To the surprise of many, Nintendo's June 2023 Direct saw the announcement of a remake for the SNES classic Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Although the retro classic represented a noticeable hole in the Nintendo Switch Online SNES library, no one could have predicted that it would be given a total makeover that's still faithful to the sprites of the original. Super Mario RPG will now be a major holiday 2023 release for Nintendo.
It's a good thing too, as Mario RPG fans have been feeling underrepresented for a while. Paper Mario: The Origami King was a good time, but it wasn't the return to traditional RPG gameplay and worldbuilding that Mario RPG fans loved. With the developer behind the Mario & Luigi series going under, it seemed like there was no path forward for the older RPG titles and their expanded Mario casts. Fortunately, the Super Mario RPG remake defies this fate, and will bring plenty of beloved one-offs like Boshi, Booster, and Mallow back into the fold. In fact, fans are already hoping that the return of one particular main character will finally net them a spot on the next Super Smash Bros. Roster: Geno.
Geno Remains The White Whale of Super Smash Bros.
Some members of the extended Nintendo community have joked about Super Smash Bros. Fans' constant character requests. It's true there's a lot of them, but that's because the impossible crossover nature of the series inspires hope that few other crossover-oriented properties besides Fortnite do. Over the years, the Smash community has had a number of characters that they are particularly keen on seeing in the playable roster. By the end of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's support, just about all of these were represented in some fashion, but not necessarily in the way fans wanted.
Characters like Ridley and Banjo made it in as fighters, but others like Shovel Knight and Waluigi were consigned to Assist Trophy roles. Many more became Spirits, but what some fans grew to see as the greatest disrespect were Mii Fighter outfits. Some like Sans and Cuphead's outfits got extra love and an additional song, but most were just costume pieces with no gameplay benefit. Various common requests like No More Heroes' Travis Touchdown and Lloyd from Tales of Symphonia became outfits, but the one that stung the most was Super Mario RPG's Geno.
A puppet possessed by a star, Geno has amassed a small but dedicated following thanks to how radically different he is from every other Mario character. It's mostly based around his appearance and penchant for firearms, as well as standing out more compared to the other original Super Mario RPG party member Mallow. Requests for Geno to join Smash predated the release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and they only got louder over time. With Geno not in anything besides Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, fans were dying to see this character get the recognition he deserves.
The Super Mario RPG remake offers a chance for that. Nintendo and Square Enix have finally gotten around to picking their famed Mario RPG collaboration back up, and there's no telling where that could lead. Even if the next Super Smash Bros. Game is very different from all the others, it would still be vindicating to see Geno make his way into the roster. With any luck, the Super Mario RPG remake will kindle a new generation's passion for the character, and Geno can finally be playable in a different game.
Super Mario RPG will launch November 17, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.