeat Bowyer, a lunatic bow-like creature that is raining hell upon Rosetown by firing arrows that freeze people in place.

Note: Geno is merely a name of convenience, the actual name of this character is ♥♪!?; it's much easier to say Geno in conversation.

Princess Toadstool

After the incident at Bowser's Castle, Princess Toadstool landed on the lap (literally) of the man-child Booster in Booster's Tower. Booster is the 7th male in the family as indicated by the 6th other portraits in his palace. He believes that Toadstool was a gift from above - a woman that he could marry.

King Bowser

King Bowser

With his keep destroyed, Bowser seeks to dominate other venues after landing near Booster's tower. He shows up a few times in passing while Mario is questing in Moleville, but they don't make contact until Booster Tower. Bowser constantly and consistently fails at getting inside of the Tower and ultimately decides to team up with Mario.

Humor

Super Mario RPG is well-known for its laugh-out-load hilarity. The game's humor and style are all its own, and it will likely continue to be funny in future generations of gaming. Lots of the game's charm and comedy come from Mario himself, despite his silence, who has a wide range of funny and expressive animations, from shaking his head violently when saying no, to the way he (and other characters) "fall down" when a very obvious point is made. The game is also full of hilarious moments that are also very unique:

For example when Geno is first encountered, he is just one "action figure" in a line-up of action figures that includes Mario, Bowser and Princess Peach. A young child, Gaz, is playing with them in the Rosetown Inn and when he discovers that Mario is "THE MARIO" (which is proved by an elaborate jump, something that happens throughout the game, and future Mario RPGs, in order for Mario to "prove" who he really is) he asks that Mario join him. What proceeds is Gaz playing with Mario as Gaz and Mario exchange "blows." In the end, Mario gets "knocked out" from a super attack that Gaz unleashed on him with his "secret weapon", the Geno doll.

Cameos

During the course of the game, many Easter eggs and hidden characters are available will encounter.

Samus Aran Cameo

Samus Aran is located in two places in Super Mario RPG. First, she is in the top room in Booster's Tower where there is a toy box in the room. Inside, there is a Samus Aran action figure. The second location is at the bottom of the Mushroom Kindom Castle's guest house. She is only there after the party finishes defeating Yaridovich, and before going to Land's End. Upon speaking with her, she will say that she is resting up for Mother Brain.

Samus Aran in the Mushroom Kingdom

Link Cameo

After getting the third star, Link will be in Rosetown's inn. In the top floor's farthest bed he will be sleeping there. Upon speaking with him, a familiar Legend of Zelda sound effect plays.

The battle with Culex

Culex

Culex is located in Monstro Town. There is a sealed door there that can be opened with the Shiny Stone. In Moleville, there is a person who will sell the party fireworks. After purchasing some,the party must go outside to where there arefive crates and a little girl mole sitting down. She is willing to trade her Shiny Stone for the party's fireworks.

Culex is a throw-back to classic Final Fantasy bosses, and is the hardest boss in the game, even more so then the final boss Smithy. Culex is described as a Dark Knight form Vanda, and he has crossed over to Mario's realm in order to defeat the Dark Mage. Culex is not able to stay in Mario's world for long, for if he does it will lead to his destruction. Before Culex departs, he wishes to battle the strongest knight of the world.

While fighting Culex, the boss battle theme from Final Fantasy IV plays, and upon defeating Culex the pre-Final Fantasy VII victory theme plays. There are also other references to Final Fantasy in the game, but Culex is the most prominent. Upon defeat, Culex rewards the player with the Quartz Charm and departs.

General Information Edit

Game Name	Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Platform(s)	SNES Wii Shop
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Developer(s)	Square Enix Square Co., Ltd.
Genres	Add a new genre Adventure Role-Playing (RPG)
Themes	Add a new theme Fantasy Comedy
Original US Release	May 13, 1996 need a fuzzy date?
Original US Release	know the real date?
Aliases	Mario RPG SMRPG