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« on: September 16, 2008, 07:20:05 PM »
I wanted to vote for Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga because I love everything about that game and I don’t think it gets enough recognition. But, I had to give credit to…
1. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
This game has the best story, since not only are we saving the world from a power-hungry villain like every other Mario RPG, but the ultimate aim is to restore hope in the Mushroom World and save it from a future where wishes can never come true. The game is truly epic, yet it still feels like a Mario game, especially with the inclusion of longtime missing characters like Toad, who hadn’t appeared in a Mario adventure game since Super Mario Bros. 3 in 1990. It’s definitely the most challenging of all the Mario RPGs; I just recently played through it again on the Virtual Console and was surprised to see me get several Game Overs even though I’ve played it many so much on my SNES. Now that’s a testament to great game design.
2. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Not far behind Super Mario RPG is what I consider the best modern Mario game. It’s definitely the most innovative in the series with its unique gameplay where we control two characters simultaneously, leading to some ingenious puzzles. The final boss battle is truly epic; it is the only final boss in a Mario RPG that I couldn’t beat on my first try. But what I really love about Superstar Saga is its insanely hilarious story. Not to mention it also has the biggest plot twist in a Mario game.
For third place, it gets tricky. Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door come pretty close, both of which I consider just ‘average’ Mario RPGS. I had issues with both of them – they both have less interesting stories that revolve around rescuing the princess again, just attached to some villain’s world-domination plot. I was disappointed with Partners in Time’s lack of real minigames, but I also hate how The Thousand-Year Door regurgitated the same climax from the first Paper Mario. If I had to favor one, I’d probably choose Partners in Time just for its brilliant Fawful cameo appearance.
5. Paper Mario
Of all the Mario RPGs, this one has the weakest story and gameplay. I easily completed every challenge effortlessly on my first attempt. Sorry, but I don’t consider that fun.
But all in all, I really enjoy the Mario RPG series as a whole, so much that I consider it my favorite genre of Mario games. Every entry gives me something to smile about. It’s kind of strange how Mario is known for his platformers, but I think his RPGs are better.
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