SNES titles that Nintendo should add to its Nintendo Switch Online service

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Original North American Release Date: May 13th, 1996
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Square

Square’s RPGs were generally released to critical acclaim in the West during the lifespan of the SNES, but those same RPGs often sold well below expectations for both Nintendo and Square. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars was the collaborative answer to this issue, as Square developed another great RPG with the added benefit of using Nintendo’s beloved mascot as a selling point, in addition to input directly from Mario’s creator, Shigeru Miyamoto.

Super Mario RPG is presented in an isometric perspective that really showcases the game’s gorgeous 3D graphics. Yoko Shimomura, composer of Street Fighter II, the Mario & Luigi RPGs, and every Kingdom Hearts game to date, created the game’s epic soundtrack that featured amazing original tracks as well as various arrangements of Koji Kondo’s Super Mario tunes.

Super Mario RPG became a success in North America, eventually spawning several Mario RPG games to follow, although Super Mario RPG itself never received a proper sequel. Square’s eventual alliance with Sony likely prevented any true follow-up, but the Mario & Luigi and Paper Mario series have cemented this game’s legacy as spiritual successors.