Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
From MarioWiki
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is the first of the six game Mario RPG series. It was developed for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System on March 9, 1996, by Squaresoft and Nintendo.
Plot
Bowser's Castle (called Bowser's Keep) is taken over by a strange otherworldly force known as Smity's Gang. They, in the process of landing in the Mushroom Kingdom, Smity's Gang destroys the Star Road. A mystical pathway where wishes are granted. Mario has to travel around the Mushroom Kingdom to collect Starts and rebuild the Star Road with the help of Geno, Mallow, Bowser and Toadstool.
Gameplay
In Super Mario RPG, Mario, Bowser, Princess Toadstool, Mallow and Geno fight as allies in the first console role-playing game (RPG) in the Mario series. It contains token similarities to many other Square role-playing games such as Chrono Trigger and the Final Fantasy series with a story and action-based gameplay based on the Super Mario Bros. series.
Mario's enemies are visible in the field; a battle ensues only if he comes in contact with one. This allows the player to evade unnecessary battles, though some fights are necessary to advance the plot. Avoiding battles also means acquiring fewer experience points, which will slow the process of levelling up and potentially make unavoidable battles more difficult.
Battle System
The combat uses a traditional turn based system without active time elements or speed contributing extra attacks. One of the more innovative features of the combat was the inclusion of timed button press sequences which became a mainstay of every Mario role playing game. As well as selecting attacks, the player is usually required to perform action commands to increase the damage done. These consist of timed button presses and other movements to determine the power of the character's attack, a concept that was carried over to some later role-playing games such as Final Fantasy VIII. As with many other role-playing games, items are an important tool in battles. The need to perform action commands in between navigating menus requires the player to be engaged in the battle the whole time. However, much of Super Mario RPG's gameplay is outside of monster battles. In the field, the game plays much like an isometric platformer, in which both traditional Mario features and new ones play a key role. There are five characters the player can control: Mario, Mallow, Geno, Bowser, and Princess Toadstool. Each character has a unique set of attacks and techniques. For example, Mallow and Toadstool use primarily healing abilities whereas Geno and Bowser have offensive attacks dealing high damages. Mario is always in the player's party, whereas the other two characters can be switched before battles.
