my review for this week is:
June 24, 2002
Week 2
Super Mario RPG
Graphics
Wow..... this is great for 16 bit system. Okay, DKC was better looking, but that isn't what this review is about. Of course, it's done in bright colors, ranging from light pinks, to dark crimson, it's just so perfect. Buldings are vibrant, and no pilxilation whatsoever........ except when you get to a curtain at Boosters Tower....... ^_-
If only FF6/3 looked like this. Of course, moving along.
Music
WOW!!!!! Humable tunes that stick in your head, and that fit the mood pretty well (just wait until you get to a certain star in Star Road), and it's so diverse, ranging from reggae-like, to classical music. Music for the ages. (And you may think that Nobou Uematsu or Koji Kondo did the music, you're wrong. The woman who did the music for the PSX RPG Parasite Eve did the music for SMRPG. I was shocked myself)
Story
It starts out like the usual Mario fare we're used to. Princess Peach is kidnapped by Bowser, Mario must go to his castle to rescue here, and they live happily ever after. We'll, is it like that for the rest of the story? Yes, and NO. Want an overview of the story? Here it is in layman's terms-
Peach is picking flowers outside Mario's house. Bowser comes to kidnap her. Mario goes off to rescue her. Mario kicks Bowser's butt, then a giant sword comes into Bowser's Castle, kicks everyone out.
Mario goes to tell the Chancellor of the Mushroom Kingdom, runs into loveable Mallow Nimbus, who got his coin stolen. Later after a series of events that I won't spoil, they run into a posessed and seriously kick-ass doll named Geno. Turns out that the sword that landed into Bowser's Castle broke something called 'Star Road' and now they gotta look for Star Pieces.
Later, after Moleville, they end up at Booster's Tower. Mario can't get in, runs into Bowser. Bowser then joins your party (You maybe thinking- WHAT THE @!#%???!), they rescue Princess after stuff.
You'll have to play the game to figure out the rest. Otherwise, despite a cliched-esque plot, it's actually good, but not quite up to SquareSoft standards, ESPECALLY after FF6/3 and Chrono Trigger.
And now, for the Cons.
CONS
Battle System
Okay, I have 2 major gripes with the battle system-
1- Everyone Shares MP/FP, so, unlike Final Fantasy, no one has their own MP, and that makes things complicated near the end boss, when you find out you've almost beat him, and then you find out that you have NO FP and NO Flowers to restore FP. AAAAARGH!!
2- You can't have 4 members. I know 3 is enough, but why can't we have 4? Is it technical limits? Laziness on Square's part? I don't know!!! So don't ask me
Exploration- Okay, the game is linear. Think Grandia 2 on Dreamcast (Ach. I hate Grandia 2.), only lighter. What I mean is that the game FORCES you to go straight to your next location and you don't have time to explore everything. It just doesn't work out. I mean, I wanted to look att he rest of Nimbus Land, but it made me go straight to the end boss. AAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!!
Controls
Jumping works in an RPG, but it's tedious when you have to jump in a certain direction, cause the game wants you to fall into the friggin lava for the 100000th time in a row. That, and it can be a little twitchy.
Now, let's look at the So-So-
Mini-Games
All you can do is Grate Guy's Casino (Which is hidden and you gotta get a card to go in), which has a lame slots game and a fun version of black jack. Another is Midas River, which is kinda fun, but can get quite boring after a while.
Another is Molevile Mine Carts, which is really fun, but since you're on a pretty turing track, trying to stay on course and get the best time is nigh impossible. Another Mini Game is the Tadpole Pond Music Game, but if you're like me, and can't figure out which line is a C Sharp and a B Minor, then you'll want to pass this mini game. all in all, some are fun, some are not.
Character Development
Okay, so Mario doesn't say a word like Chrono, but the others do. I'd say the only new charecter that takes up development is Mallow, becuase one part of the game centers on him. That isn't bad if you like the fuzzy little guy. Geno.... he's developed quite sparringly, which is kinda odd, since he's the Guardian of Star Road. Peach..... she isn't a wuss like you might think, but she is developed as a wimp for the first half of the game. Bowser...... I'l let you see for yourself. ^_-
Final Word
Super Mario RPG is a great game, but it isn't perfect, which is a shame,
since it's the most neglected title by Square fans, who think they know
all of Square's games. If you like RPGs, get a SNES and give it a shot,
but if you're a Mario fan who thinks that Mario in an RPG is stupid......
just give it a shot as well. Who knows? Maybe you'll become addicted to
it. Hey, it's better than watching a marathon of hte Super Mario Bros.
Overall 8.9 out of 10
