Current Events > SMRPG is my favorite game of all time, but man is it unbalanced as fuck>_>

(+) Yeah! (+)

-You can buy full revive items in the first town for literally 5 coins. So it's more convenient to just buy tons of full revives and pop those than buy normal healing items that only restore some heath.

-By the end of the game, your normal attacks will be doing more damage than your special attacks that require MP. Mostly because all equipment raises your attack power, but almost none of it raises your magic attack power. So there's no point in using single target special attacks anymore near the end.

-Bowser gets fucked stat wise. He starts out really strong, but as he levels up, he starts lagging behind everyone and is super weak by end game. All his equipment is significantly weaker than everyone else's (His ultimate weapon gives +40 attack while everyone else's gives +70-90 attack) and his special attacks are all really useless. He is supposed to be the "physical brawler", but his attack stat is the 2nd lowest in the game by the end if everyone has optimal equipment >_>

-Peach is way too OP. She can basically group heal everyone to near full health, revive to full health, and dish out decent physical damage by endgame (more than Bowser lol). And if she wears the Lazy Shell armor, she's basically an invincible healer lol

-Geno can learn a special move at lvl 8 that gives you a permanent 50% buff to your attack and defense for the rest of the battle >_>

-Halfway through the game, you can find 2 accessories that block every status ailment, basically making them a nonissue from then on lol

-Game is pretty easy overall >_> Outside of maybe 1 or 2 boss battles, the game should be smooth sailing if you're familiar with RPGs.

.

But besides all that, I still fucking love this game. It's very charming and fun to play >_>
---

I've always wanted to play it. Never have, though.
---

_Near_ posted...

I've always wanted to play it. Never have, though.

It's very fun. And it has great pacing and not a lot of downtime cuz its kinda short. Probably only about 15-20 hours.
---

Kinda hard to argue with any of that. I think Bowser getting outgrown is my biggest gripe. I deliberately hold back the rest of the team so that he can maintain his spot as the strong one. It's not like you can't beat the game at 2/3 of maximum strength.

that's why i play armageddon
---

Game's fun as hell though, spent so many hours in it i can overlook the flaws.
---

I've been thinking about playing it.
---

Since this has turned into a general "things I don't like about Super Mario RPG" topic, the final boss leaves a little to be desired.

Smithy is just an evil Santa Claus. It's evident that not a lot of thought went into his design. He has a second form, sure, but it's not any better. The final level in general feels like a departure from the rest of the game. Some people say that Super Mario RPG doesn't feel like a Mario game. I don't think that's true until you reach the factory. Then it feels like Mario has stumbled into a completely different game by accident.

I almost wonder if it would have been better if "Smithy the Sword" had been a reality and Bowser's Keep was the final level.

Skye Reynolds posted...

Some people say that Super Mario RPG doesn't feel like a Mario game.

tbh it stops being a mario game the second you're past booster tower for me, and the point is driven across with the shark and on, that's when i was like "this is not a mario game"

Also smithy always seemed like the accidental villain to me, it's like they actually gave 0 fucks of what they were doing until mario messed with him in the smeltery.
---

As an RPG it's only ok, but as a gaming experience it's GOAT. Truly magical.

It's got Booster and the Axem Rangers; I can overlook any flaw just because of them ^.^
---

Cookie Bag posted...

tbh it stops being a mario game the second you're past booster tower for me, and the point is driven across with the shark and on, that's when i was like "this is not a mario game"

I feel the opposite way about Jonathan Jones. If I could, I'd make Johnny a semi-regular in the Mario series.

Also smithy always seemed like the accidental villain to me, it's like they actually gave 0 fucks of what they were doing until mario messed with him in the smeltery.

"Already finished your tour of the factory, huh?!"

Yeah, he was a no fucks given kinda character. Despite his indifference to Mario and the gang, he did explicitly want to create a world full of war rather than hope. That is kinda villainous by default.

He is surprisingly detached from the story though.

bump
---

I've played from the beginning of SMRPG twice, and stopped at the same point both times because the game bores me to tears. I have the same problem with another SNES game people often have as their favorite: Final Fantasy IV.

I don't understand why I can't finish these games, or why I don't enjoy them, when I could play through and enjoy every other Mario RPG just fine, and Final Fantasy VI is on my Top Ten.
---

M-Watcher posted...

I've played from the beginning of SMRPG twice, and stopped at the same point both times because the game bores me to tears. I have the same problem with another SNES game people often have as their favorite: Final Fantasy IV.

I don't understand why I can't finish these games, or why I don't enjoy them, when I could play through every other Mario RPG just fine, and Final Fantasy VI is on my Top Ten.

Wow... this is me and my thoughts exactly on every point. :O
---

The sewer is usually my stopping point. Yawn.
---

I mean, it's an RPG meant for babies so wtf do you expect?

I gotta give props to SMRPG inventing jigglephysics on boobs tho >_>
---

I honestly can't remember the last time I played vanilla SMRPG. Every time I've gone back to replay it in the last 5 years at least I've done so with a romhack that changes a lot of the game and makes it much harder. Geno Boost only boosts ATK. Toadstool's healing spells are weaker and far more expensive. Pick Me Ups are now more expensive (in fact I think all items across the board are more expensive). Enemies and bosses have new moves and mechanics (like Bowyer uses Arrow Rain if he gets below a certain HP threshold).

Unfortunately I don't remember the name of it and it turns out I didn't move it to my new computer, so I'll have to dig out my old laptop to get it again.
---

geno_16 posted...

I honestly can't remember the last time I played vanilla SMRPG. Every time I've gone back to replay it in the last 5 years at least I've done so with a romhack that changes a lot of the game and makes it much harder. Geno Boost only boosts ATK. Toadstool's healing spells are weaker and far more expensive. Pick Me Ups are now more expensive (in fact I think all items across the board are more expensive). Enemies and bosses have new moves and mechanics (like Bowyer uses Arrow Rain if he gets below a certain HP threshold).

Unfortunately I don't remember the name of it and it turns out I didn't move it to my new computer, so I'll have to dig out my old laptop to get it again.

I believe the one is called SMRPG: Revolution.
---

Oblivion posted...

I believe the one is called SMRPG: Revolution.

So, a "hard" hack, instead of making Bowser and Mallow worth using.
Got it.

Geno also has an early attack that does 9999 to any non boss enemy.
---

CapnMuffin posted...

Geno also has an early attack that does 9999 to any non boss enemy.

Yeah, but it takes up a lot of MP, you gotta get the timing right, and honestly, most non-boss enemies will go down in 1 or 2 hits anyway >_> It's not really unbalanced lol
---

Probably because it was meant to be many people's first rpg. I never noticed any of that when i was 9-10 when it came out.
---

Yeah but I kinda like that about it, I play smrpg for the wacky characters and story.

I love the characters and story, I just wish it was harder sometimes >_>
---

NeonOctopus posted...

I just wish it was harder sometimes

Mario/Mallow/Bowser.
There you go. Hard mode.

Questionmarktarius posted...

NeonOctopus posted...

I just wish it was harder sometimes

Mario/Mallow/Bowser.
There you go. Hard mode.

I've legit done a no-timing, no-equipment run and it's still easy >_>
---

When I was a kid I had a action figure of rogue from.x-men

When I'd play the game I would hold the action figure up to then screen in battles and take time to give her make believe turns and pretend she was a sixth party member and the party limit was 4
---

NeonOctopus posted...

CapnMuffin posted...

Geno also has an early attack that does 9999 to any non boss enemy.

Yeah, but it takes up a lot of MP, you gotta get the timing right, and honestly, most non-boss enemies will go down in 1 or 2 hits anyway >_> It's not really unbalanced lol

The timing for his spells are extremely easy, for all of them, really...

The only difficult timing thing in the game is the 100 jumps you need for the jump shoes... fuck that item...
---

Questionmarktarius posted...

NeonOctopus posted...

I just wish it was harder sometimes

Mario/Mallow/Bowser.
There you go. Hard mode.

That's my default team and it's still an easy game.

<_<

If you want hard mode, just select HP every time you level up. The final boss fight becomes impossible.

Source: My first play-through.

I remember being a kid and not being able to figure out the pearls puzzle in the sunken ship. When I finally got it I was disgusted with myself because I just watched the Power Rangers episode with the underwater Pearl theme a few days before
---

Don't forget Red Essence
---

GeneralKenobi85 posted...

Don't forget Red Essence

Yeah, even though they're super rare and really hard to get more of them, they are definitely super broken >_> I usually just sell them all when I do a playthrough so I'm not completely cheesing the game lol
---

Peachs heal all

i got the game when i was in grade 2
i never beat it until i was in grade 7
that fucking ship puzzle always got me
i couldnt figure out the password

then one day i got a clue i was missing and everything clicked
---

My cousin figured out the password by way of a happy accident. A friend of my uncle's had gotten his wife pearls for a gift.

gameplay wise i think star hill needed a boss battle
it has the best battlefield in the game yet it has no boss
it needed one
---

I wish they would release it on 3DS e-shop, but like other Squaresoft games it seems it never will be.
---

Nightmare_Luna posted...

that's why i play armageddon

---

I got my mom to figure out the sunken ship puzzle for me lol >_>
---

yusiko posted...

gameplay wise i think star hill needed a boss battle
it has the best battlefield in the game yet it has no boss
it needed one

Star Hill is pretty much the point in the game where the programmers realized they were getting sidetracked and just gave Mario and company a star to keep the plot going.

In hindsight, they probably should've relocated Count Down from the Factory to Star Hill. The Factory has six boss fights. Star Hill has none. And an evil clock might fit the overall weirdness of Star Hill.