Scoring Note: I have scored each field on a scale of seven points. If you can't think of the reason why, you have no right to call yourself a Mario or a Koopa fan.

Graphics: 7

What more could you ask for on a 16-bit system? I know I haven't seen anything better. Most RPGs have a 3D layout, but in this one the characters really are in 3D. In the battles, the effect is augmented by the fact that the characters are slanted. Sure, the graphics look shabby at best when compared to Mario 64, but the Mario Team did the best they could with what they had. Well done!

Sound: 6

Square really came through in this category with some excellent music. Some of the music in this game is my favorite, like the music in the Forest. Most areas have their own special music, and the music always carries the proper theme. I took off a point for the sound effects, which can get annoying. I was jumping around repeatedly in an area, looking for a hidden box, and Mario's jump really got annoying. Sometimes the music can get annoying if you stay in an area for too long, like the music in Grate Guy's Casino, which has eight repeating notes.

Style: 7

This is a light-hearted RPG with a lot of humor, puzzles, and sidequests. Style-wise it is a perfect part of the Mario series.

Story: 5

As Mario games go, the story is excellent. Technically Bowser steals the princess, but that's not the main plot at all. Mario is able to rescue her really quickly. It's great to match Mario up against some completely new foes. However, the story is not as in-depth as a fan of RPGs might be looking for. A first-time player finds out all they need to know about the story behind the quest before they even have two Stars. The story is cute though, and every character in the game backs it up.

Characters: 5

There are a lot of characters in this game, both good and bad. This game is certainly not lacking in characters to interact with. Many of them have weird personalities, so it's fun to talk to all the townsfolk. Or battle all the enemies and use Mallow's Psychopath to see what they're thinking. Good fun. But, I wish I had a better understanding of the badguys. We never learn anything about Smithy; I don't feel as if I know him. Neither do most of my tourists, as shown by the fact that Smithy and his gang, though well known, rarely show up in stories. In addition, while the members in Mario's party were great, there really could have been more of them. It would have been great to see Yoshi in the party, after coming off a game that he starred in, and of course Mario can always use new character friends. As it is Mario gets all his buddies halfway through his quest.

Difficulty: 5

This is marked as a beginner's RPG. Most RPG's, in my opinion, are relatively easy. This one is a bit too easy, I think. There are some tricky things, but the bulk of the game is battling, and there are a ton of good items in this game. Of course they're well hidden, but there's enough that is easy to find to make the game itself easy. Mario can level up just fine without doing much more battling than just the enemies on the screen once. In other words, you don’t have to do a lot of extra work to be strong enough to beat the game.

Size: 4

I will nail this game here. If you look at the game critically, you'll see that it really isn't that long. The game takes longer because of all the battling, but there aren't that many areas, and many of them are short. This doesn’t take away from the game, but of course more areas would add to it.

Battle Mode: 7

Excellent. You really have to pay attention in battle because it will help you out a lot if you get the timed hits in. Without the timed hits battles would get dull, but this forces you to get into the battle.

Strategy: 6

There is a lot of stuff you can do to improve your odds, such as wearing the right pins, putting the right people in your party, and using the right magic. However, because the game is so easy, you could beat the game while using a minimal amount of thinking. A real strategy game would require it.

Items: 6

There are a lot of interesting items in the game. So a perfect score for the items themselves. But there are too many good items that are easy to find. The game could be made bigger and more interesting if you, say, had to find your armor instead of simply go to the store and buy it. Or, if you want some Max Mushrooms, you can battle the right baddies and make them drop some. Too easy.

Replay Value: 7

There are enough reasons to replay this game to warrant doing so. Listen to the amusing dialogue again. Make Mario give different responses. Try to complete all the mini-challenges to perfection. Or find every hidden block. You could always just try to break your consecutive jump record. I'm not so good in that department.

Extras: 6

I would have loved to see a two-player mode, or something like that. No such luck, but there are a lot of sidequests and quirky stuff not really related to Mario's adventure to give this category a good mark. Make music with Toadofsky, have fun with Grate Guy, and race with the Yoshis.

Fun Factor!: 7

I can’t come up with a clear reason for this category, but of course it is the combined effort of all the above. Come on, this game is really a lot of fun!

Recommendation:

What are you doing here if you haven't played Mario's Role Playing Game? Well, maybe you can redeem yourself if you play the game now. You may still be able to find it at Toys R Us or the like, but if not, I would like to suggest www.funcoland.com. Good prices, and games in good condition. Get this one.

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