Nintendo is one of the most well-known gaming companies in the world. With franchises like The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Metroid, and Animal Crossing, Nintendo is a name that a lot of gamers have grown up with over the years. From kids to adults, Nintendo exclusives continue to be some of the most entertaining video games around. I, like many others, was introduced to gaming through Nintendo. One of the first games I ever played was Super Mario 64, thanks to my older cousin. The game came out in 1996, but I didn’t play until the early 2000s, when I was actually old enough to properly find my way around a controller. Once I was able to play games with my cousins, they introduced me to a whole new world that I had been missing.
Super Mario 64 wasn’t the only Mario-centric game released in 1996 that I grew to love, either. To this day, one of my favorite Super Mario games is Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Developed by Square Enix, Super Mario RPG is still one of the most unique games in the franchise and one of the best that the SNES has to offer. As a kid, I was immediately hooked, and ever since then I’ve wondered if Nintendo will actually finally make the leap and greenlight the sequel I crave so much.
Nintendo and Square Enix’s Super Mario RPG is a JRPG Unlike Any Other
Super Mario RPG made it seem like Nintendo and Square Enix were a match made in heaven, but the relationship between the companies went cold for a while. Once the PlayStation started to gain serious traction and the arrival of the PS2 in 2000 pushed gaming into the 21st century, Square Enix could go bigger and bolder with its projects. Kingdom Hearts would quickly find its home on the PS2 and become a hit, and Square Enix’s evolving visuals and gameplay simply made a lot of its projects unsuitable for Nintendo consoles. After years of evolution and embracing new trends within the industry, though, the relationship between the two gaming icons seems to have warmed. Games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth coming to the Switch 2 are a reality now, since the Switch 2 is the most powerful console that Nintendo’s made so far. This hopefully opens the door to future collaborations between the companies again.
Super Mario RPG and Super Mario 64 were released only a few months apart from each other. Super Mario RPG came out in May 1996, while Super Mario 64 launched in September 1996.
Nintendo and Square Enix haven’t necessarily been hostile toward one another; the two have just had different goals over the years. However, with Square Enix clearly being more interested in porting its games to the Switch 2, it might be causing me to get a little too hopeful about the possibility of a Super Mario RPG sequel.
Yeah, there was the Super Mario RPG remake for the Switch, and it was great. But, it wasn’t as satisfying as a sequel would have been. If anything, seeing Super Mario RPG in modern Switch graphics made me crave a sequel that much more. It was like having a solid appetizer for an awesome main course I knew would never actually arrive.
Is a Super Mario RPG Sequel Developed by Square Enix Impossible?
Nothing is impossible, really. However, after 30 years, it would definitely feel like a miracle if Square Enix jumped on board for a sequel. Between Final Fantasy and the mysterious state of Kingdom Hearts 4‘s development, Square Enix has its hands full at the moment. Of course, Square Enix doesn’t necessarily have to be the developer in charge of a sequel, but I’d really prefer it if it was. Having Square Enix at the helm is what gave Super Mario RPG its special spark in the first place, and it would be hard for a different studio to replicate that.
The game’s balanced combat system, fun-loving story, visuals, music, and overall innovative approach to the Super Mario games came from Square Enix’s unique vision. A Super Mario RPG sequel would be huge for longtime fans and the younger generation who are only familiar with the remake. However, putting the project in the wrong hands could also miss all the magic. Super Mario RPG has a lot to celebrate, but one of my favorites is the original characters. There are some great personalities in this game that deserve to play bigger roles in the Super Mario canon.
Some of Super Mario RPG’s Best Original Characters
- Geno
- Mallow
- Boshi
- Booster
- Frog Sage
- Knife Guy
- Crate Guy
- Croco
- Johnny Jones
Super Mario RPG has some of the best characters in the Super Mario games simply for their goofiness and charm alone. Between names as great as Crate Guy and Knife Guy and playable stars like Mallow and Geno, the cast still boasts some of the series’ most creative characters even three decades later. Characters like Boshi and Johnny Jones are still requested as additions to future Nintendo games, it just has yet to happen.
A Sequel to the Super Mario RPG May Never Become Reality, But The OG Remains One of Nintendo’s Most Charming Games
The release of the Switch 2 last year offered plenty to be excited about. Until then, Nintendo hadn’t released a new console since its predecessor in 2017, so 2025 marked a new era for the company. With the Switch 2’s launch came a new Mario Kart game and even a fresh title starring Donkey Kong with Donkey Kong Bananza. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond closed out the year, and it will be fun to see what 2026 has in store. I may be getting my hopes too high by hoping a Super Mario RPG sequel shows up sometime in the Switch 2’s lifetime, but who knows? It could very well be wishful thinking, but after Square Enix finally finishes Kingdom Hearts 4, I’m still going to have my fingers crossed that the studio teams up with Nintendo for another whimsy-filled RPG starring one of the most iconic video game characters of all time. Even if that day never comes, though, I still have the original SNES version and the Switch remake to take a trip down memory lane with.
