There are many secrets hidden throughout the campaign of Super Mario RPG. We are going to take a look at the top 7 Mario RPG Easter Eggs and how to find them in the Nintendo remake.
Best Mario RPG Easter Eggs
Although Super Mario RPG’s campaign is on the shorter side, the game’s vibrant world is filled to the brim with neat secrets and Easter Eggs to discover. From cameos of other classic Nintendo characters, such as Link from the Legend of Zelda, to an alternate wedding cutscene, here are the best Mario RPG Easter Eggs.
Booster’s Tower 2-D 8-bit Pixel Mario
During the Booster’s Tower level in Super Mario RPG, players discover a random room with two red curtains. If you run behind the curtain, a 2-D pixel version of Mario will emerge and run around the room.
The classic Easter Egg is a nod to the original Super Mario Bros., which debuted on the Nintendo Entertainment System and Famicom in 1985. Although the secret doesn’t unlock any weapons or items, it’s fun to see how far our favorite plumber has evolved graphically over the years.
The Legend of Zelda’s Link at the Rose Town Inn
Another classic Nintendo Easter Egg can be found at the Rose Town Inn. After defeating Bowser, players can encounter The Legend of Zelda’s Link in the village’s hotel. Simply rent a room at the Rose Town Inn, and Mario will wake up with the Hero of Time sleeping in the bed next to him.
Fans of the Zelda franchise will notice that Link is sporting his older design from the classic era titles. Like the 2-D pixel Mario, it’s cool to see how far the green tunic-wearing protagonist has come graphically. This isn’t the first time the two Nintendo icons have had a crossover, as The Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening also featured several Mario Easter Eggs in it.
Final Fantasy Secret Culex Boss Fight in Monstro Town
Perhaps the most famous Mario RPG Easter Egg is the secret Culex boss fight. After trading Fireworks for the Shiny Stone in Moleville, players can unlock a mysterious door in Monstro Town. Upon entering the room, players are met with a 2-D pixel-style boss that looks straight from out of a Final Fantasy game.
Culex isn’t actually featured in any Final Fantasy games but is a new character meant to be an homage to the beloved Square Enix JRPG franchise. The battle even features a remix of music from Final Fantasy IV, and Culex has four crystals that deal elemental damage. In Mario RPG, the secret Monstro Town villain is the strongest boss battle in the entire game.
Metroid’s Samus sleeping in Princess Peach’s Castle
After defeating Belome for the second time near Monstro Town, players can return to the castle of Princess Peach to discover a Metroid Easter Egg. Upon entering the guest room, players will find Samus snuggled up in bed and sleeping.
If you go up and interact with the Metroid protagonist, a dialogue bubble will trigger, and she will mention Mother Brain. Like the Link Easter Egg in Rose Town, this is a neat nod to another classic NES mascot.
Luigi Easter Egg in Star Hill
It wouldn’t be a proper Mario game without some kind of nod to the plumber’s iconic partner and brother, Luigi. While exploring Star Hill in the Moleville Region, players can stumble upon a secret Easter Egg tied to the green-hat-wearing mascot.
In the final section of the level, you can interact with a star that happens to be a wish from Luigi himself. The message reads, “I wanna help out my older brother, Mario.” It’s a shame that Luigi isn’t a playable party member, but at least Square managed to get him in the game somehow.
Star Fox Arwing at Cinder Mart
Towards the game’s back half, players descend into the Barrel Volcano. Inside the firey level is an underground shop called Cinder Mart. While the store might seem fairly ordinary at first, it actually has a really cool Star Fox Easter Egg hiding in plain sight.
In the right-hand corner of Cinder Mart is a series of boxes that have replica ships on top of them. The figurines include Fox McCloud’s signature Arwing ship from the 1993 Super Nintendo classic Star Fox. There is also a replica of the Blue Falcon from F-Zero.
Secret cutscenes during Princess Peache’s wedding
In the game’s first half, players must rescue Princess Peach from a sham wedding to Booster in Marrymore. However, did you know that the church scene actually has multiple cutscenes? After entering through the Marrymore Church door, players are tasked with finding every missing Princess Peach item.
Depending on how quickly you find Peache’s items will determine which cutscene you get. Princess Peach will kiss Mario on the cheek if you find her crown quickly, mentioning it is “smooth as sandpaper.” However, if Mario takes too long to find her items, the Princess will dodge at the last second, and Bowser will instead plant a kiss on our favorite plumber. If you manage to get kissed by both Booster and Bowser, it means you achieved the slowest time – sorry!
Super Mario RPG is available on the Nintendo Switch.