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MrEon
12-02-12 08:11 PM
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mlb789
12-06-12 04:18 PM
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A delightful gem of its time, half forgotten, developed by FF legends

 
Game's Ratings
Overall
Graphics
Sound
Addictiveness
Depth
Story
Difficulty
Average User Score
9.3
8.9
8.7
9
8.7
9.3
5.6
MrEon's Score
8.2
10
10
8
9
10
7

12-02-12 08:11 PM
MrEon is Offline
| ID: 696480 | 1761 Words

MrEon
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Likes: 1  Dislikes: 0
Personal Thoughts and Feelings on the Game:

Man this takes me way back. Mid 90's or so, the game had been out for awhile and I saw it now and then,it was of a age where I was first seriously getting into RPGs. Dungeons and Dragons, Bauldur's gate, Zelda, and a few others (Not Final Fantasy though, oddly enough) when I picked out this little title from a old video rental shop. (Does anyone else remember those? Cassettes everywhere, SNES and Sega cartridges everywhere) And I was restricted to just 1 game, being only 12 or so I didn't have much cash from my benevolent parents, so it was a hard choice between Mario RPG, and Contra. In retrospect I'm glad I got Mario RPG. 

To me, it was Iconic. After all, in the world of video games what is more iconic at times then our portly plumber friend? I grew up with him with Super Mario Brothers, Super Mario 2, and of course 3 and Super Mario World. So when I started playing it I noticed the name 'SquareSoft' as the makers and though That's a weird name', but in my youth I was woefully ignorant of Squaresoft and their power over video games.

As I play though I'm delighted by the '3D' aspect of the game, it was still rather new in video games so I felt so technologically superior to friends who didn't play it. And Mario, laughably at times, was the silent hero (aren't most in RPGs that Squaresoft make?) in the Mushroom kingdom, which was beautifully realized in the first epic quest, where, you can guess, you have to rescue the Princess Peach from the nefarious Villain Bowser.

However, after the battle something rather strange happens. A sword, nearly as large as the castle Bowser lovingly created, shatters star road! And sinks itself to the midst of the castle, sending Mario flying.

Such was the introduction to the game, one that made me happily eager to play more! Now, I won't reveal too much of the story after this, but the events that followed made me laugh, frustrated the dickens outta me, and even made me go 'awww' now and then. To my delight there was much more to do then what you might expect in other RPGs (See 'Random Battle endless') Side quests, unique ways to battle enemies (being able to reduce damage with a well timed button press), exploring alternative story lines, and even fight beings from another (Final Fantasy) Dimension. 

Now some people moan and whine that there is a level 30 level cap, but reaching it is difficult by the end of the game (See 'Grinding' if you are determined to get that level) but the game is balanced where it isn't too easy, or too hard, but steadily ramps the difficulty up making you think and plan your moves ahead of time (and stock up on healing goodies). The bosses especially were fun, and challenging, each having a weakness of some sort to exploit, and strength to carefully avoid. And each character you control (up 3 active and 5 total) earn new powers as they progress, from Mario's super jump, to other characters powers you'll learn to rely on again and again. 

A personal word of advice, search everywhere and everything, you'll never know what you'll find, and some can be truly delightful surprised for the game.

Review of the Game:

Graphics: 10
Of its time and era, they were top notch. With a 2 1/2D Isometric perspective it allowed you to see the world beautifully rendered. The colors, as in all Mario games were bright, vibrant, and fun. From the goombas, to worse enemies in the game there is nothing to complain about in the graphics department. There is of course the 'Same enemy, different color' scheme here, but considering that they had I believe 30 some odd unique enemies, it could be forgiven to recolor a couple. Some great special effects included parallexing, and nifty animations in attacks from fireballs to lightning and more. Everything was clear and easily recognized for what it was supposed to be, which really is that much of a surprise for quality from Squaresoft?

Sound: 10
To me, this was perfect in so many ways. There were classic Super Mario tunes that we all know and love, plus a couple 'hidden' tunes you could here in Cameo (Someone from a 'Legend' shows up in the game ) and the battle music was, while only had a couple tracks, fit the mood from wilderness, to mines, to a sunken ship (where oddly you never drown), as well as some unique music for the more epic boss battles. Personally I wish they released a sound track of this game, it was that good. And for those of you musically inclined, you could actually MAKE  your own songs (not very long ones, but still!)

Addictiveness: 8
I've played, and beaten the game a number of times simply because its such a fun game. Now, is there any end game content? Sort of yes. There is a casino (if you can find it, its rather well hidden) and secrets to explore as well as hidden chests EVERYWHERE! (you can buy a locator ring that tells you if you're in the same room with one) Not to  mention side stories and the number of mini games you can play are always fun. From song making, to white water river swimming, puzzle solving and more, you can even buy a video game from a kid and try to beat his high score, catch bugs (and sell for loot) and more, good times to be had by all!

Story: 10 
While many people do not consider this story canon to the true Mario universe let me ask you this... other then Mario saves princess peach from Bowser (or some other baddie) has the world EVERY been the same? The answer is no (and in some games you don't even have to save the princess) But this is defiantly a unique approach to the game, and you'll see it poking fun at other games or popular media at the time (like the power rangers... yes, the guys in tights and run around in dino bots) But the story IS engrossing, and starts simple (save the princess Mario!) and gets stranger along the way, and opens up multiple avenues to explore, from bosses, to side stories. And the music and visuals fit it perfectly, at times you even feel sad for the inhabitants of the world and more then once will have 'What in the Heck' moments. (See: Boosters Tower... that's all I'll say)

Depth: 9
The game is HUGE. I've mentioned it already a few times but there are side quests galore, hidden goodies to find, rare currency to hoard (for some of the best items in game), mini game sot play and beat high scores of (and get loots from), puzzles to solve, mazes to go through, monsters to beat, including rare and very hard bosses (there is one boss that is optional and hard to unlock but is HARDER then the endgame boss... and defiantly has the air of Final Fantasy to it.) So yes the game has a great deal of depth of things to do, mine cart riding, bullet bouncing, Dojo fighting, and my favorite, finding super stars and killing EVERY THING by touching it Muhahahahahah! (and yes, you get the experience for it, so its a mad dash to kill everything while you can )

Oh and I dare you to not to yell out 'Stop... Hammer time!' when Mario gets his first hammer weapon. Its a great moment.

Difficulty: 7
This one I had a hard time rating. Its defiantly easy in the start and hard in the end and is scaled quiet well to progression through the story. So if you blow through the story, you'll have a bit of a hard time with later bosses and hard enemies, but for you completionists or side questers you'll still have a good challenge waiting for you. The controls take a little getting used to, but by the first hour of the game, you'll have understood them, though mastering takes a little time to accomplish. Pushing the button at the right time can reduce damage on you, or increase the damage you do on a special or even standard attack, so you get a sense of the games rhythm along the way.
Something they did I thought was rather clever in making the game challenging without being impossible is limiting your inventory space, items don't stack, so you are limited to the number of items you have the restore HP FP (flower points which do magic) status cures, and revival items, so you have to balance your needs out well, especially alter in the game. You also have a limit on the amount of coins used in the game, only up to 999 (after all, what other currency would there be besides coins?) So saving up a massive amount of coins won't do much for you, but there is plenty to spend it on, from weapons and armor, to fancy hotel rooms with room service (which actually give you a selection unique items)

So yes the game can be hard, but the distinction here is that it isn't impossible, and a rather good time to be had!

Overall Review:  9.7

This game belongs in the classics of gaming history. And on the top 100 RPGs of all time made I think. It was fun, beautiful, sounded wonderful, and the story was engrossing with memorable characters and epic boss battles, all the things that make a great RPG, don't let the fact that its a 'Mario' game throw off if you are a hard core RPG enthusiast, this game is well worth your time to explore and have fun with. Besides, would Mario every steer you wrong? So this is a definitive must play for any enthusiasts of RPgs, or Mario, or someone looking for a good time without having to worry too much about RPG details (like is my attack high enough to hit that, or will I do enough damage per second?)

Give it a try and pick up your hammer, and prepare for a good time in a unique and wonderful rendition of Mario Land where you find all sorts of familiar, and new faces.

Though ONE personal gripe I have, honestly. Yoshi made it, but why didn't Luigi? I mean, really? .




Personal Thoughts and Feelings on the Game:

Man this takes me way back. Mid 90's or so, the game had been out for awhile and I saw it now and then,it was of a age where I was first seriously getting into RPGs. Dungeons and Dragons, Bauldur's gate, Zelda, and a few others (Not Final Fantasy though, oddly enough) when I picked out this little title from a old video rental shop. (Does anyone else remember those? Cassettes everywhere, SNES and Sega cartridges everywhere) And I was restricted to just 1 game, being only 12 or so I didn't have much cash from my benevolent parents, so it was a hard choice between Mario RPG, and Contra. In retrospect I'm glad I got Mario RPG. 

To me, it was Iconic. After all, in the world of video games what is more iconic at times then our portly plumber friend? I grew up with him with Super Mario Brothers, Super Mario 2, and of course 3 and Super Mario World. So when I started playing it I noticed the name 'SquareSoft' as the makers and though That's a weird name', but in my youth I was woefully ignorant of Squaresoft and their power over video games.

As I play though I'm delighted by the '3D' aspect of the game, it was still rather new in video games so I felt so technologically superior to friends who didn't play it. And Mario, laughably at times, was the silent hero (aren't most in RPGs that Squaresoft make?) in the Mushroom kingdom, which was beautifully realized in the first epic quest, where, you can guess, you have to rescue the Princess Peach from the nefarious Villain Bowser.

However, after the battle something rather strange happens. A sword, nearly as large as the castle Bowser lovingly created, shatters star road! And sinks itself to the midst of the castle, sending Mario flying.

Such was the introduction to the game, one that made me happily eager to play more! Now, I won't reveal too much of the story after this, but the events that followed made me laugh, frustrated the dickens outta me, and even made me go 'awww' now and then. To my delight there was much more to do then what you might expect in other RPGs (See 'Random Battle endless') Side quests, unique ways to battle enemies (being able to reduce damage with a well timed button press), exploring alternative story lines, and even fight beings from another (Final Fantasy) Dimension. 

Now some people moan and whine that there is a level 30 level cap, but reaching it is difficult by the end of the game (See 'Grinding' if you are determined to get that level) but the game is balanced where it isn't too easy, or too hard, but steadily ramps the difficulty up making you think and plan your moves ahead of time (and stock up on healing goodies). The bosses especially were fun, and challenging, each having a weakness of some sort to exploit, and strength to carefully avoid. And each character you control (up 3 active and 5 total) earn new powers as they progress, from Mario's super jump, to other characters powers you'll learn to rely on again and again. 

A personal word of advice, search everywhere and everything, you'll never know what you'll find, and some can be truly delightful surprised for the game.

Review of the Game:

Graphics: 10
Of its time and era, they were top notch. With a 2 1/2D Isometric perspective it allowed you to see the world beautifully rendered. The colors, as in all Mario games were bright, vibrant, and fun. From the goombas, to worse enemies in the game there is nothing to complain about in the graphics department. There is of course the 'Same enemy, different color' scheme here, but considering that they had I believe 30 some odd unique enemies, it could be forgiven to recolor a couple. Some great special effects included parallexing, and nifty animations in attacks from fireballs to lightning and more. Everything was clear and easily recognized for what it was supposed to be, which really is that much of a surprise for quality from Squaresoft?

Sound: 10
To me, this was perfect in so many ways. There were classic Super Mario tunes that we all know and love, plus a couple 'hidden' tunes you could here in Cameo (Someone from a 'Legend' shows up in the game ) and the battle music was, while only had a couple tracks, fit the mood from wilderness, to mines, to a sunken ship (where oddly you never drown), as well as some unique music for the more epic boss battles. Personally I wish they released a sound track of this game, it was that good. And for those of you musically inclined, you could actually MAKE  your own songs (not very long ones, but still!)

Addictiveness: 8
I've played, and beaten the game a number of times simply because its such a fun game. Now, is there any end game content? Sort of yes. There is a casino (if you can find it, its rather well hidden) and secrets to explore as well as hidden chests EVERYWHERE! (you can buy a locator ring that tells you if you're in the same room with one) Not to  mention side stories and the number of mini games you can play are always fun. From song making, to white water river swimming, puzzle solving and more, you can even buy a video game from a kid and try to beat his high score, catch bugs (and sell for loot) and more, good times to be had by all!

Story: 10 
While many people do not consider this story canon to the true Mario universe let me ask you this... other then Mario saves princess peach from Bowser (or some other baddie) has the world EVERY been the same? The answer is no (and in some games you don't even have to save the princess) But this is defiantly a unique approach to the game, and you'll see it poking fun at other games or popular media at the time (like the power rangers... yes, the guys in tights and run around in dino bots) But the story IS engrossing, and starts simple (save the princess Mario!) and gets stranger along the way, and opens up multiple avenues to explore, from bosses, to side stories. And the music and visuals fit it perfectly, at times you even feel sad for the inhabitants of the world and more then once will have 'What in the Heck' moments. (See: Boosters Tower... that's all I'll say)

Depth: 9
The game is HUGE. I've mentioned it already a few times but there are side quests galore, hidden goodies to find, rare currency to hoard (for some of the best items in game), mini game sot play and beat high scores of (and get loots from), puzzles to solve, mazes to go through, monsters to beat, including rare and very hard bosses (there is one boss that is optional and hard to unlock but is HARDER then the endgame boss... and defiantly has the air of Final Fantasy to it.) So yes the game has a great deal of depth of things to do, mine cart riding, bullet bouncing, Dojo fighting, and my favorite, finding super stars and killing EVERY THING by touching it Muhahahahahah! (and yes, you get the experience for it, so its a mad dash to kill everything while you can )

Oh and I dare you to not to yell out 'Stop... Hammer time!' when Mario gets his first hammer weapon. Its a great moment.

Difficulty: 7
This one I had a hard time rating. Its defiantly easy in the start and hard in the end and is scaled quiet well to progression through the story. So if you blow through the story, you'll have a bit of a hard time with later bosses and hard enemies, but for you completionists or side questers you'll still have a good challenge waiting for you. The controls take a little getting used to, but by the first hour of the game, you'll have understood them, though mastering takes a little time to accomplish. Pushing the button at the right time can reduce damage on you, or increase the damage you do on a special or even standard attack, so you get a sense of the games rhythm along the way.
Something they did I thought was rather clever in making the game challenging without being impossible is limiting your inventory space, items don't stack, so you are limited to the number of items you have the restore HP FP (flower points which do magic) status cures, and revival items, so you have to balance your needs out well, especially alter in the game. You also have a limit on the amount of coins used in the game, only up to 999 (after all, what other currency would there be besides coins?) So saving up a massive amount of coins won't do much for you, but there is plenty to spend it on, from weapons and armor, to fancy hotel rooms with room service (which actually give you a selection unique items)

So yes the game can be hard, but the distinction here is that it isn't impossible, and a rather good time to be had!

Overall Review:  9.7

This game belongs in the classics of gaming history. And on the top 100 RPGs of all time made I think. It was fun, beautiful, sounded wonderful, and the story was engrossing with memorable characters and epic boss battles, all the things that make a great RPG, don't let the fact that its a 'Mario' game throw off if you are a hard core RPG enthusiast, this game is well worth your time to explore and have fun with. Besides, would Mario every steer you wrong? So this is a definitive must play for any enthusiasts of RPgs, or Mario, or someone looking for a good time without having to worry too much about RPG details (like is my attack high enough to hit that, or will I do enough damage per second?)

Give it a try and pick up your hammer, and prepare for a good time in a unique and wonderful rendition of Mario Land where you find all sorts of familiar, and new faces.

Though ONE personal gripe I have, honestly. Yoshi made it, but why didn't Luigi? I mean, really? .




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12-06-12 04:18 PM
mlb789 is Offline
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Once again, great review.  I really liked your introduction and conclusion, because you did a really good job explaining the game and your thoughts of it there.
Once again, great review.  I really liked your introduction and conclusion, because you did a really good job explaining the game and your thoughts of it there.
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