Mario began his RPG career under the umbrella of Square Enix, or Squaresoft at the time. It was a hit and the remake proves how timeless that game is. It was the only RPG they ever made because from there, two other franchises started under two different companies. First, Intelligent Systems, who also make theFire Emblemgames, createdPaper Mario.
After that, AlphaDream created theMario and Luigiseries. In over two decades, only three studios have primarily runMario’s RPG spinoffs. While it would be great to see Square Enix take a stab at it again beside theSuper Mario RPGremake, perhaps these other six studios deserve a chance.
Toby Fox is thecreator ofUndertaleand its spiritual sequel,Deltarune. Those two games feel inspired bySuper Mario RPGbecause of the combat andEarthBoundbecause of the quirky characters and the odd world they inhabit. He seems like the perfect fit for someone on the indie side to direct a newSuper Mario RPGor even a newEarthBound. Presumably, this would be a dream come true and Nintendo has worked with indie developers in the past with their franchises.
The biggest example has to beCadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda, which was a sequel toCrypt of the NecroDancer. It turned theZeldafranchise into a rhythm-based roguelike and it came out amazingly well. Toby Fox deserves that opportunity too although right now he still has more chapters ofDeltaruneto finish, so when this Mario project could happen is anyone’s guess.
Between Matt Stone and Trey Parker, someone has to be a fan of the originalSuper Mario RPG.South Park: The Stick of Truthplays a lot like that game as the cuss-slinging kids have an active turn-based battle system. It was a game that proved a good South Park game could be made which was a partnership between Matt and Trey’s South Park Digital Studios and Obsidian Entertainment who are legends among RPG makers.
Imagine the anarchy aMariogame rated M would create in the community. Mario swearing? That will never happen. However, Matt and Trey could skirt that controversy by creating their own Mario character and setting them in some derelict version of the Mushroom Kingdom. It could be a place forgotten by the main characters. Or, if Nintendo is up for it, Wario and Waluigi could be the stars as they are already pretty crude dudes and the gameplay in this case could be like theMario and LuigiRPG series.
Level-5 has done some amazing work in the RPG scene from original ideas likeDark Cloudto working on legendary franchises likeDragon Quest. One of their most ambitious projects wasNi no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witchwhich was an open-world RPG with turn-based mechanics similar to thePokemonfranchise. It was a partnership between Level-5 and Studio Ghibli as they helped with some designs and animated the cutscenes.
Studio Ghibli bowed out for the sequel, but that was fine since the game still looked like one of their animated movies. It proved that other companies like Level-5 are capable of that art style. So, presumably, Mario could work as an action RPG in this same anime aesthetic. The gameplay could even incorporate Mario collecting little creatures to fight for him, again, likePokemon.
Pokemon Conquestwasa collaboration between Koei Tecmo and Nintendo which combined the Pokemon and Nobunaga’s Ambition franchises. Historical figures like Oda Nobunaga and Date Masamune commanded armies of Pokemon in grid-based battles in a feudal Japan setting. These warriors were only figureheads as battles were completely fought with Pokemon.
It was only released for the DS but thankfully it can be played on a 3DS too if fans still have one of those lying around. Maybe one day the game can get a port or a sequel, or maybe instead Nintendo could partner with them again to make aMario Conquestgame with the same tactical combat. Koei Tecmo, so far, has touchedPokemon,The Legend of Zelda,Metroid, andFire Emblem. It’s about time Mario gets in on the action too.
One of the best things aboutSuper Mario RPGis that Mario is a celebrity in the world. Everyone knows about his legendary jumps and how he has thwarted Bowser time and time again. There are even toys made after him and young Toads across the land want to grow up to be big and strong like Mario. This adoration could work well withthe Persona formulathat Atlus has cultivated for the past couple of decades.
Imagine the game like this. Mario is gone. Not dead as Nintendo would probably never allow that. But, the legendary hero has disappeared and in his wake, a school gets started to train his successor. From Toads to Goombas, all kinds of classic creatures could go to school in a thriving Mushroom Kingdom metropolis. Go to school, form bonds, and fight battles at night. The game practically writes itself.
Where is Geno? Except for a cameo inMario and Luigi: Superstar Sagaas a tutorial puppet, he has not been seen since his original debut. And yet, the love for him has been so strong since 1996 that fans wanted him to appear inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. It would seem wild not to create a sequel with him in it in some regard and here is how Monolith Soft fits in. The story could revolve around the Smithy Gang returning and Geno has to go back down to the surface to stop them again with Mario.
Unfortunately, Mario and all the other heroes get kidnapped which admittedly is like the Atlus idea. So, Geno has to summon other warriors from the Star Road to aid him and players could then customize their character. Monolith Sift is great at making giant open-world games likeXenoblade Chronicles 3on Nintendo consoles that feel like MMOs. This time, they could add multiplayer features wherein all of these Star Road warriors could aid in the recovery of Star Pieces with Geno being the commander. Imagine a looter shooter like Destiny but in a Mario world. That is the pitch.
