The game starts off just like every single other Mario title does with Peach being kidnapped by, you guessed it, Bowser. Mario, as usual, rushes off to his keep to rescue her. But during his rescue attempt, a giant sword comes falling out of the sky and crashes into the castle, sending Mario, Peach, and Bowser flying out of the castle in different directions. When the sword came crashing down, it broke through the Star Road, the origin of shooting stars and the granter of people's wishes. In this Mario game, Smithy, who controls the giant sword, is the primary enemy. Mario travels across his world in pursuit of the seven stars that make up the Star Road and finding Peach's whereabouts.
It had a unique battle system for the time. It was a traditional turn-based system with the inclusion of timed button-pressing sequences (timed hits). So, if you were to have Mario attack a goomba, you would press the A button just as your attack is about to extra damage. All basic attacks are done in this fashion, but special moves have slightly more complex actions. Super Mario RPG is also one of the few games that differentiates itself by having all characters use one set of points (flower points) for special attacks. Carrying out all of the timed hit methods are very easy, perhaps too easy. Regardless, it adds a sense of action to a typically passive kind of battle system.
Really, Super Mario RPG is one of the easiest games around, but it's as fun as hell . Technically speaking, it doesn't match up to the likes of Chrono Trigger. For some reason though, it is just so addicting... It's like my gamer crack. Trying to do all of those super jumps for the attack scarf, the games winning the Star Egg in Grate Guy's Casino, leveling up to the maximum level of 30 feels so rewarding when you accomplish them. Elements of the story and battle system can be found in most of the Mario & Luigi and Paper Mario games: Bowser at some point allying with Mario against a common foe and timed hits.
Super Mario RPG has definitely had a lasting legacy. All future Mario RPG games have taken it's timed hits. One of Mario's allies in Super Mario RPG, Geno, made a cameo appearance in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. All of the Paper Mario games have revolved around the collection of seven stars as in Super Mario RPG (well, technically it was 8 in Super Paper Mario, and they weren't stars, but hearts). Some times it really seems as if Nintendo has no originality...
If you don't have this game and/or no longer own a SNES, it has been released on the Virtual Console . If you don't have a Wii, well, there's always roms and emulators.
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