Nintendo fans are ecstatic at the news that the acclaimed Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is set to get a remake for the Nintendo Switch. This was announced at the June 2023 Nintendo Direct, where several of Nintendo’s upcoming games were revealed. Though gamers young and old will undoubtedly want to experience the classic RPG exactly as it was, it’d be a better idea for Nintendo and Square Enix to instead go the extra mile and add some extra features in the remake.
Super Mario RPG doesn’t need to be reinvented, but since the way the game looks will already get a slight change, putting more content in would only make it better. This would be great both for those who’ve only heard of the original and those who’ve beaten it several times, keeping the classic fresh in a way that doesn’t detract from the expected experience. Add in some extra secret battles and maybe a few more nudges and winks to another RPG franchise and the acclaimed RPG can be made even better for modern gamers.
1:1 Video Game Remakes Have Become a Rarity
In video game generations past, it was common for “remakes” to be nothing more than ports with a fresh coat of paint. An example of this was the Super Nintendo game Super Mario All-Stars. This game remade the Super Mario Bros. titles from the Nintendo Entertainment System in the graphical style of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System game Super Mario World. Beyond this graphics upgrade, however, nothing was really changed. While ports and remasters in this vein still exist, true remakes have taken on a whole new level of upgrades. This is shown demonstrated very handily by the company that helped Nintendo create the original version of Super Mario RPG: Square.
Square’s Final Fantasy VII is to this day both one of the most acclaimed RPGs ever made, as well as one of the most important titles in the development of video games. Remaking the title was a seemingly insurmountable task, especially given how much was changed in the new version. From the loss of the turn-based battle system to the way in which the story unfolds, playing Final Fantasy VII Remake is an entirely different experience from the original. Of course, few gamers likely want such a top-to-bottom overhaul of what made Super Mario RPG so great, with the new 3D gameplay likely being enough of a refresh. But there are plenty of ways to keep the classic game fresh while also making it feel brand-new for even those who played the original version.
Post-Game Content and Final Fantasy References
One trend that’s become big in video games – especially role-playing games – is “post-game content.” This involves additional missions or other gameplay elements that can be unlocked upon beating the main story. Such content increases a game’s replay value and ensures that gamers still have several hours worth of fun to enjoy even after the credits roll. Nintendo’s newer Pokémon games typically have a decent amount of post-game content, which helps to keep people playing them for years. The original Super Mario RPG had no post-game content in its original release, as that sort of thing had yet to become common. But it’s this type of addition that can separate the remake from the original release, making it truly the best version of the game. This could be used to feature newer Mario characters such as Rosalina and others who weren’t part of the original game, adding more to the story and adding in some nice twists and turns for those who think they know everything about Super Mario RPG‘s storyline.
One secret part of the original game was Culex, a hidden boss whose music and general aesthetic paid homage to Square’s classic Final Fantasy games, namely Final Fantasy IV. While keeping him around for nostalgia’s sake is probably for the best, there could be additional secret bosses that make more overt references to the iconic series. The same could also be done for Dragon Quest, which Square now owns since it merged with Enix. Such a crossover had precedence in the Nintendo Wii game Fortune Street and would be at home with the game’s somewhat satirical sense of humor. Such jokes would be another avenue for adding a bit more than what was already done in the original release, as the humor could be more overt in lampooning RPG conventions. These sorts of changes would be the perfect midway point in terms of refreshing an old game without losing what made it special in the first place. If done correctly, Nintendo could take what’s already an all-time best JRPG and make it an even bigger classic.