Play Super Mario RPG - Reserve_22 Online

Mario’s turn-based battles feel like a rhythm game—time your button presses right and he’ll flip with satisfaction. Bowser’s in your party, there’s a frog cult, and the whole thing’s weirder than you’d expect from an SNES RPG.

Developer: Nintendo, Square

Genre: Role-playing

Released: 1996

File size: 2.57 MB

Game Overview

Super Mario RPG: Reserve_22 is one of those weird, wonderful SNES games that shouldn’t work but totally does. You start off thinking it’s just another Mario adventure—until the first battle hits and suddenly you’re timing button presses for extra damage like some kind of turn-based rhythm game. The combat’s simple but satisfying, especially when you land a perfect hit and Mario does this little celebratory flip.

The real surprise? Your party includes freaking Bowser as a playable character, and he’s weirdly charming in a grumpy, over-it way. The story’s full of dumb jokes (there’s a whole subplot about a frog cult) and the isometric world feels surprisingly alive—you’ll poke around every corner just to see what weird animation or hidden chest pops up. Also, the soundtrack slaps. That battle theme? Unreasonably funky for a Mario game.

It’s a shame this one flew under the radar back in the day. If you like RPGs with personality—or just want to see Mario in a slightly janky 3D world—this is a blast. Just don’t skip the barrel mini-game. Trust me.