10 Awesome SNES RPG Series You Must Play Before You Die

6. Super Mario RPG

supermariorpg

€œImagine, like, Final fantasy... but with, um... Mario characters... that'd be cool, huh?€ An RPG which lets you play as Bowser and Mario on the same team, then? Why not just add Master Chief to Mario Kart? It€™s an idea that sounds like a deluded YouTube comment, but it€™s exactly what Squaresoft delivered with one of their final Nintendo titles before their move to Sony (a move which, in fairness, would later produce Final Fantasy VII). So often in video gaming, an attempt to take characters out of the comfort zone of their usual genre can backfire horribly, but this game is a triumph: one of the best Mario titles ever released, as well as a strong RPG in its own right. So what makes it so good? First and foremost, it's the script. It€™s amazing how well the Mario universe is handled within an RPG game, and including Bowser in the party was an inspired choice. Newcomer Geno is a superb character as well, and the script never loses its energy or sense of fun, so you€™re always entertained. In terms of gameplay, Super Mario RPG might not break the mould but is careful to respect Mario€™s platforming roots €“ so while Mario might use his stomp attack in turn, he€™ll then be able to multiply the damage dealt by carefully timed button presses. The graphics also impress €“ the use of 3D modelling and advanced lighting effects create one of the best looking titles ever released on the SNES. The soundtrack is good-natured, bouncy and fun as well, and all of these aspects together add up to one of the best SNES RPGs. The game is crying out for a true sequel (although spiritual successors such as Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi help to fill the time while we wait).
 
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Laurence Gardner was born in Canterbury, England. After moving around various cities during his childhood, and spending some time travelling in Europe and America, he studied English Literature at Oxford University. Since then, he’s been living abroad, teaching English, learning a range of languages, and writing in his free time. He can currently be found in Heidelberg, working as an English Tutor and Translator and studying at the University. If you liked this article, follow him on Twitter to get automatic updates on his work.