Super Mario RPG tips and tricks for beginners

Use these Super Mario RPG tips and tricks to make the most of your time in the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond

Author:
Oliver Brandt
Updated:
Nov 17, 2023 11:02 AM EST
Original:
Nov 17, 2023

The excellent Super Mario RPG remake is out now on the Nintendo Switch, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. In the quiet gaps between big releases, short, comforting RPGs like this are a godsend, lasting just long enough to get your RPG fix in but not too long that it becomes a burden and tires you out.

While Super Mario RPG’s runtime might be on the shorter side, there’s still a surprising amount of depth, and it can be easy to get overwhelmed with everything the game has to explore. That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide full of tips and tricks to help you collect the seven stars and rid the land of Smithy’s evil weapons.

Don’t hoard your items

The items screen in Super Mario RPG — Nintendo

Look, we’ve all done it — you play an RPG and hoard every restorative item you get, telling yourself that you need to save them for when you really need it. It might be tempting to do the same in Super Mario RPG, but I promise you absolutely don’t need to. This game hands out items like candy, and if you find yourself running out, you’re almost certainly just about to stumble upon a bunch of them.

Even if you don’t suddenly find some items out in the wild, they’re very cheap at shops and there’s not much else worth spending your money on. Restore your health and FP liberally, because you never know when you’re about to run into a boss fight or come across a powered-up special enemy.

Save your Triple Attacks for tough fights

Mario, Mallow, and Geno using a triple attack in Super Mario RPG — Nintendo

One of the newly-added features in the Super Mario RPG remake is Triple Attacks, which are big attacks that use the power of all three party members to deal big damage or heal up and buff your team. You get access to these attacks by building up the special gauge, which happens when you land timed attacks and blocks.

You might feel like you’re free to use these whenever you please, wiping out big groups of enemies that you just don’t want to deal with, but you probably shouldn’t. It’s very difficult to build up enough of the gauge during a boss fight to get off an attack, and sometimes – especially when playing on normal difficulty – having that big burst of damage is the difference between winning and losing. Hold onto your Triple Attacks for when you actually need them, and it could get you out of some very sticky situations.

Boost your attack on level-up

Mario's level up screen in Super Mario RPG — Nintendo

FP is a very treasured resource, and for most of the game’s runtime you’ll have barely enough to get by. In regular fights against random enemies, you should pretty much exclusively be using normal attacks (with proper timing) rather than burning through your FP with skills, otherwise you risk running out at a crucial moment.

That’s why you should focus on boosting your physical attack and defense on level-up, rather than your magic or HP. Some characters – like Mallow and Peach – could probably do with at least a few extra points in HP when you first get them, but once they’re roughly at the HP level of your other characters, you should start shoveling all your bonus stats into physical attack. It’ll pay off big-time by the end of the game, when every character is hitting for hundreds of damage with well-timed attacks, which really helps with some of the end-game and post-game bosses.

Use the Signal Ring

The equipment screen in Super Mario RPG with the Signal Ring selected — Nintendo

Fairly early on in Super Mario RPG, you get given a Signal Ring, which is an equippable accessory that tells you when there’s a hidden item chest in a room. You should equip this to a character right away, and have it equipped to one of your party members throughout the entire game.

The items found in hidden item boxes are usually fairly common, but they’re still free items, and you’ll sometimes come across rare and powerful items and equipment too. The best part about accessories is that it doesn’t matter who they’re equipped to — as long as it’s equipped to somebody, it’ll work in the field. This also applies to experience-boosting accessories, but not stat-boosting and defensive accessories.

Don’t be afraid to switch to Breezy

The difficulty selection screen in Super Mario RPG — Nintendo

While Nintendo and developer ArtePiazza have done a fantastic job at improving and refining on the combat and balancing in Super Mario RPG, there’s no denying that there’s still a lot of DNA from the original. And because the original was on the SNES, and the first RPG game in the Mario series, that means there are some fights that are very reminiscent of cattle excrement, if you catch my drift.

If you’re struggling, having a difficult time with a boss, or you’re just sick of fighting a particular type of enemy in an area, just turn on Breezy mode. You can change back at any time if you’re finding it too easy later down the line, and there’s absolutely no penalty or mark against your save file for doing so. There’s no point punishing yourself with something you’re not enjoying, so make it a little easier on yourself, save yourself some hassle, and flick back and forth between the two difficulty settings as you please.

Always defeat special enemies

A special enemy in Super Mario RPG — Nintendo

Every now and then, you’ll bump into enemies that look normal in the field, and even in battle, but will be highlighted when you select them as special enemies. These enemies are stronger, tougher, and more dangerous versions of their regular counterparts, and they can often take a bit of strategy to actually take down.

You should always try, though, because the rewards for it are pretty good. You’re guaranteed a frog coin for every special enemy you defeat, and you’ll usually be showered with increased coins and experience, too. It may just be a coincidence, but we also found that fights with special enemies seemed to have a higher chance of the find-the-Yoshi experience or coin doubling minigame at the end, boosting your rewards even further.

If you get stuck, consult the Frog Sage

The Frog Sage in Super Mario RPG — Nintendo

After joining up with Mallow the “frog” and collecting one of the star pieces, you’ll be invited to visit Mallow’s hometown and meet up with his grandfather, the Frog Sage. It might seem like the Frog Sage is just a story NPC that you meet once and move on from, but he’s actually a very useful tool.

If you’re ever lost, unsure what to do, or want some sage advice, simply pop over to Tadpole Pond and chat to the Frog Sage and he’ll tell you what to do. It’s often very simple advice, and sometimes given to you in riddles which can be a bit frustrating, but if you pay attention the advice will always point you in the right direction, at the very least.