Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

About This Game

Gameplay

Super Mario RPG contains token similarities to other Square-developed video games, such as the Final Fantasy series, along with a story and gameplay based on the Super Mario series of platform games. Like most traditional JRPGs, the two main sections of the game are adventuring and turn-based battle sequences. Much of Super Mario RPG's gameplay is outside monster battles and plays like an isometric 3D platformer, in which traditional Mario elements, such as punching floating question blocks from below, are prominent. There are no random encounters, and as such, enemies are visible in the field; a battle ensues only if Mario comes in contact with one. This allows the player to evade unnecessary battles. The player's party initially begins with only Mario and grows to five characters. Mario and up to two other members participate in battles, who can be swapped in and out while the player explores the overworld. Each of the five characters has a unique set of attacks and techniques. For example, Princess Peach's abilities are primarily healing techniques, whereas Geno and Bowser have offensive attacks that deal high amounts of damage.

History

According to Yoshio Hongo of Nintendo, Super Mario RPG came out of Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto's desire to make an RPG using Mario, as well as Square's desire to develop an RPG that could do better outside of Japan than their previous games. Development began in early 1994 after a business meeting between Nintendo and Square. The first phase was spent on deciding a basic system, while the isometric view was chosen to help bring the world to life. The game was originally conceived with weapons in mind, but as meetings with Miyamoto progressed, the development team realized that they did not fit with the Mario franchise, and left them out. An exception was the hammer, which Miyamoto insisted on keeping.