Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, was released for the Super Nintendo in Japan on March 9, 1996, and in America the following May. It was heralded in many magazines as having the most advanced graphics the system had ever seen. The gameplay was a mix between RPG battles and exploration and the jumping and platforming of traditional Mario games. Within the games ¾ isometric view, Mario could run in all 8 compass directions, leap from platform to platform, and go up and down the series' trademark warp pipes. Enemies were represented on screen during exploration, so you could avoid battles if you so chose, though this would cost you valuable experience points. Other elements of the game, while built in a traditional Final Fantasy style, would receive a Mario bend to them. Goblins became Goombas, Potions became Mushrooms, Mario's coins became the game's currency, Mana became Flower Points, and Treasure Chests would receive the Mario style question mark. You could also find green Frog Coins, which, though rare, could be used to purchase rare and powerful items.

The game's story was also unique within the Mario series. It began as all Mario games do, with Princess Toadstool lounging in Mario's garden, before being kidnapped by Bowser. Mario, no doubt wondering why he's kept doing this for more than a decade, gives immediate chase to Bowser's castle. After administering a pounding to the rogue reptile, a massive sword plunges from the sky into Bowser's Keep, flinging plumber, princess and dinosaur far and wide. It is revealed that the sword is a gateway between Mario's world, and the world of the “Smithy Gang”, an group of extradimensional warhounds bent on taking over the world. When the sword fell the from the sky, it tore apart the Star Road, splitting it into seven Star Pieces, scattered throughout the world. Unless the Star Road was repaired, the wishes of the populace would not be granted, and Smithy would be free to rule the world. It was up to Mario to gather the Star Pieces, defeat Smithy, and restore the Star Road. While the story was slightly darker than your typical Mario title, is was light and quirky enough to not feel heavy handed. When push came to shove, it still felt like a Mario game.

The world of Mario RPG was filled with colorful and unique characters, from Mallow's grandfather Frogfucius, to the shark like pirate Jonathan Jones. The thief Croco would appear at several points, trying to steal Mario's coins, or some other form of mischief. A town full of Moles worked the Moleville Mines, and there was even a town populated entirely by reformed monsters. One of the more memorable encounters was Toadofsky, a mushroom composer with a case of writers block. By leaping onto a series of tadpoles on a musical scale, Mario could help Toadofsky compose his next masterpiece.

In true RPG style, Mario wouldn't have to go his way alone. Mario's brother Luigi would sit out this adventure, but Mario would be joined by several compatriots, including Mallow, a young fluffball who was raised as a tadpole, and Geno, a native of the Star Road who possesses a wooden doll. Even Bowser called a truce and aided Mario, and Princess Toadstool would take Frying Pan in hand and join the fight after being rescued from marrying the boorish man-child Booster. Each character also brought their own abilities to the battlefield. Mario had his trademark jumps and fireballs, Mallow controlled the weather, while Geno would use powerful offensive magic. Though Bowser relied more on brute strength than magic, he did have several status altering spells, and Toadstool had powerful healing magic. Status effects were handled differently here, as ailments that afflicted your party would be lifted at battle's end, so if Mario was turned into a mushroom, you didn't need to worry if you didn't have a restorative.

Combat in Mario RPG was typical of RPGs of the day. Combat was initiated by coming in contact with a monster on the main map, and your 3 chosen team members (one of whom is always Mario) would enter combat. While the interface was menu-based, it was a simpler system than those employed in Final Fantasy, with all attack, defense, special and item menus being tied to the A, B, Y, and X buttons respectively. Pushing one would open that menu, and pushing it again would confirm your selection. If you wanted to switch to a different menu, you simply pressed the respective button. Pressing the A button at the right time during an attack would score a critical hit, and could nearly double the damage you dealt. It was an easy, user-friendly system that allowed RPG veterans and new players alike to pick up the game and know instinctively what to do. Experience points were shared throughout the entire party, so even team members who didn't fight would level up. This meant you didn't have any of the “catch up” grinding you would see in other RPGs. Occasionally, an item chest would yield up an invincibility star, allowing you to smack away monsters on the exploration field, and gain experience without battling. These were rare, but added an extra Mario feel to the game.

RPG's are noted for having a plethora of minigames and sidequests, and Mario RPG was no exception. You could go barrel riding on Midas River, race against the clock in a Mine Cart, and go Beetle Catching on Booster Hill. Thorough players who had a penchant for poker could find a casino in Bean Valley, where one could play the slots, play a quick game of 21, or try and go for a 100 win streak in “Look the other way”. Even Yoshi would let you saddle up for a rhythm based horse race. Most of these games only yielded up extra coins, but skilled players could win extra flower points or even additional Frog Coins if they were good enough. There was also a sidequest that paid homage to the Final Fantasy series. In Monstro Town, players could open a sealed door that led to Culex, a being from another universe, who would challenge Mario and Co. to a battle. His crystal minions were a homage to the elemental crystals from early Final Fantasies, the battle music would change to the boss fight music from FF4, and the FF victory fanfare would play at battle's end, followed by the series' signature arpeggio.

Super Mario RPG was a resounding critical success, and has earned a place in numerous best games lists. It was praised by both Mario fans and RPG aficionados, and is consistently lauded for its ease of play and light, easygoing nature. Many clamored for a sequel, and while one was initially planned for the Nintendo 64, Square's exclusive contract with Sony meant that the possibility of a true sequel became nonexistent. Though Paper Mario is seen as a spiritual successor to Mario RPG, the two games have no relation to each other beyond the Mario license. Mario RPG would finally get a rerelease on the Wii Virtual Console on September 1, 2008, and has the distinction of being the 250^th VC release. Mario RPG cartridges are highly sought after, and have become quite hard to find nowadays. Mario RPG stands today as one of the first examples of a successful crossovers in gaming, as well as being one of the most well designed games on the Super Nintendo.