Just like any RPG, it isn't long before Super Mario RPG players have an encounter with a boss. Roughly one hour into the game, players have to pursue Croco whom has stolen a coin from Mallow. Croco may be the first boss in the game, but players should not underestimate him. Take time to prepare accordingly, as Croco is significantly tougher than any foe that players have encountered so far. Despite how hard he hits, Croco can be taken down easily if players know what to do.
How to Beat Croco
Before even considering fighting Croco, players should make sure to be at least level four on both characters. This is especially the case on Normal difficulty. Both Mallow and Mario should be equipped with armor and an accessory (all of which can be purchased from the shop in the Mushroom Kingdom), as this will help mitigate damage.
In order to start the battle, players will have to chase Croco until he ends up in the area with a dead end and tries to hide. Go around and jump onto his head from behind. If successful, Croco will mention how many years it'll be before players can catch him. This number goes down with each success and, eventually, players will enter combat.
While Croco doesn't have many abilities, he hits like a truck. Players will want to block as much as possible to reduce or nullify the sheer amount of damage that Croco can do in a single hit. Croco has a charge attack that can do up to nine points of damage if players don't block it. Croco will also throw a bomb at a single character, dealing up to 13 damage if it isn't blocked. To complicate matters, Croco will heal for 60 points when he casts Weird Mushroom.
Have Mario use his Fireball ability. Not only is Croco weak to fire, but it also forces him to use his next turn to put his tail out instead of attacking or healing. Try to conserve some Flower Points so that Mallow can use Healing Rain if needed. If there aren't enough Flower Points left near the end of the fight, have Mario focus on just normal attacks on the boss while Mallow heals with Mushrooms. Once players have done enough damage, a cutscene will play and Mallow will get his coin back as Croco flees.
Upon defeating Croco, both Mario and Mallow will be healed back up to full health and all Flower Points are restored to the current maximum.
