One of the Best Super Mario SNES Games Released 30 Years Ago, and Its Remake Is on Nintendo Switch

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Today marks the 30th anniversary of a fantastic Super Mario game originally released for the SNES. A remake is currently available on the Nintendo Switch, and it will also be playable on the upcoming Switch 2. Interestingly, despite being published by Nintendo and a SNES exclusive, the game was actually created by Square, before they became Square Enix.

If you’re wondering what game we’re talking about, it’s Super Mario RPG, originally released by Nintendo in Japan on March 9, 1996. It came to North America a few months later, on May 12th. The game was a big hit, earning high scores and becoming one of the best-selling Super Nintendo games of that year. While it was re-released on the Wii and Wii U Virtual Console in 2008 and 2015, Nintendo largely hadn’t revisited it until a full remake launched on the Nintendo Switch in 2023.

A Fitting Remake

This remake was handled by ArtePiazza, a great choice considering their history. Founded in 1989, the Japanese company began developing games in 1996 and has largely collaborated with Square Enix on the Dragon Quest series. This meant they had both experience with RPGs and a direct connection to the original game’s creators. The result was a critically acclaimed remake, earning an impressive score of 84 on Metacritic.

A Timeless Classic

Though the remake was well-received, most people still prefer the original, considering its historical impact and the era it came from. Anything with the Super Mario name tends to be popular and become fondly remembered, but this game offered more than just brand recognition. It successfully took the complex elements of RPGs like Final Fantasy and made them more accessible and charming for players who weren’t familiar with the genre, while still preserving what fans loved about those classic RPGs. It also paved the way for future series like Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi.

While Super Mario RPG was a big deal in the 1990s, Nintendo has moved on to different things since then. However, with its anniversary here, it’s a good time to play the original game or the recent remake and see what made it special.

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2026-03-10 03:40