Never has a game felt so retro and modern at the same time. A short but unique experience with something happening at any moment. It's a game you won't quickly forget but does not really have any replay value. It's a bit on the easy side, so in a way a good game to start with to get into rpg's.

My thoughts:
(+ = (mostly) positive; - = (mostly) negative)
+ Gameplay;
Fun inside and outside battles. Very tight controls and the timing attacks are pretty satisfying to land. Battle mechanics are super simple, so there is barely any planning needed to progress through the game.

++ Music;
All songs are jams and memorable. Love that you can switch between retro and modern versions. Both sound very good so sometimes I couldn't even choose between them.

++ Graphics;
Pre rendered old 3D graphics have been my favorite from back in the day. This game succeeded in giving this a HD treatment without losing that old graphic magic. It exactly looks like you imagined it looked like back then. Gave me a very surreal feeling when I started the game.

+- Story/Characters;
It's simple but I think it's fine because the game is rather short. For RPG standards it doesn't deliver, but for Mario standards it's perfectly fine.

Recommend?
If you want to get into rpg's or just a simple and fun adventure, this might be the game for you.