Topic: Super Mario RPG Remake

How are you supposed to time the attack where bowser throws Mario?

People are taking issue with the new timings, but I have reason to believe that they are rewarding enemy study. That notion became clear to me as soon as Nimbus Land's Birdies with their flight speed telegraphing which attack they're using. I think if anything, the new timings simply add satisfaction to the Chain Timing mechanic. And oh boy, I don't know which is better, the Chain Timing mechanic or the new item system. The new item system is practically self-explanatory in how it allows for more playable party compositions that don't involve Peach, so I'll go over Chain Timing.

As we know, Chain Timing involves getting bonuses that are provided until timing is failed, at which point the Chain is reset. It's worth noting that luck-based misses are neutral to the Chain and ergo won't cause them to be dropped even with a messy timing attempt but also won't increase the Chain amount regardless of your timing. As a convenience, an attack where you miss the timing will actually still benefit from the Chain Timing bonus to your used stat where applicable. (IE if you mistime with a magic attack of your own, you will still get the Magic ATK boost if Mallow is active.) And as also easily guessed, each switchable character provides a given stat boost: Mallow provides Magic ATK, Geno gives Physical ATK and Speed (I'll get to him boosting 2 stats), Bowser grants Physical DEF, and Peach provides Magic DEF.

If you're wondering about the exact boosts, they use percentages of the involved stats, accounting for equipment modification including the used random number change for the attack, though Magic ATK sadly doesn't involve the Magic Power improvement. Here are the percentages involved:
-Physical ATK (Geno): 3% on 2 Chain, 5.5% on 3~4 Chain, 12% on 5+ Chain
-Speed (Geno): 10% on 2 Chain, 15% on 3~4 Chain, 20% on 5+ Chain
-Magic ATK (Mallow), Physical DEF (Bowser), and Magic DEF (Peach): 10% on 2 Chain, 20% on 3~4 Chain, 25% on 5+ Chain

I am going to state that the bigger and clearer 2 beneficiaries are, how appropriate, Bowser and Mallow. Geno's boosts are modest at best, or at the very least hard to use from reliance on Speed since the Physical ATK boost won't provide enough of a boost to allow significant new wall breaking even in late game. Peach's Magic DEF actually has its moments, but I do note that a lot of key threats are physical, and I'm letting you know now that enough key magic attacks have become blockable, keeping in mind that enemy magic attacks have 1x damage multipliers to begin with where enough threatening enemy physicals have typically 1.5x or 2x multipliers. You would be surprised how much and when Bowser's Physical DEF boost helps, believe me. As for Mallow's Magic ATK boosting, it's actually able to provide enough of a boost to conceivably allow decent magic wall breaking. You can even make Bowser's Crusher reasonably usable, which believe me is not hyperbole.

The new timings makes this mechanic more challenging to use, but they show signs that they are far from obtuse, instead encouraging engagement with the foes, and anybody willing to work with Mallow and/or Bowser is bound to particularly benefit.

Try timing when Bowser is arcing forward to launch Mario? That should be when you'd get the perfect timing for the AoE bonus.

@MasterKnightDH
I eventually got it figured out. Luckily I figured it out right before I fought Jonathan Jones.

I beat the game last night. It was the best. I can’t wait to get to the post game content.

If you want the game a bit more challenging do a no armor run. Been doing that for the remake and it's been real fun and balanced so far. I actually feel like I use my items and all the money I would have spent on armor is spent on items. Keep cutting it close with bosses where I run out of healing items of FP and manage to barely win.

Sounds like you might want to compare notes with WaddlerD. He does his own No Armor run as a sort of basis to determine how to balance Super Mario RPG Revolution. Meanwhile, I did a Restricted Weapons run (basically, everybody but Bowser has weapon restrictions based on progress beyond what the game is already imposing) and I can tell you how No Deaths was already the more important rule with my recorded run of the original because of the involvement of unblockable single target attacks that dealt absurd amounts of damage, but now every single one of those nasty attacks has become blockable in the remaster, and that's before putting Bowser's Chain Timing bonus into consideration. Still, Restricted Weapons is built around the game's subtraction defense involvement, and thus it does get involved if you don't realize what is going on since you have more things live for long to begin with.

The part where you climb the beam stalks is terrible. So far the only part of the game I haven’t liked.

I take it you're referring to that one jump on the second screen of the Beanstalk? That was always a problematic thing in the original as well. Of course, it's at least optional, though I do wish the Defense Scarf, which is the main reward for that path, provided +25 to Physical and Magic DEF, not +20.

I should also bring up that the game allows for D-Pad usage in case you're not already using that. That could help, since the Beanstalk vine patterns operate on a upper right to bottom left diagonal.

Finally got my copy and played for a bit. It’s amazing just how much it still feels like the SNES game. It’s like I’m playing literally the same game, down to character animation and everything (I even changed the battle menus to work the classic way).

Though I was so expecting the characters to have the typical Mario-game voice acting during cutscenes… Y’know, a little “Mario!!” from Peach, and random grunts and noises here and there… so it’s a bit strange how silent everyone is.

Reading online it seems like I’m a bit over leveled. Every character is somewhere between level 24-26, and I just got the sixth star. I haven’t even been grinding, just fighting any enemy I come across.

@blindsquirrel Yeah I think I'm around... 17 or so... I don't fight every enemy and I run away sometimes if it's not a super enemy. I try looking for monsters not in the monster list and if I need to level up I'll grind like 2-4 fights.

@KaiserGX
Huh, guess my Mario and Luigi strategy was a bit to effective in this case. Oh well, I’m okay with the game being easier.

I always assumed you're not meant to fight every enemy because of how a lot of them are set up as platforming obstacles. At least that's how I saw it.

...Here, take a screenshot.

You're welcome. lol

Got my second star piece yesterday

Is there a super fast way to get my entire party to level 30 so I can fight Culex before I take on Smithy?

@IceDomino Idk about specific levels but you should be more than ready to fight Culex by the time you get the sixth star piece (or even just beating Valentina). As long as you have the lazy shell equipped he can't beat you.

Not to brag or nothing, but...guess who just beat Culex AND Jinx, and THEN Smithy? Me!

I liked the enhanced graphics, and team special moves you can do.