TINFOIL HAT TIME: The Future of Mario RPGs Will Be Decided In November

As you all well know by now, Nintendo has announced a full-blown remake of Super Mario RPG. Honestly, I’m still dealing with bouts of spontaneous crying every few hours just thinking about it.

It wasn’t until just now, however, that a lightning bolt struck me, and all of the pieces started to come together in my head. Strap on your tinfoil hats, buckle in, and CUE THE MUSIC.

1.) Super Mario RPG’s box art (see above). It’s all of the game’s core party members against a blank background and the title. That’s it. This is a callback to the original Japanese box art for the SNES game, but I think it means something more. We’ll get to that later.

2.) The lack of subtitle. Nintendo has notably omitted Super Mario RPG’s subtitle. The SNES version’s subtitle was Legend of the Seven Stars, but you’d think that Nintendo would at least call it “Super Mario RPG: Remastered” or “Super Mario RPG: Remake”… But nope, nothing. Once again, a blank slate. But still we must go deeper.

3.) The reunion of Super Mario RPG’s original creators. This one really has me jazzed up beyond belief (no pun intended). It’s already been confirmed that Yoko Shimomura, the original composer for the SNES game, has returned to Super Mario RPG’s remake to handle the score once again. It’s plenty safe to say that Shigeru Miyamoto will also be involved in some capacity, and it’s been documented in the past that the original’s co-creator, Yoshihiko Maekawa, had interest in returning to make another Mario RPG in the future. We don’t know if he or composer Chihiro Fujioka are returning to the project, but it’s clearly a title that is still near and dear to both of their hearts.

Super Mario RPG director wants to make Super Mario RPG 2 https://t.co/HXdv8mA8zX pic.twitter.com/snqsdvsPKD

— Nintendo Everything (@NinEverything) February 14, 2022

おお！なんと、ついに！
絵も音楽も素晴らしくグレードアップしてますねー！
いろんなミニゲームやフィールドの手触りがどう進化しているのかとても楽しみですね！ https://t.co/qertLNC53C

— chihiro fujioka (@ChihiroFujioka) June 22, 2023

And now we tie it all together.

This isn’t just a remake for Super Mario RPG die hards like myself, and it isn’t just fan service. I love Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars more than probably most living people, but even I can admit that it’s a little random to remake such a cult classic game with no rumors or lead-up especially since we haven’t seen nor heard from any of these side characters in decades.

November’s Super Mario RPG is going to be a new, blank slate for the mustachioed plumber’s RPG adventures. If Super Mario RPG sells well and exceeds expectations, there’s no reason not to believe that Nintendo wouldn’t immediately set out to create a proper sequel. I’m calling it now, Super Mario RPG 2 will be in the works if November’s release turns out to be a banger.

We are on the verge of a new era for Mario RPGs, and it’s a beautiful thing.

(You may now safely remove your tinfoil hats if you so choose. Super Mario RPG releases on November 17th for Nintendo Switch.)