7 things to know before starting Super Mario RPG

Super Mario RPG has been remade for the Nintendo Switch, and it’s beautiful but retains all its original charm.

The game can be tricky. Although the footage has been pushed forward to 2023, most of the in-game systems are the same simple systems from before, which may be surprising to new players. While there are quality of life changes in the remake, the game has a lot of old-fashioned things that take some getting used to.

Below we provide some beginner tips that we wish we knew when we started the course Super Mario RPG.

This isn’t the Mario & Luigi or Paper Mario series, even if it feels the same

If you’ve played a lot of the other Mario RPGs, you’ll need to unlearn a few habits when it comes down to it Super Mario RPG. First, enemies won’t take damage from preemptive attacks outside of combat, so don’t try to jump on them. All your characters will also dodge and strike with the A button, which brings us to the next tip…

Keep your thumb on the A button during combat

You’ll need to react quickly to block incoming damage, so there’s no point in hanging around taking your thumb off the A button. Since you also use the A button to determine the timing of attacks, you might as well leave it as is.

(This may seem like a dumb tip, but personally I’ve had to unlearn switching between A and B – a habit I picked up from Mario and Luigi.)

Don’t forget to use your flower enlarging items

Flower Tabs and the like can only be used outside of combat and increase your maximum Flower Points. Using these items will also fully restore your Flower Points, so you can use them strategically in a pinch (again, outside of battle).

Buy healing items, but be aware of item limits

You should have a supply of healing items, but keep in mind that you can only carry a certain amount of each item. Extras are sent to the chest in Mario’s house.

Yep, just buy the better gear in the stores

If you’re hesitant about upgrading your gear because you’re afraid the incoming dungeon will have better gear, buy it from the store. Super Mario RPG doesn’t really make you outgrow your gear in a way that requires you to budget your coins. You’ll have tons of coins and dungeons only reward a few different weapons, so you don’t have to worry too much about your new gear going to waste quickly.

Keep practicing with the special Mario jump

The best equipment for Mario in the endgame is to land consecutive Super Jumps. The accessory requires you to land 30 in a row, and the armor requires a whopping 100 in a row. It’s better to practice that timing as soon as possible.

Image: ArtePiazza/Nintendo via Polygon

Use the menu to fast travel instead of the world map (if possible)

Instead of using the overworld map to travel to previous locations, just open the menu and travel from that map. This map offers more specific locations to travel to. For example, instead of just placing yourself at the beginning of Land’s End, you have the option of going to the entrance to Land’s End, the Tall Cliff, or Belome’s Temple. This prevents you from having to travel back through long areas to get where you want to go.

For more Super Mario RPG guides, check out our party member unlock guide, Melody Bay’s music puzzle guide, or our list of all hidden treasure locations.