You control Mario, Mallow, and Geno through a colorful world, fighting in turn-based battles where pressing a button at the right moment adds extra damage to your attacks or reduces damage taken. Outside of battle you jump around town and dungeon areas solving small platforming puzzles. It plays gently enough for someone who has never touched an RPG before, while the timed hits give it a bit of hands-on skill.
Gameplay video
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Screenshots & review notes
The verdict
This remake treats its source material with real reverence, and the result is a warm, funny RPG that still feels distinct from anything else wearing the Mario name.
The mechanics
Timed hits in battle keep even simple fights engaging, and the pacing rarely drags thanks to short chapters and a steady stream of new abilities.
Presentation
The move to 3D models gives Geno, Mallow and company a new lease on life, paired with a jazzy, reorchestrated soundtrack that still gets stuck in your head.
Staying power
A perfect gateway RPG for younger players or anyone burned out on longer genre epics. Series veterans may find it a touch too easy from start to finish.
Frames captured from the gameplay video above; notes are our own take on the game.
What it's like to play
You control Mario hopping around small, colorful 3D dioramas, jumping on question blocks and bopping enemies in the field before battle even starts, since landing a jump on a badguy before the fight begins gives you a head start. Battles use a menu to pick attacks, but like the game above, timing a button press when you strike or defend changes how much damage lands, so combat asks you to actually pay attention rather than just pick a menu option and wait. You are joined early by odd allies, including a golden puppet doll named Geno and a talking cloud named Mallow, each with distinct special moves you unlock as the story rolls forward. The camera sits at an angle above the action, letting you see ledges and hidden paths as you explore towns like Mushroom Kingdom staples reimagined with a Square Enix twist.
The goal is to travel across a handful of themed regions collecting star pieces to repair a wishing star that a giant sword monster shattered, fighting bosses at the end of each area and picking up new gear and recruits along the way. As you progress, timed hits get trickier to land, some enemies punish you for guessing wrong, and later chapters ask you to combine two characters into a shared super move for big damage. A full playthrough takes roughly twelve to fifteen hours, short by RPG standards, and the difficulty stays approachable throughout with an easier assist option if you want it.
Session to session this feels breezy and funny, more like a lighthearted adventure story than a grindy RPG, with jokes and silly enemy designs around every corner. Genre veterans may find the challenge too soft outside of some tough optional rematch fights added for this remake. If you want a short, charming, good-humored introduction to turn-based RPGs, or you remember this one fondly from the Super Nintendo, it is a very easy game to fall for.