Credit: NintendoFor the first time in 27 years, Nintendo is bringing back a Mario game that fans have been begging for since the demise of the SNES.
The company announced via Nintendo Direct this morning that their iconic adventure game from 1996 would finally be returning, in a remastered state, on the Nintendo Switch.
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It’s usually a no-brainer for Nintendo to port popular old games to their new consoles, especially now that they have the capability of offering digital downloads directly to the device – so many fans are wondering why on earth they waited over a quarter of a century to re-release one that was so beloved.
As so many of these things do, the answer comes down to licensing.
Why Did It Take So Long To Re-Release the Super Mario RPG?
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The original Super Mario RPG was a 1996 partnership between Square – now Square Enix after a 2003 merger with rival company Enix – and publisher Nintendo.
The game was unique in that it contained classic Super Mario characters – Mario, Luigi, Peach, etc. – with new original characters designed by Square – such as the ever-popular wooden puppet character Gino. This partnership may have created a unique and interesting story, but it didn’t come without a cost.
Because of the way copyright and licensing laws work, it is a logistical, legal nightmare trying to make anything happen involving both Nintendo’s original characters and the Square Enix ones. While other Square Enix characters, like Final Fantasy’s Cloud, have appeared in Nintendo-owned Super Smash Bros. games in the past, this one has been treated with nothing but radio silence – until now.
It’s clear that, once the licensing issues were worked out, the only reason Nintendo and Square Enix were keeping news about the Super Mario RPG under wraps was to get exactly the reaction we’re seeing today – one of pure excitement and joy from unsuspecting fans.
Nintendo Brings 1996 Fan-Favorite Super Mario Game To The Switch
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What was previously thought to be unwilling to work with another company to update graphics and gameplay mechanics on an old game has now been revealed to be the opposite – a carefully-crafted and protected update that developers were so excited about they wanted to keep it a surprise for dedicated fans.
The newly remastered game comes with a host of old fan-favorite characters, including the beloved Gino, as well as updated graphics that still work to pay homage to the original games – the characters even retain the somewhat stunted, more stretched aspect of their bodies that they had when they appeared on the SNES.
The Super Mario RPG won’t be out for a little while yet, but after waiting 27 years, waiting a few more months until November 17, 2023, shouldn’t be too bad – and for genuinely eager beavers, pre-orders begin today.
Are you excited for the remake of Super Mario RPG? Do you have fond memories of the original? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!