I just completed it yesterday. Yes, for the first time. I'm kind of late with those "old school" games, I'm only getting into them now, because I simply had only few of them when I was a child and they were actually new.
So, without any previous experience about the game, and with lots of old and new games to compare it to, I can still honestly say it's one of the best I've ever played. It kept me glued to my seat and I completed it in a few days.
Awesome graphics. Very beautiful backgrounds, too.
Good music. As I'm writing this, I'm downloading the soundtrack.
Excellent storyline. Good RPGs should always have lots of sidestories and likeable side characters to spice up the story, and SMRPG sure had those. (Mallow finding his real parents? The mushroomian couple getting married and going on honeymoon to Yo'ster's Island? Bowser caring about his troops? Pure cuteness.)
Nice to play. As usual with SNES games (yes I am totally Super Nintendo's bitch), it was pure pleasure in fingertips to play this game.
The Final Fantasy style boss totally cracked me up. It was just so hilarious to see the Mario characters fighting there, with the Final Fantasy music playing. :lol:
I used the combination Mario-Mallow-Toadstool most of the time. Mallow's specials were so handy and fit my fighting style, and Toadstool of course because she's the healer, and because she kicked some major ass. Really, in the end she did the most damage with physical hits, even when she was a level lower than Mario. Toadstool beats, Toadstool heals. This game increased my fangirling for Toadstool a thousandfold.