Square Enix, Squaresoft at the time, produced two miracles in the 90s on SNES. First, they combined some of the greatest creators in gaming and media in Japan to make Chrono Trigger. There were the regulars at Squaresoft i.e. Yoshinori Kitase and Hironobu Sakaguchi as two examples. Then there was Yuji Horii of Dragon Quest fame along with Akira Toriyama who created Dragon Ball.
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Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars was the other miracle. The things Squaresoft got away with under Nintendo’s watch are incredible. The remake on Switch, just Super Mario RPG, is proof of that. However, early sketches, screenshots, and videos show that the game could have been much different. A majority of these assets can be seen unpacked at Unseen64 and The Cutting Room Floor. So, let’s see what could have been.
WARNING! Spoilers ahead.
5 Early Sketches
More Of A Final Fantasy
RPGs come in all shapes and sizes but the most popular type had to be fantasy RPGs in the 90s. With Squaresoft, some of their biggest franchises were fantasy-based like the obvious one being Final Fantasy. So, it made sense then that early sketches were turning out the way that they were. Above, Mario can be seen in a full suit of armor which looks ridiculous. It would be interesting if this idea would have thrust Mario into an Isekai situation wherein he had to don that suit to fit in.
Geno was also much different, looking like a badass with his massive sword. This sketch was made into an in-game model whereas Mario and Peach weren’t. As for the aforementioned Peach, her outfit looks very anime-inspired. She wouldn’t get to dress up into anything besides her classic pink dress until some of the sports spinoffs wherein she was given a sportier jumpsuit.
4 Was Luigi Planned?
Where’s The Younger Brother?
Luigi’s presence in Super Mario RPG is quite baffling. Where is he? In the game, he appears twice, technically. First, his wish can be seen on Star Hill which is not accompanied by a portrait or even his signature. An actual in-game model can be seen of Luigi during the credits and that is everything.
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Luigi would get his RPG dues in Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga and every sequel that followed at least. However, his dues could have been met earlier. There is a blurry screenshot of early footage from Super Mario RPG that shows Luigi eating dinner during a sequence in Nimbus Land. This dinner doesn’t appear in the game altogether so it wasn’t just Luigi that was cut.
3 Nimbus Land Changes
The Plants Were Trimmed
That dinner scene could be speculated about for hours, but Nimbus Land, overall, looks like it was going to be a little different. For example, the town square looks more lush with plant life along with the surrounding architecture of the castle. Inside the castle, there was a lot more plant life going on too which fans can see in videos and screenshots. When the game was unveiled, a lot of the beta showcased Nimbus Land which is curious since that is a late-game location.
Could that have appeared earlier instead? Maybe that’s where Mario and Mallow were going to meet in Super Mario RPG. As for the plant life, it makes a lot of sense that Nimbus Land would have a lot of plants since a vine is how players get up there in the first place. This vine could have cultivated itself in the clouds. Why this design was simplified is beyond anyone’s guess although aesthetically things do look good as they stand in the final product.
2 Unused Enemies
Palette Swaps For Days
Super Mario RPG uses a lot of classic enemies like Goombas, Boos, Dry Bones, and so on for combat. These classic enemies also get colored palette swaps which is something RPGs do for various reasons. A lot of space can be saved if a color is changed here or there along with stats. It also saves time rather than programming in a whole other monster. While the final product does swap out a lot of enemies to fit different plots, there were a lot more cuts.
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One of the funnier examples is Bahamutt which appears only once in the game and is a red dragon, presumably named after the famous Final Fantasy Summon. A purple version of him can be seen from the cut content and it is wearing sunglasses as well. This design may have been repurposed for Boshi, a fellow Yoshi in Yo’ster Isle, instead as the two look similar. There’s also one completely cut enemy in the game that is not a palette swap. It looks like a cactus, so perhaps this could have been a nod to Cactuars from Final Fantasy.
1 Booster Tower Changes
It Used To Be Haunted?
Booster Tower is one of the coolest locations in Super Mario RPG. It’s where players first get to meet Booster, a hilarious villain that shares a lot with Wario like his shaggy complexion and giant mouth. There are also a ton of Easter Eggs here like various figures of classic Nintendo characters like Samus from Metroid. While the background aesthetic of the tower looks the same, three screenshots make it look like Booster Tower could have been different overall.
In one screenshot, Mario is hanging on to Lakitu’s line while being pulled up. In the background is a Magikoopa. Both enemies do not appear in Booster Tower. In another screenshot, there is a trampoline along with a litany of Boos and Dry Bones which appear in other screenshots too. Perhaps Booster Tower, at one point, was going to be haunted similar to the design of the Sunken Ship area. The Sunken Ship could have been added at a later date. Finally, the last screenshot shows Mario escaping some Thwomps in a staircase maze which also didn’t happen in the final game.
