1:43 "Basically, it's so intuitive that even an eight-year-old with no experience of turn-based combat could figure it out." This is why Pokemon took over the world in the late nineties.

Not gonna lie, when I first saw Mallow I was perfectly willing to accept that he was ACTUALLY a tadpole and that's just how tadpoles in Mario-verse worked. Anyone else?

Now you must rename this "The found legacy of mario rpg" because it's back and it's been the happiest 2 days of my life

Mario doesn't have an arc? Sir, he jumps!

When I was 9 and played this, the "I want to be a great plumber.... Like my brother Mario" wish made my cry. 😭

Me watching smrpg ending as a kid: "wow this is so cool and satisfying and colorful :D" Me watching smrpg ending as an adult: *on verge of tears*

I’m 37 and played this game as a middle schooler back in 1996. Now I am playing this game with my 6 year old and he is living the story. Pretty crazy.

I love how all Punchinello ever wanted was to be famous, yet was not important enough to be mentioned in this review.

"I WAS baby." -TGC 2020

You know, after having played Paper Mario, Paper Mario: the Thousand Year Door, Super Paper Mario, Paper Mario: Sticker Star, Paper Mario: the Origami King, Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time, and Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story... ...MAYBE it's time for me to play Super Mario RPG? Maybe? Not quite sure. Watched a lot of great videos about it though.

It’s really amazing how you can make me feel nostalgia not just for a game I never played as a kid, but a game I never played at all. Your passion always comes through clear as day and that’s part of why I love your videos; you can convey emotion beyond rage and disdain better than any other channel I’ve seen on KZfaq.

"Ready to go around again?"

It's felt strange being too young to live through what may have been the stepping stone for RPGs to break through in the West, but it's comforting to hear what it was like from someone that lived through it. Thank you, Josh!

Glad to see a remake is on the way! I hope younger generations love it just as much as we did. Maybe we'll see a true sequel one day

Just thought I'd mention that, I recently replayer SMRPG as a 22 year-old and STILL couldn't get the freaking Yoshi Racing minigame. So yeah it's not just you...

Was, is, and probably always will be my favorite game of all time. Absolute masterpiece

Nintendo dug into the couch cusions and found the legacy. Today is a good day.

14:38 love the Sonic SATAM reference there 😄 " Do I wanna get diced, charred or crushed? ... What's a hedgehog to do..." Fantastic trip down memory lane on an RPG I replayed countless times over the years 😃 Cheers Josh 👍

Whenever I want to remind myself what the meaning of Legacy is, I like rewatch this video. See, I am not a child of the ‘90s, but being born in ‘98 allowed me to feel very close to that era. There were so many games, shows, and overall cultural things that I knew about but couldn’t grasp. I watched both Rawest Forest and Waltz of the Forest- I grew to love Super Mario RPG from a distance because of those music videos… but I still never played the game for myself. About a little over a year ago I finally sat down and decided to give the game a fair shot. I’d heard abundant praise, I’d heard abundant criticism. Now it was time for my own opinion to be formed. I won’t give a full on review, so I’ll fast forward to a moment mirrored within this video. When I saw the 8-bit Mario, I was taken aback for a moment. I’d played the Paper Mario games before and they had exact same reference. I was surprised to see that it actually started all the way back in this game. Knowing this, knowing that the Paper Mario games didn’t just throw in a reference to the past on a whim, I realized there was a connection with these games to their past that I didn’t have a name for. And then I watched this video. I like watching Geek Critique, but I skipped this video when it came out because I hadn’t played the game yet! Spoilers! After watching this video I finally knew what word described that connection to the past was. Legacy. Legacy is what made me fond for the the past that I wasn’t present for. Legacy is what I understood was important but didn’t know the definition of. And the fondness for Legacy, is exactly the connection I always had to Super Mario RPG. Super Mario RPG, a game I’ve seen both criticized and memorialized ever since I knew what the internet was, I had a strong connection to despite never having played the game myself. Super Mario RPG’s Legacy as being a piece from a very specific time is both sad and endearing all the same. A glimpse into a future fully different yet similar to what we live in with a cast of characters totally unique but not at all dissimilar to what we know today. The Legacy of Super Mario RPG is really special to me, and I’m glad that I finally played it. A game that’s a part of who I am feels fully complete within me now that I’ve actually played it, and your video on it helped me realize that Legacy about it and how it relates back to me. Thank you.

You know, *TImed Hits* kinda ruined RPGs for me too. Every time I play them, I always push the button when the attack lands, whether it's Pokemon--Final Fantasy--ETC. Just hoping for that Critical Hit. Even if it's all in my head that timed hits are a mechanic outside Mario RPG. It's just the way my little RPG hands grew up... Thank you Mario RPG.

i haven't played this game in 20 years but suddenly i want to binge through every second of it, RIGHT NOW... this is probably one of the 10 best videos published to youtube this year. Thank you.

Your writing is really phenomenal. I've never played this game, my only experience with it is the vague memory of a Let's Play years ago I don't even remember if I finished watching. And yet... I feel such nostalgia watching this, such retrospect and reminiscence of an age I wasn't even alive during. Bravo.

It's really hard to say this, but I think my love of story telling, of characters, and RPGs can all be traced back to this game. I was around the same age as the reviewer of this game and it is connected to so much, the little epilogue always makes me tear up and it has remained one of my favorite games of all time.

This is so spot on and very relatable thank you, Geek Critique. ~Haiku

oh hey, an excuse to rewatch the video. this was well worth the wait, and i missed your style of progressing through the game while tackling the various factors of a game like graphics, music, gameplay, etc. etc. beyond excited for the rest of the season!

Don’t know who made the original remix or what said remix but was but glad you were nice enough to repost the video regardless, very cool 👍

WHAT A GOOD FIRST DAY OF SUMMER

One also can't forget the incredible soundtrack that perfectly complemented every SMRPG location! The music and the unique isometric perspective really made this game instantly recognizable. There is something utterly unforgettable about every place and song in the game. If you ever see a town from the game, it instantly jumps to life even with no animation.

I don’t think it’s Legacy will be lost anytime soon after the remake announcement 😊

I think for me what make a game like this so special, is that even though I've grown older, the game itself is locked into 1996. I can turn it on and kinda go back in time to spend a moment in my youth again.

I came for the "dithered plastic" reference and wasn't dissapointed.

Guys!!!! Remake coming to Switch November 17! The Star Road has heard us!

Please hit LIKE on the video, the star spirits tell me that will please our benevolent algorithm! :D I'll STILL see you on December 19 for Paper Mario, and if you're so inclined, it's up now for $1 backers on the Patreon! www.patreon.com/GeekCritique

Comparing microtransactions to calling Nintendo Power made me laugh way harder than I should have.

Who’s here after the announcement of the remake

"To this day it feels weird if a game doesn't have a jump button." Truer words have never been spoken...

Man every time I see you upload a new video I get really happy inside, I've watched your Metroid and Sonic reviews more times than I can honestly count

I even managed to get everyone to sync up in EXP to the point where every level gained was 5 levels gained at once on more than one occasion

So how about that Super Mario RPG remake

TGC manifested the Mario RPG Remake!!!

I was 15 when this came out - Can confirm that the graphics were considered good at the time. Thanks to my 27” CRT TV, no doubt.

It’s great to see you back, GC! I really wish we had more KZfaq content creators as dedicated to their craft as you!

To this day, Super Mario RPG is still my favorite game of all time even when, compared to other RPGs and even the Paper Mario games, it may pale in comparison as far as the challenge goes. I still have a great time with this game.

20:30 and then Geno was revealed as mii costume again 4 days later

The Legacy is lost no more… at least until Oct. 17th. *PRE-ORDER NOW!!!*

As someone who grew up with the first two Paper Mario games, and could never get into SMRPG, this is the first video I've ever seen that really explained to me why this game was so special to those who grew up with it. I think you did an excellent job explaining its magic, and how it's a game that couldn't have come out any other year. What was once a game I kind of rolled my eyes at whenever I heard people praise it, is now I game that I respect and see the importance of. Great video, as always! :)

And we’re back!!!!! Love this video Josh - a sequel is finally upon us!!

Geek! *ahem* LETS FREAKING GOOOOO. We’re the same age and this is the closest video depicting how I feel about the game so I know you're as excited as I am.

At Last!!! The Legacy's been Revived!!!

SMRPG REMAKE IS HERE 😭❤️

You're description of your experience playing an RPG is exactly my experience as a child when I got Final Fantasy (NES) for christmas, but Final Fantasy did not care if I understood how to play it and left me confused and angry for weeks.

6:08 was so hilarious for me as a child (and hell, today). Looks like he's about to swing on a kid and the only thing in the world holding him back is Mallow.

Reupload? I was literally in the middle of the original video and then it just randomly said "video does not exist"

Perfectly captures every feeling I've ever had playing this game. I too was baby.

And then there was the nintendo direct today.

Okay I almost never comment on KZfaq videos, but when I was done watching I suddenly got really emotional and cried. I'm the same age as you, and grew up with the SNES. I didn't grow up with this game (my beloved obscure game is Terranigma), but I think I can understand 100 % where you're coming from and what you're trying to convey.

So... You were saying?

It's not so Lost anymore it's coming to the Nintendo switch in November I seriously absolutely can't not wait

"Super Mario RPG: The lost Legacy" *After the most recent direct*... it looks like Nintendo and Square found it.

Mario RPG is back baby! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Legacy is saved!

Me: (Was not alive in the 90s, has never played this game) Also Me: (Crying at the ending of this video)

I'm from 2 years in the future when the announcement of Super Mario RPG remake was announced. It's gonna be a great time!

me in 96: barley fought monsters and was always under leveled menow: fights every enemy in dq 11s to the point he is over leveled.

Is this the separate episode where you replace toadstools name with peach and say yoshi island instead of y'ole isle

So nice to revisit this just a day before the remake releases. Can't wait to re experience this masterpiece

I really wasn't expecting this video to take me on a feels trip but it sure did. This game rules, and it absolutely is emblematic of my childhood.

Well, mark this ones legacy up as forgotten no-longer!

Hey TGC, Super Mario RPG is finally getting a Switch remake on November 17, 2023.

Hi I'm reposting to point out the Turtle Kermit joke.

Thanks for reminding me how much I connected with Mallow's arc as a kid! I was so into it, that I drew a bunch of pictures for a sketched game I imagined would be called "Mallow 64" for the upcoming awesome system! They definitely should've made that...

GREAT summary near the end of the video. You had me tearing up with nostalgia. You did a fantastic job with this video. I was 12 when I played Mario RPG on SNES and I totally agree that it became my standard bearer for action RPGs. I think it's why I love ALL the Paper Mario titles so much. Mario RPG set me up to expect the surprisingly deep, yet single-serving characters found in Paper Mario, the action RPG content, and the light-RPG elements throughout. Great video, TGC!

The last 5 minutes summed up mario rpg beautifully. How the end of the game, sort of made time stop for a bit as we gazed at each individual star and the story it told of tosfsovski, jonathan jones and all the characters that we only saw once in a game. I still have a dream of one day seeing mario, mallow, booster, Valentina, smithy and everyone back in another nintendo game. Geno is literally one of my top 5 characters all time because like you, this game was so influential in my life and I always play this game at least once every 5-6 years ans just soak it all in.

Didnt get a chance to comment on the previous upload, but to put it simply, you've produced another certified banger of a video!

I'm rewatching this again after a decent amount of time. It really hit me, this game is the most important game in my life. If I hadn't played it, I would never have developed the love I have for games, especially RPGs. It makes me wonder where my life would have gone instead if I never got the chance to experience this.

I love how you go beyond the text of the game and even beyond the metatext. How something so simple as a reference to the original super mario bros sprite would be so mind blowing to you as a kid. That's an experience I never got as a kid because I would have easily recognized he 8 bit mario sprite, either from my cousin's NES copy, my local retro game store's copy on the shelf, or from my own copy of the Gameboy color Deluxe version. There's something just so interesting about childhood memories created in a curious ignorance that just feels so, special.

The way you described your initial thoughts playing this game was exactly my experience as a 7 year old playing it. Not understanding why jumping on the enemy changed the screen and all of that was exactly how I felt. With this and pokemon nintendo turned me into an rpg fan for life.

8:34 Don’t think you can hide that DKC3 Game Over music on me. I’ve played that game backwards, forwards and inside out more times than I can count.

The ending theme never fails to make my eyes water. Shimomura really is fricken talented

The legacy is no longer lost for a remake is going to be released

I still love to come back to this game after every five years or when Nintendo re-releases it on their latest console. By far my fondest memory of this game was when I beat Culex. I threw my pillow in the air which hit the ceiling and all of the glorious popcorning fell down on top of me. Good times.

1:04 In 96, I was 10 years old. When I jumped on that enemy and the screen went black and loaded the turn-based battle arena, I thought the game was glitched and reset it. I did this a couple of times, I even considered returning the game because I thought it was faulty. After leaving it for another day because I didn't understand anything, I realized that it was actually a game mode. In addition, I am from Argentina and didn't know English at all. Thanks to this game, today I can speak English in an acceptable way. It turned out that playing that game with its English text and dialogues helped me gradually understand and learn the language. I started picking up words, phrases, and encourage me to learn from other sources like films and music.

41:40 My family somehow managed to record me playing SMRPG onto a VHS tape when I was little, and in the middle of an episode of episode of Adventures of the Gummi Bears they had recorded for me, this scene appeared. Lmfao. After Mario ran into the curtain after the time limit, the recording cut off and went back to the regular episode. They still have no idea how they managed this, even 20+ years later.

Wow I- "Smithy Gang" *"Smithy"* I never got the connection that they were all weapons. Wow.

Hey Josh. I just wanted to say you're a huge inspiration to me. You helped me embrace my subjectivity, and more than often I find myself wanting to write about the games I love. It's always great watching a new video from TGC, or seeing you featured in a Kongversation episode. Thanks for your amazing work, cheers from Brazil! :)

Here after the remake for this masterpiece has been announced. How ya holding up, TGC?

This game has by far my favorite portrayal of Bowser. The Mario and Luigi RPGs are similar, but his brute like qualities take the spotlight almost to the point of feeling one-note. It's not a problem, Mario characters are DESIGNED like that, but this Bowser has an excellent balance between his tough-guy act, his insecurities, and his undying respect for his minions. He's not angry at them when they go AWOL, he keeps his cool and wishes the best for them and the lives they've made for themselves. It makes me respect Bowser much more, and truly proves his worthiness of the title "King of the Koopas".

This video feels important, like a remembrance of days gone. I feel like I just looked through some old photos and saw people I haven't thought of in years. Thanks for this, definitely has earned my sub.

Never made like this again…until the remake!

my dad taught me timed hits when we would play this together.

After years of knowing this video's existance, but never watching it since I never played Mario RPG. Having finally beaten the game, I'm now glad to finally get to this retrospective!

Thank you so much for making this. It truly is the best super Mario RPG video I’ve seen on KZfaq for how I felt growing up and I do believe we are the same age (1988 birthdays for the win!) I wish there was a part two. Yiuvdidn’t even have time to touch on things like the lazy shell secrets or the secret bosses or even trying to complete all of the treasure boxes including the most frustrating first treasure box of all time. But overall I’m so glad I discovered your channel because this video made my day. Thank you again!

I honestly can't agree with the idea that SMRPG looks bad today, I love the aesthetic. Not even nostalgia I'm only 18 (well I did play it as a kid but still graphics were a lot further along)

Best analysis/ documentary on one of my favorite games of all time. Like you, I was 8 years old ( born in 1987) and when I first saw a preview of this game, my 8 year old brain was blown away! I couldn’t believe how real Mario looked in 3D. Like you this was my first RPG and I had no clue what I was doing, but watching my older brother play, I quickly was able to learn the ropes and successfully navigate my own adventure. To this day, I still find myself humming some of the tunes at 33. I can’t tell you all the amazing memories this game provided to my childhood (must be why I own 2 physical copies on the snes). This video has brought back so much nostalgia. Great work!! I can’t wait until my son is old enough to where we can play through this game together.

I’ll always carry the torch for SMRPG proudly. This was my era.

The beginning scenario of this video was eerily similar to my own experience as a kid. Except for me it was 1997, I was 6 (going on 7), and I first glanced upon the box art in a video game display case at Sears. I too had no idea what a RPG was, but I knew Mario and Bowser! A few months later at my birthday party in a "Fun Zone" I unwrapped Super Mairo RPG along with the official guide (thanks grandma!). To this day it remains my favorite SNES game. The nostalgia when I play it is overwhelming.

@The Geek Critique: You might have to change your video's title. In the newest Nintendo Direct they announced a new remake of SMRPG and it's looks pretty damn good!

That ending monologue means the world.

The intro perfectly described how I found this game. I was at blockbuster and saw a demo for Mario 64. I was floored by the graphics and told my dad I really, really wanted that game. With no concept of what the N64 was, I looked up and down the SNES shelves until I saw the box for this game. "This...kinda looks 3D". What does RPG mean? I don't know, but this has to be it! Best accidental buy

I remember going to Toys' r us to buy this game, picking out the piece of paper behind the game (vidpro?) card, telling me they had stock! My mom and I paid for the game and I took it home expecting to play the same type of Mario game. I was blown away, it was hard, I couldn't beat the first part for a long time. I had never played an RPG before nor been challenged in that way before playing a game. I put the game down for a few months, picked it up back up and got stuck at Bower. Put the game back down for a couple months, until it dawned on me that I could get stronger by fighting more enemies, buying enough items, and hitting my timed hits. After that I never stopped until I beat the game. I play the game now ever couple of years and still have my complete in box copy from when I bought it in 1996. We share a similar love for this game, as it is my favorite game ever, then Zelda OOT and Mario 64. Thank you for this amazing video.