Super Mario RPG remake shows off new features that make for an even more interesting JRPG

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Nintendo's taken lessons from modern JRPGs

Celebrating a triumphant return after 27 years, the Super Mario RPG remake showed off some fresh gameplay at the September 2023 Nintendo Direct live show, showcasing an even more intriguing combat system. 

The short one-minute trailer is a mix of new and returning gameplay elements, and while the original game has aged remarkably well, I'm more interested in the modern tweaks Nintendo's made to the formula. Nintendo loves its timed buttons, so we'll be hitting attack at just the right moment to deal more damage, take less damage, and deal free AoE damage. 

Successful attacks will build an energy meter to the left of your party, and once it's full, you can fire an ultimate-style "Triple Move" using your whole party. "Depending on your current party, the move will change, so experiment with different combos," the trailer advises. Hunting down all the unique Triple Move animations ought to be fun. 

The biggest hook of the trailer is arguably the Super Mario RPG remake's spin on New Game+. It's unclear how full successive playthroughs will work, but we do know we'll be able to fight many bosses again "after clearing the game," and these souped-up "post-game boss rematches" will scale to match your endgame power level. I'm reminded of the post-game bosses in Octopath Traveler, which isn't something I ever expected to say about a Mario game. 

The Super Mario RPG remake is coming to Switch on November 17, 2023. 

Super Mario RPG fans would like to remind you that this lesser-known classic defined Princess Peach as we know her. 

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.