Super Mario RPG Remake: Original Director Spills His Thoughts You Won't Believe!

The original director of Super Mario RPG on SNES shares his thoughts on the upcoming remake for Nintendo Switch. Fans were pleasantly surprised during the June 2023 Nintendo Direct, when a multitude of Super Mario-related projects were announced. Among these announcements, the reveal of the Super Mario RPG remake for the Switch stood out as an unexpected delight. Shortly after the game's unveiling, numerous details emerged regarding the extent to which the RPG would be remade.

In addition to revamping the graphics, the soundtrack will also be reimagined to align with the remake's modernized appearance. Yoko Shimomura, renowned composer for Mario RPG and Kingdom Hearts, will be returning to arrange Super Mario RPG's soundtrack, with some of the music already featured in the trailer. However, Chihiro Fujioka, the original director of the SNES game, has confirmed that he will not be involved in the remake.

Fujioka, a video game designer with diverse experience in various roles such as director, composer, and field designer, served as the director for Super Mario RPG. He continued to contribute to other Mario RPGs developed by AlphaDream in the following years. Fujioka expressed his excitement about the trailer's upgraded graphics and music through a tweet. When asked if he would be involved in the remake, he simply responded with a no.

Other fans of Super Mario RPG expressed their gratitude towards Fujioka for his direction on the original game, sharing that it was one of their personal favorites. While some were disappointed that Fujioka was not consulted for the development of the remake, they were still happy to see his positive opinions about it. Fujioka also expressed his surprise about the news and eagerly looked forward to the game's release in November.

In 2022, Fujioka expressed his desire to create a sequel to Super Mario RPG, considering it as his potential "final" game before retirement. While involved in the development of other Mario RPGs at AlphaDream, including the last one released by the company, Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, Fujioka eagerly awaits the release of the remake, curious about the handling of the game's minigames and field design. Super Mario RPG is scheduled to launch on November 17 for Nintendo Switch.

Source: VGC