Super Mario RPG Coming to Wii U Virtual Console
By Rob Gordon 26 December 2015
Nintendo reveals that Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is going to see a re-release via the Wii U’s Virtual Console – but so far, only in Europe.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is one of the most memorable games of the Super Nintendo’s library. Taking Mario out of his platforming comfort zone and into turn-based RPG gameplay, the title proved to be a darling with fans of the Italian plumber, but since then gamers have sometimes found it difficult to get their hands on the game. That is about to change, however, with the game set to arrive on the Wii U Virtual Console in Europe.
According to EuroGamer, the Square-developed RPG will be available on the Virtual Console on Thursday, 24 December, making it a fitting early Christmas gift for Nintendo fanatics. It’s certainly useful for European players, as Super Mario RPG was never originally released in Europe, with gamers instead having to wait until 2008’s Wii release to get a first-hand look at the game. Currently, the price of the Wii U download is expected to sit at €7.99.
It remains to be seen as to whether the game will also be released in other regions, with no word from Nintendo as to whether Super Mario RPG will get a US re-release. However, with the game now arriving for European audiences, it stands to reason that a North American version could be on the cards. For now, though, North American Mario fans will have to wait and see what happens.
Super Mario RPG is one of the rare moments where Nintendo outsourced one of its most important properties to an external developer. However, unlike some other games such as the notorious Philips CD-i Zelda titles, Square’s take on the Mario franchise proved popular with fans, with the game full of zany humor and a fun J-RPG to experience. The game will no doubt be popular in its re-released form, if only for fans to enjoy the novelty of playing Mario in a somewhat pure RPG format.
Although Super Mario RPG proved to be a one-off, the title did have a legacy beyond its own 1996 release. The game had spiritual successors in the form of the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi series, with both the franchises using Super Mario RPG as a template. Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi are also set to collide themselves, in the form of 3DS title Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.
Super Mario RPG is not the only well-loved Square RPG from the 1990s to see a re-release of late. During this year’s PlayStation Experience, it was also revealed that Final Fantasy 7 was going live over on PlayStation Network for PS4. With Final Fantasy 7 itself receiving a remake, Mario fans may be left to wonder whether Super Mario RPG could also have a resurgence.
Source: EuroGamer
