As a child, the Super Nintendo also known as the Snes was always fighting for my attention with the Sega Genesis and winning for the most part, and here is one of the games that did just that. Super Mario RPG, Legend of the Seven Stars was different then most Mario Games back in the day, while most were plat formers this one decided to try and branch out to a different genre in the hopes to attract more people to the ever growing loyal Fan base. I was already a fan at the time, playing games like Mario Kart and Super Mario World, but this game... brought my love of RPG to the forefront and gave me a game I will never.... ever... forget.

Graphics:  9/10; The SNES was known for putting together good images and a display of strong ram power for the graphics to be different then the NES. This showed the hype of the graphics to the forefront, the characters were shown and you knew which character was what. Mario, the idealistic plumber for example, was what you knew him as, and you could see from the red to the mustache that he looked every bit like him. Could you say the graphics were full rendered 3D-Images? Some may gripe over it, but I think for the power of the SNES, this was as close to 3D as you were going to get. Each character you fought or you controlled was rendered all around, and it was the first time we saw many of our beloved characters in such a vibrant way. If you consider the amount of effort it had to take, showing us new locations and having to bring them to life, I say they did great in this department.

Sound: 10/10; I want to paint a picture for everyone, you are in the forest.. Its like a labyrinth in which you have to know the exact way to go but even if you think you do? You end up taking a wrong turn and going to the right, instead of the left! Now with that going on, you are being attacked constantly by enemies and the never-ending notion you are going to have to be stuck here forever.. And in a way... you don't mind. The reason?... Is very clear, the music that plays in that level, and the music that plays through the entire game is an orchestra of good melodies that pulls on your emotion. The music is upbeat, uplifting, providing you hope that you will get out of the forest and fight the boss that pulled you into this travesty of a maze. The sound, and the music plays on your emotion and are critically eclaimed. There is a reason that the song, even through the test of time and other songs by this game are featured on youtube and are parodied to this day.

Addictiveness  9/10; Have you ever felt the joy of jumping on Koopas as a kid? Now combine that with the ability to jump on them multiple times in a single combat! Not only are you playing with the plumber with the highest leap for a man! You get other, unique, and playable characters that were just made for this very game! The combat is very RPG orientated with turn base combat, where you get to decide to attack, use an item, escape or use an ability.[Mario gets to Jump, Geno gets to shoot and so forth.] The added joy of having different items that can be equipped and used to save your life, like the Pick me up adds a different dimension to the game. There are a ton of things to do in this game, besides fighting shy guys, Koopas or Hammer Brothers such as Mini Games or even trying to collect coins. The only time you will be disappointed is when you finish the game, but its only temporary before you start a new game and try and beat it again!

Story: 10/10; So we've seen the same old tune for three Mario Games right?.. Mario needs to save the Princess from Bowser/King Koopa to restore order to the Mushroom Kingdom.[Except for Mario 2, which we won't get into full detail with.] So, tell me how does this game start off?.. You are going to Bowser's castle, beating up the cronies that are trying to delay you while you are trying to beat up Bowser and rescue Princess Toadstool... So why did I give this a 10/10? Its simple, the game makes it a joke to have this as the very first thing you do, knowing full well its going to swerve you just as you are victorious into defeating Bowser... A Giant Sword comes from the sky and lodges into the castle sending everyone from it. Now, a giant sword is definitely unique and different to the Mario Universe and you quickly realize that a new villain as emerged to take over called the Smithy Gang. This wouldn't be a big problem except the Grand Star has broken into seven distinct pieces and thus, it is your job to get it back but be wary, one of them is in Bowser's castle and the bridge is broken for now. The fact that the developers took a leap of faith and brought in a brand new villain, and a different plot then what we are use to seeing was like a breath of fresh air to the universe. Sure, you are still battling some of the same enemies but once you get to a boss, or a land where there are creatures you haven't seen before, you know you are in for a new experience.

Depth: 10/10; Now I mentioned a bit about depth in the story compartment so just let me touch up on this section with a review of the review so I can show you how much there is to do, and how much layers are into this game. You have a game, with a different plot, different characters, all of which had to be molded and put into a 3D-like environment. You have seven different worlds, which has to be fully fleshed out, and require a map and reasoning to go there. We have different bosses, and mini-games in which we can do and special coins in which we need to collect. On top of that, there are different equipment for each type of character, like a hammer, Chain-Chomp and my personal favorite.. I believe a frying pan. Not to mention, at the end of it all, you will be getting a heavy dose of references which you will get right away, or need a second play through to figure out so you are always left with wanting more of this fabulous game.

Difficulty: 8/10; I know, usually people don't rate this game very high on the difficulty chart but like most RPGS, if you aren't careful you can die in an instant of good programming, and terrible luck for you. Its essential to have a high dose of Pick Me Ups and get equipment for each character that you plan on using. The puzzles for the most part aren't too difficult, unless you were me as a kid trying to figure out the password to the submarine/underwater level so you can go on to face the boss >.<[Hint: As a kid, I never did figure it out I am afraid.] That is why, I have to give it a moderate to high rating for my own preference because it is unique to Mario, and if you aren't careful, you will die.

In closing, this was a tremendous part of my childhood experience and in looking back today, I can say it was the reason why I started my jump into RPG's while also continuing to give my life for the crazy plumber and all his cohorts and villains. I recommend everyone to play it if they haven't yet, and I may just take another dip into the game-pool and go through it again just like the child in me has been for most of my years.

Excellent review. You have just the right amount of details to entice would-be gamers without telling too much about it. I should learn from you