Is a Super Mario RPG Sequel Ever Going to Happen?

With the newest sneak peek into the upcoming Super Mario film, renewed conversation about what else is possible in the franchise’s future has sparked yet another discussion. Frequent fan debates about Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars have restored excitement and hope for a long-awaited sequel in the near or distant future. At the same time, comments in a recent interview made by the game’s co-creator, Chihiro Fujioka, give us more hope that a sequel is on the horizon. Surprisingly, there’s more of a chance for an official sequel than previously thought. 

Spiritual Successors to Super Mario RPG

Since the release of the game in 1996, fans have been eagerly waiting for a sequel. Nintendo’s answer to fan anticipation came from another Mario RPG series in 2001 with a new style called Paper Mario. The game was received well by fans who praised it for containing the same lovable sense of humor and new memorable characters as found in Super Mario RPG. Two years later, another Super Mario role-playing series debuted, but this time, Mario shared the spotlight with Luigi in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. The series was also praised for its humor and gameplay that finally gave Luigi the attention he deserved. 

The role-playing part of both series added the same welcome aspect fans enjoyed in Mario’s first RPG game: the ability to explore the world in a way that the platformer genre couldn’t offer. Nintendo’s attempts to create more stories in the Super Mario universe have been successful until recent years. Game developer of the Mario & Luigi series, Alpha Dream, filed for bankruptcy in 2019, leaving the fate of the fan-favorite series unknown. The Paper Mario series has also seen its share of misfortune, with fans offering more criticism than praise to recent Paper Mario sequels veering away from the series’ usual and beloved gameplay. 

Fujioka’s Comments About a Super Mario RPG Sequel

With Nintendo wanting to expand the Mario franchise, and Square Enix wanting more success overseas, the two created an epic Mario RPG. Perhaps it will be the same partnership that can give the Super Mario franchise the RPG boost that it needs and deserves. Luckily, it might just be possible. In an interview with MinnMax, Fujioka discussed his career at Square Enix and how his ultimate dream scenario for his final game would be to develop an official sequel to Super Mario RPG.

Of course, this news took the internet by storm and has fans debating on whether the sequel is already in development. Fujioka stated: “Mario & Luigi is cool, but I would like to go back and create a Mario RPG where you’re only controlling Mario.” When asked about whether he had any particular story ideas in mind, Fujioka simply commented that “was a secret.” 

Fujioka’s comments are certainly exciting for those who have been waiting nearly 30 years for a Super Mario RPG sequel, but it does not mean fans can expect its release in the near future. However, to add to the excitement, Square Enix also announced its plans to “HD-2D” many of its Super Nintendo titles. This means that many games will mix 2D character art with an HD/3D version of the SNES game environments. However, it wasn’t stated whether Super Mario was a part of that plan or not. Since both Square Enix and Nintendo have expressed interest in revisiting retro titles, with Nintendo’s remake of Link’s Awakening in 2019, perhaps both companies will collaborate again sooner than later.

Why a Super Mario RPG Sequel is Difficult for Nintendo to Make

The sequel will be challenging to bring about if neither Square Enix nor Nintendo both agrees to it. This is where the tricky part comes in. Back when both companies agreed to collaborate on a project, it meant that some creativity put into the game, such as characters and easter eggs from other IP, would belong to either one of the companies or both.

This means that proper licensing permission would be needed to create a sequel, so even though this is a Super Mario title, Square Enix owns part of it. Nintendo would need approval from Square Enix to use some of the IP seen in Super Mario RPG and vice versa. Therefore, a Super Mario sequel is a bit more complicated to create than fans might think, but it’s not impossible. 

Conclusion

One would think that since Super Mario RPG was created to help both companies gain success, the two companies would want to make a sequel that could be equally beloved and successful. After all, it has been 26 years since the release of Super Mario RPG and it’s still considered one of the best Mario games of all time. Why not continue that legacy with an even better sequel? Also, fans have long agreed it would be nice to see Geno in another game.