Super Mario RPG
As the progenitor of both the Mario and Luigi and Paper Mario series, Super Mario RPG obviously does something very right. This is evident in its solid formula that uniquely combines RPG tropes and Mario's more action-oriented roots. This combined DNA pervades the whole game, but is most clear in two key elements of the experience. First, the battles follow a traditional turn-based format, rotating between everyone on screen for actions like attacking, defending, or using items. The Mario twist comes in the fact that every attack you deal or receive can be affected by a well-timed button press.
At the beginning of the game, you're taught that pressing the "A" button when you land a blow will markedly increase its power. Doing the same when receiving an attack can help defend against, or even entirely negate, any damage. This unique feature adds a level of active involvement and skill to battles that I'm not used to in SNES-era RPGs. I even chose to seek out fights in a way I never did with any of the Final Fantasy games because I wasn't getting worn out in the same way. The Switch remake takes this even further by adding special combo moves that you can only use if you charge up a meter by landing those well-timed button presses. These attacks are decently powerful, but delightfully cinematic, and just add even more Mario flare to the battles.
Mario's influence shines just as brightly outside of the battle screen too. Instead of the flat overworld divided by mountains and water that one might expect from the genre, Super Mario RPG has several unique explorable areas that are full of roaming enemies and platforming challenges. There are no random encounters with every enemy on-screen, and you'll have to take advantage of Mario's signature jump enough that this could almost be a traditional Mario game with a new isometric perspective if it weren't for the battle system. The game even goes so far as to incorporate a bunch of mini-games to mix up the experience and remind you further that this isn't your average RPG. I personally loved all of the personality that was crammed into the world, and I think it saved me from the mid-game slump I tend to experience from this genre and era.
Square managed to blend the Mario experience into every corner of this RPG and create something really special. The game may be short and linear, but I think that serves the experience well. The short length means the game never outlives its welcome and the linearity ensures that there's rarely any confusion about what to do next. Super Mario RPG is the only RPG from it's time that I didn't experience any sort of slump while playing. I was far more engaged in it than I was with any of the Final Fantasy games that I've played so far, despite the lighter story, thanks in no small part to the much lower reliance on level-grinding. The Switch remake felt especially polished, and it's definitely the way I'd recommend others try this game. Ultimately, no matter if you like Mario, RPGs, or both, this is definitely worth the fifteen-ish hours it takes to beat.
The game is available for Switch here (as of 4/30/24): https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/super-mario-rpg-switch/
