Super Mario RPG soundtrack caps great experience with top 5 SNES adventure
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is one of our favorite role-playing games ever made. We're massive Mario fans and this Super Nintendo masterpiece slid in at a time when we were ready to try a new genre. Nearly 30 years after its initial release and recent remake for the Nintendo Switch (yes, we own it, too), we're still learning new things about the game and humming along to the fantastic soundtrack. These are our favorite tracks.
The Starlight's Flower: The dreamy theme of Star Hill uses bells as a large part of its melody, and they are beautiful. The backing organ is also a nice touch. This sets the stage for the masterpiece sequel theme of Shooting Star Summit in Paper Mario.
Welcome to Booster Tower/And My Name is Booster: Booster is one of the weirder characters in the game and that's saying a lot with other characters such as Bowser, Mallow and Geno running around. His home base, the self-titled Booster Tower, has a nice vibe when you walk in the door. It's a lounge theme with a nice soothing melody and reminds me of 1960s vacation lounges. Once you get inside and start fighting Booster's minions, the newer track introducing Booster immediately grabs your attention. It's very 1950s reminiscent and has a swing vibe. It's bouncy and jazzy, and it's energetic.
Barrel Volcano: The hottest area in the game is also a fire house track with some snare and steel drum melodies that are an absolute bop. The percussion beat is nice as well.
Beware the Forest's Monsters: Forest Maze's theme is a nice rollicking track that gives adventure vibes. The synth is like something you'd hear in the Legend of Zelda's dungeons and that's not a bad comparison by any stretch.
Conversation with Culex: Culex is an optional hidden boss in the game and looks like a summon from Final Fantasy V, also made by Square Enix. Culex's track is a take on the legendary Prelude theme that has appeared in every mainline Final Fantasy game and many spinoffs. It's beautiful and majestic as it should be because it originated from the mind of the maestro Nobuo Uematsu.
Fight Against Culex: The fight against Culex is the toughest in the game and the backing track makes it feel much like a Final Fantasy V or VI battle instead of a Mario RPG battle. It's harried and frantic, which is the atmosphere of most of the later boss battles in those games.
Fight Against an Armed Boss: This intermediate boss fight track is a nice way of informing you that you're fighting someone a little higher up the food chain. It has a nice bounce to it, but it sounds ominous and yet Mario-like.
Fight Against Monster: The normal regular battle theme is fun. It's got a nice feeling to it and it's light and optimistic. I hope you like it because you will hear it often.
Fight Against Smithy/Fight Against Smithy, Who Likes Transforming: Smithy, as a final boss, isn't that hard. However, the themes for his two-part battle are pure bops. They're dancehall-themed and make an impression with some references to baroque pop. These are two of the best on the soundtrack. They go hard.
Going Shopping in Seaside Town: This swing beat masterpiece is fun. It has a retro vibe to it alongside a clearly nautical melody. The harmonica synth is playful and clean, and it will have you whistling it and tapping your toe.
Happy Parade, Delightful Parade: The ending credits theme is excellent. It's got a lot of baroque pop to it and makes callbacks to nearly every area visited in the game and the introduction cinema. It's a nice way to revisit your journey while wrapping things up.
Rose Town: The place where you first meet Geno is a nice retro-themed track. It's in the same vein of Going Shopping in Seaside Town and has a cute flute melody soloing throughout.
Lyndsey Beatty is editor-in-chief of Gaming Insurrection. She can be reached by email at lyndseyb@gaminginsurrection.com
The Starlight's Flower: The dreamy theme of Star Hill uses bells as a large part of its melody, and they are beautiful. The backing organ is also a nice touch. This sets the stage for the masterpiece sequel theme of Shooting Star Summit in Paper Mario.
Welcome to Booster Tower/And My Name is Booster: Booster is one of the weirder characters in the game and that's saying a lot with other characters such as Bowser, Mallow and Geno running around. His home base, the self-titled Booster Tower, has a nice vibe when you walk in the door. It's a lounge theme with a nice soothing melody and reminds me of 1960s vacation lounges. Once you get inside and start fighting Booster's minions, the newer track introducing Booster immediately grabs your attention. It's very 1950s reminiscent and has a swing vibe. It's bouncy and jazzy, and it's energetic.
Barrel Volcano: The hottest area in the game is also a fire house track with some snare and steel drum melodies that are an absolute bop. The percussion beat is nice as well.
Beware the Forest's Monsters: Forest Maze's theme is a nice rollicking track that gives adventure vibes. The synth is like something you'd hear in the Legend of Zelda's dungeons and that's not a bad comparison by any stretch.
Conversation with Culex: Culex is an optional hidden boss in the game and looks like a summon from Final Fantasy V, also made by Square Enix. Culex's track is a take on the legendary Prelude theme that has appeared in every mainline Final Fantasy game and many spinoffs. It's beautiful and majestic as it should be because it originated from the mind of the maestro Nobuo Uematsu.
Fight Against Culex: The fight against Culex is the toughest in the game and the backing track makes it feel much like a Final Fantasy V or VI battle instead of a Mario RPG battle. It's harried and frantic, which is the atmosphere of most of the later boss battles in those games.
Fight Against an Armed Boss: This intermediate boss fight track is a nice way of informing you that you're fighting someone a little higher up the food chain. It has a nice bounce to it, but it sounds ominous and yet Mario-like.
Fight Against Monster: The normal regular battle theme is fun. It's got a nice feeling to it and it's light and optimistic. I hope you like it because you will hear it often.
Fight Against Smithy/Fight Against Smithy, Who Likes Transforming: Smithy, as a final boss, isn't that hard. However, the themes for his two-part battle are pure bops. They're dancehall-themed and make an impression with some references to baroque pop. These are two of the best on the soundtrack. They go hard.
Going Shopping in Seaside Town: This swing beat masterpiece is fun. It has a retro vibe to it alongside a clearly nautical melody. The harmonica synth is playful and clean, and it will have you whistling it and tapping your toe.
Happy Parade, Delightful Parade: The ending credits theme is excellent. It's got a lot of baroque pop to it and makes callbacks to nearly every area visited in the game and the introduction cinema. It's a nice way to revisit your journey while wrapping things up.
Rose Town: The place where you first meet Geno is a nice retro-themed track. It's in the same vein of Going Shopping in Seaside Town and has a cute flute melody soloing throughout.
Lyndsey Beatty is editor-in-chief of Gaming Insurrection. She can be reached by email at lyndseyb@gaminginsurrection.com
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with Lyndsey Beatty
with Lyndsey Beatty
