Highlights
- The Super Mario RPG remake features HD models, cutscenes, and quality of life upgrades to attract new players to the cult classic.
- GameStop is offering an exclusive six-piece pin set as a pre-order bonus for Super Mario RPG, creating mixed reactions among fans.
- Pre-order bonuses can be controversial, but Nintendo's quality control should ensure the game's success regardless.
The Super Mario RPG remake is just two months away at the time of writing, and GameStop has just revealed a set of pins as an exclusive pre-order bonus for it. Super Mario RPG was first announced as part of the June 2023 Nintendo Direct.
The Super Mario RPG remake looks to be a faithful recreation of the SNES original, replacing the pre-rendered sprites with smooth, HD models (while still retaining the original's chibified look), replacing some of the dialogue exchanges with proper cutscenes, and adding various quality of life upgrades such as a swappable soundtrack and the ability to have harder rematches with boss fights after beating the story campaign. It's certainly a great way to draw in newer, younger players to this cult classic.
While these upgrades alone could be more than enough to sell it, GameStop is stepping in to add a little more incentive. The gaming retail giant revealed on Twitter that by pre-ordering Super Mario RPG from it, players will receive a six-piece pin set that can't be obtained anywhere else except probably eBay sometime after launch. Each pin has a white background, and five of them contain a render of each of Super Mario RPG's five party members. Meanwhile, the sixth button simply contains the game's updated logo, which is still missing the subtitle from the original release.
Fans in the comments gave this news a mixed to positive reception. Some appeared optimistic, expressing their hype for Super Mario RPG itself, and others seemed mildly interested in owning the pin set. However, others were disappointed not only by the buttons being exclusive to in-store purchases, but also the fact that they were the only bonus available, as opposed to something more substantial like a figurine. GameStop has a notable history of offering simple and disposable bonuses for Nintendo games
Pre-order bonuses are a longtime feature in the gaming community, with different retailers offering different incentives and competing with each other to see who can sell the most copies of each new title. Such a practice is not without its controversies, with some bonuses being scalped, poorly made, or just not being worth it. Not to mention the store exclusivity can be a problem depending on the area each gamer lives in. But thankfully, Nintendo's immense quality control means its products will likely do well with or without such bonuses.
The Super Mario RPG remake launches for Nintendo Switch on November 14.
