Super Mario RPG remake

[CyberCubed]

Surprised nobody posted this, but as we know, Nintendo/Square are remaking the original Super Mario RPG for SNES.

Finally. Most people never actually played this as it came out in 1996 in the dying days of the SNES and got overshadowed by the Playstation 1 and N64 in the same year.

I didn't play the original till it came out on the Wii Virtual Console back in 2008. The remake looks great.

[sdp]

I got to play this the last game I got for the SNES right before the N64 and loved it. Didn't know what it was since this was my first RPG but made me fall in love with the genre for the next few years. I haven't replayed this game since I was a kid 20+ years ago and I don't know if it's worth replaying this remake or the original for.

Not dogging on the remake, it looks pretty faithful and I don't see any big red flags. I'm happy that it exists but I feel like it's going to remove some little things that made it special. There's just something about pre-rendered graphics that can't be replicated and that was part of the charm.
Bowser for example sticks out since he looks like his modern design. They did a better job with Mario and Peach is sort of an in between.
I feel if they change too much the dialog it'll feel more like the later Paper Mario/Mario&Luigi RPGs than the original. Small things that might not matter to most but to me it was a defining game in my childhood.

Still super happy by the response and if this means we can get a real Super Mario RPG 2 and Geno coming back in a new game I'm all for it. The other Mario RPGs were good but they felt different.

[Andrew NDB]

So this has been out for a month now, apparently. Has anyone tried it? It is pretty faithful, but better?

[Mad Dog McMutt]

I am going to buy this eventually. It's going to be awhile though. I love the original version, but since I no longer own a snes I feel like this is a must buy.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

So this has been out for a month now, apparently. Has anyone tried it? It is pretty faithful, but better?

It's basically an almost 1:1 remake with some quality of life improvements (better saving/checkpoints, slightly easier, triple team attacks) and an extra Cudlex 3D fight.

[Zulithe]

Just got a Steam Deck OLED couple weeks ago. Put this on there and playing it with YUZU. Runs and looks great on the Deck.

[KROW]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

So this has been out for a month now, apparently. Has anyone tried it? It is pretty faithful, but better?

I'll just quote myself (and add some edits) from the "Currently Playing, etc." thread.

The polish really shines. I like the Timed Hit Chain and [gauge] meter that was added -- it makes you want to grind and breathes a bit of new life into the game. I especially like the fact that if your Chain is high enough, the battle music reflects this with extra percussion and immediately cuts to its original rhythm when you miss. They've added "Special Enemies" to some random battles, as well, which are just regular foes but with higher HP [plus defense] and an extra attack. Beating them gives you Frog Coins, eliminating the need to revisit the [Midas River] constantly. Music and SFX are still intact and cut scenes are given a more cinematic flair. [...] Oh, and Mario dancing at the Level Up screen is goddamn adorable and I get a kick out of it every time.

You're given an easier way to do timed hits at the beginning and when you acquire new weapons, spells, and allies, as well as when you are attacked by new enemies and their spells. A "!" appears for a time to help you, but will go away and leave you on your own.

When a party member is incapacitated or defeated, you are given the option to switch to another member (if available) or skip it. The Triple Attack is a nice addition and allows for party experimentation. Also, accessories and items are explained a bit better to provide improved battle preparation. Speaking of which, a bestiary is also featured and shows any and all weaknesses that you've managed to discover. This offers some experimenting with spells to see which monster is weak to fire, ice, shock, poison, or fear so you know who to use against them next time.

The game autosaves at certain points and offers a map to fast travel instead of screen hopping.

However, there is some jankiness. Mario's jumping is kind of slippery where the SNES version is more strict. He slides off surfaces more and it can get frustrating at time. I had to do the wall at Land's End -- where you hop on the paratroopas -- way too many times due to this. And hitting invisible blocks and hidden chests needs more accuracy. Plus, when you get a Star Man, Mario does not run faster like in the SNES version. He maintains his default trot and disallows you from taking advantage of it. The mine cart ride is also not as tight as the original. I found myself derailing constantly, despite how hard I put on the brakes and the harsh squealing of the cart got grating on my ears.

Overall, though, it's very good. I think it's worth a purchase. It is easier but I still had challenges. Jinx is still a pain in the ass... and I'm apprehensive about fighting Culex.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

It's basically an almost 1:1 remake with some quality of life improvements (better saving/checkpoints, slightly easier, triple team attacks) and an extra Cudlex 3D fight.

I just watched the regular and 3D Cudex fight. That dude is definitely inhabited by Zeromus (not Zemus) from FF IV. He talks just like him and looks a bit like him. And there's FF IV music there even.

[Prowler]

They removed the Bruce Lee line/joke, which is a shame and confusing. Why did they do that?

[RaphaelinSTL]

My first time playing the game and I really enjoyed it! Beat the main story within a week, but had a blast playing through it and need to go back and try out some more stuff.

I ended up picking up DK Tropical Freeze on sale around Black Friday (hadn't played that one yet) and I know I plan on getting Sonic Superstars for Christmas so got my hands full game-wise... but would love to jump back into Mario RPG soon.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Prowler

They removed the Bruce Lee line/joke, which is a shame and confusing. Why did they do that?

Rights issues, maybe? Times have changed since 1996.