Summary
While the originalSuper Mario RPGand its 2023 remake have both been published as first party Nintendo titles, it is worth noting that the game was originally developed by Square, the company famous for its work on legendary RPGs likeFinal Fantasy.
A staple of RPGs made by Square, especially from the same era as Super Mario RPGs, are occasional minigames to break up the rhythm of gameplay, and Super Mario RPG is no different. If anything, the game leans even heavier into the minigames with the Mario inspiration, so how do these minigames compare to each other?
10Land’s End Platforming
Sky Bridge & Paratrooper Climb
While both Sky Bridge and Paratrooper Climb are both technically different minigames, since they are so close to each other, both rely so heavily on platforming, and neither are that great, it is easy to lump them together.
In Sky Bridge, Mario can select a difficulty to jump over gaps in a bridge while simultaneously dodging bullet bills, while the Paratrooper Climb is a timed jumping course to jump on the koopa shells to reach the top of the cliff. Both are very simple, and with how imprecise the platforming can be, especially if you have any Joy-Con issues, they tend to err on the more frustrating side.
9Knife Guy’s Ball Game
Booster Tower
If you manage to find the boss of Chapter 4’s hidden area in Booster’s Tower, you have the option to play Knife Guy’s Ball Game. If you are looking to visit Grate Guy’s Casino, then you’ll need to seek out this game, since you need to beat it 12 times in a row to be able to access that area.
The game is essentially a more stressful version of the Yoshi egg guessing game, since this time you are wasting money with each turn, and if you lose once you’ll break the streak. All you have to do is guess which hand the yellow ball is in, but this simplicity matched with the stakes makes this a more annoying inclusion.
8Melody Bay
Tadpole Lake
While Toadofsky is one of the more fun NPCs in Super Mario RPG, with his existence and design being inherently funny, his minigame is unfortunately nowhere near as entertaining. The game feels less like a game and more like a memory test, with you having to match certain melodies to the notes created by the tadpoles, and achieving this with good jump timing.
With the actual nature of the minigame not being immediately apparent, it can make its inclusion a little more forgettable since the first time you visit Toadofsky, you will not be able to interact with his game much until reaching later locations.
7Mine Cart Ride
Moleville
One of the last activities you do in Chapter 3 after obtaining the Star Piece is using the mine cart to escape the mines afterPunchinello’s bombs. You might be tricked into thinking that this will be a high stakes quick race sequence, but the minigame ends up being a bit too long to keep up any momentum.
On first try, this game can take longer than three minutes, and the third-person sections especially, don’t feel great to control, with the breaking and boosting never quite feeling like it fits perfectly. However, the side-scrolling sections are a lot more fun, with the controls being more tactile and responsive.
6Goomba Thumping
Pipe Vault
One of the most hidden minigames, especially if you don’t know it exists, is Goomba Thumping. This minigame is hidden away in a secret Pipe in Pipe Vault, a section of the game that feels like an obstacle course, making any unknown hidden areas easy to miss.
In spite of how easy it is to miss this game, the game’s actual nature is much less complex, with this being a more manual version of whack-a-mole with Goomba’s popping out of random pipes for Mario to jump on. The platforming in Super Mario RPG can occasionally feel slippery, but when you get into the rhythm, this minigame is a lot of fun.
5Booster Hill
Barrel Dodging
Booster’s story sections in Super Mario RPG are some of the more entertaining, and chasing him up his hill,with Peach on his backas he tries to escape to Marrymore is a highlight. You will have to avoid the Snifsters chasing you from behind and the barrels rolling from above, making this a very frantic minigame.
The timing between the dodging and the hopping on the barrels makes this one of the more challenging minigames, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a lot of fun. However, it’s at its most fun when you play it the first time chasing after Peach.
4Beetle Mania
Mushroom Kingdom
While most of the minigames in Super Mario RPG feel more like gameplay switch-ups among story sections, Beetle Mania feels like more of an optional unlock Easter egg. After you have completed Marrymore and returned to the Mushroom Kingdom, you can find a Toad selling Beetle Mania in the Inn.
The game is a simple reskin of games like Space Invaders, but its simple gameplay is easy to get lost in. Best of all, you can play the game from your menu whenever you want, keeping it for a fun distraction whenever you want a change of pace.
3Grate Guy’s Casino
Memory Test
After beating Knife Guy’s other minigame, you will be granted access to Grate Guy’s Casino, an area with a few different challenges, but the main one being the memory test. In the Switch version, this game is quite simple, since you just need to remember where certain character cards are located.
The main appeal to the minigames in Grate Guy’s Casino is the rewards you’re able to get, with the best being frog coins, which can get you some great rewards depending on the vendor you find. If you need a way to get more of these coins, it is worth the trouble unlocking this Casino.
2Midas River
Rapids & Barrel Ride
One of the most iconic minigame sections is one of the earliest in Super Mario RPG, being Midas River. The minigame is split into two sections, with Mario floating down the river rapids in one, and doing the barrel jumping ride afterwards.
Both halves of the minigame are quite simple, but this simplicity makes them appealing to play through and fun to complete. It’s accessible early on in the story, so you may return to it whenever you think you can beat your high score. The only main detractor is that, with the two halves, it can feel a little monotonous to complete a full playthrough.
1Yoshi Racing
Yo’Ster Isle
Perhaps one of the most beloved characters or species in the Mario series is Yoshi, so for fans of the dinosaur, making it through Pipe Vault to get to Yo’Ster Isle was probably a rewarding moment. Though this area doesn’t have too much to explore, the big event is the Yoshi Derby, where you have to beat Boshi, the dark blue Yoshi.
Racing against him sounds a lot more tricky in the tutorial, but once you actually get to racing him, hitting the buttons in rhythm is actually not too hard. If you want to retry this event, it is worth trying again since there are some good extra rewards to aim for as well.
