Overall 10/10
ok, so personally, I find this game to be one of my all time favorites.  for a Mario series game, I have always loved the aspect of a full fledged RPG with the aspects that this game contains compared to a typical side-scrolling adventure through various levels and worlds. I feel that this allows the limitations of only completing the levels to disappear, and rather allow the players to freely enjoy the entire world that this game has within. This game always seemed to make me want to play more and more whenever I played it, and a personal favorite of mine is the use of some comedy throughout the story, which keeps players entertained.

Graphics 10/10
this game has graphics similar to some other game boy advance games, but I feel that the aspect of not being limited to either side-scrolling or four direction movement allows the somewhat 3d graphic to really show what they're made of and allow players to truly experience what this game was designed to do.

Sound 10/10
I think that most of us can agree that the sound in this game is AMAZING. Sometimes as I played, I would find myself humming or singing to the rhythms and beats of the various songs that would play throughout the game (a personal favorite being the boss battle theme; a-ma-zing). The use of multiple sound effects throughout the storyline, rather than just a few during certain parts, is also something that I feel players may enjoy. And a new aspect in the Mario series is hearing Mario and Luigi talk in Italian throughout parts of the game, and making other noises such as being scared, angry, or surprised.  though I never understood what they were saying, I felt that it made them seem like more of a character than they had been in the past games, and really "brought life" to them as well.

Addictiveness 7/10
I love the storyline, and I feel that it can be played as many times as a player wants (with me being about 30 so far). Players can traverse the game and level up like normal, but they can focus on a different stat to increase each time they play the game in order to make the game more interesting and  challenging as well.  though this can be done various times, and the game can be somewhat different each time, the storyline never really changes each time through. Is it re-playable? Obviously yes, of course. But can it be played through each time with new challenges and a completely different experience? Sadly, that would be a no.

Story 10/10
the storyline of this game is one of the greatest that I have ever played through.  its long, difficult (at some points), challenging, exiting, humorous at times, and it may even touch your emotions depending on how connected you are to it during your play through.  this game makes Mario and Luigi appear to be more of a true character with true roles in the storyline, rather than simply a character that goes across a side scrolling world just to reach a flag or castle.  the aspect of a Mario game was truly expanded to a whole new level when this game was released, and I feel that whether or not this game is enjoyable for you, the storyline alone may keep you hooked long enough to continue playing.

Depth 10/10
due to not being like the other Mario games in the past, I think that the new bean bean kingdom allows players to truly experience what it is like to travel the kingdom like Mario actually does in his past games.  the large world that this game offers players is large enough for players to constantly explore and discover new things such as beans, hidden blocks, or even that super secret item they're been looking for.  this game is large in depth, and simply, I think that it's a perfect game in this aspect hands down.

Difficulty 5/10
Personally, this game is not very difficult once you have the hang of it. You begin to memorize how the enemies attack you and where things are after some time, so eventually this game becomes fairly easy.  however, the game as a whole is very large and difficult at most points.  if you didn't level up enough, or didn't train your stats the right way, you may find yourself struggling at some points throughout the game.  the difficulty of this game actually varies depending on how good the player is at adapting to the game as a whole.

(P.S.  I would just like to add that the ability to play the original super Mario arcade game really adds to the game.  once you've beaten superstar saga, you can always play the arcade game option and continue to try to increase your high score).

Yes I agree ! Ever since Super Mario RPG , Paper Mario etc. The series continues to shine with really unique game play and  witty , intelligent dialog that can be quite amusing sometimes. I recommend continuing the journey on the next titles on Nintendo DS  you won't be disappointed! Happy Gaming

golgo 14 : Actually, since this game originally came out, I have been somewhat addicted to the series. I have played through partners in time, Bowser's inside story, and dream team, all with complete satisfaction.  this series, besides Pokémon of course, is my all time favorite video game series that I have ever played, and I would recommend them all to everyone.