Original ad published in the September 1996 issue of EGM 2 (no. 27).
Read below for the full HD version of the file.
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Your favorite plumber in an Advanced Computer Modelling graphics RPG
Super Mario RPG. Legend of the Seven Stars (1996) is notable for various things. First, this is best game ever made between two powerhouse companies—Square Soft and Nintendo— at the very pinnacle of their creative power. Second, in an already crowded room of superb RPGs for Nintendo’s 16-bit machine, this game is a standout. And lastly, it demonstrated that the script of any video game is the basis from which other elements should flow.
That’s not to say Super Mario RPG has bad graphics or sound. On the contrary, the cool ACM style first seen in Donkey Kong Country (1994) is beautifully rendered in a world that cleverly mixes Mario elements with Final Fantasy tropes. The result is mouth-watering eye-candy. The soundtrack is also very catchy, as you’d expect from any Nintendo game.
But Super Mario RPG is also quite unique in that it’s one the very first games that frequently pokes fun at itself. This was still rare in 1996, when Nintendo was synonymous with standoffishness. The big N would latter relax its attitude towards itself (see Wario Ware, for example). The game goes further as it frequently pokes fun at both Final Fantasy and Mario worlds and is not ashamed to deliver lots of fan service in the form of hidden characters or obscure references for only the most die-hard of both serie's fans.
Gamers received the excellent script as a fresh beginning against other denser RPGs. There is no particular gravitas en Super Mario RPG, it’s just fun all the way. That sense of entertainment is captured by Ted Woolsey’s awesome translation (this would be his last project at Square Soft. He now works at Microsoft, if you wondered).
Also, gamers should realise this game came out very late in the life of the Super NES. In the same magazine where this game was promoted, Nintendo would market it’s bigger and newer 64-bit console. This left many gamers out of one of the best RPG experiences ever.
You’ll find list after list where this game is mentioned as an absolute gem. And it should be. I never played the cart version, by the way, I only knew about it when emulators started to hit big during the early 2000s. I strongly recommend checking the official re-release on Nintendo’s own Virtual Console store before paying an inordinate amount of cash for the original version.
A good game like this deserves an equally good advertisement. Nintendo delivered a beautiful two-page spread where the most important elements of the games are bunched-up at the right and the boring text-elements on the left (nice typography, though). This is very un-Nintendo like.
It’s more of a Final Fantasy neo-punk world, à la FF VII, in which bad guys are equated to unscrupulous technological use. The towering castle looks menacing. If you look carefully, you see that even Bowser makes an appearance at the bottom right of the page! Clinching the win is the great use of ACM graphics and colourful screenshots from the actual game. Bravo!
Here's the full HD version of the Super Mario RPG. Legend of the Seven Stars print ad you see above.
Here's the full HD version of the Super Mario RPG. Legend of the Seven Stars print ad you see above.
Super Mario RPG--Legend of the Seven Stars for Super NES print ad copy
You can’t just run away from your problems any more. From now on, you’ll have to think on your feet.
Jumping, ducking and dodging have always been a critical part of any button-mashing Mario adventure. But with Super Mario RPG you’ll also be pushing every brain cell you’ve got.
That’s right. You and the world’s most heroic plumber will have to battle through all the twists, turns and thumb-numbing action of a classic Mario adventure. Plus, meet the mental challenge as the story unfolds in this fully-rendered role playing game!
It’s the best of both worlds. One minute you’re neck and neck at the Yoshi Races. The next you’re gambling the night away at the Grate Guy’s Casino. And, in between, you’ll have to test your brain and mind-mushing riddles and new action-puzzles. Of course you’ll find plenty of new friends who can help out. But they’ll need your help in return. Without you, Mallow will never find his true family. Gene will never become a real boy. And Booster will never find a bride.
You’ll also bump into all kinds of new baddies, plus classic goons from every Mario game in history. Only now, they’re rendered in ACM with a 3-D, three-quarter overhead view.
So get ready for all kinds of new Nintendo action and brain-bending Square Soft adventure. Remember, running and jumping is great start. But this time around you’ll also need plenty of brains to finish.
You’d never want to be on the bad side of your new pal Mallow. His thunderbolt Special Attack brings a blast of lightning down on any enemies in sight.
You want a new kind of Mario action? Try Yoshi Races. But here’s a tip. If you don’t hit the buttons to the beat, you’ll get beat.
Finding Frogfucious is a wise move if you want to know more about your future quest.
Whether you call it more action or more RPG, the fact is you’ll have to use every trick in both books to beat these bad guys.
Super Mario RPG
Legend of the Seven Stars
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