This game is fine. I first played this as a kid, after playing its successor and the other Mario RPG games that came before, except Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga. Before then, I’d rarely hear about this game online. Whenever that would happen, my interest would always be piqued as if it was some underrated hidden gem.

This game is not quite that, but it’s also not the worst thing ever like some may make it out to be. It’s a very middle-of-the-road Mario RPG. If you’ve played through most and want just another one with the traditional solid mechanics to run through, this one has you covered.

This one’s big gimmick is that you can play as the babies, and while that sounds fun, unfortunately a lot of their abilities are simply ones that the main bros had in the other games without much to call their own. So really, their main move set feels a bit uninspired and the same as ever. Plus, the Bros moves aren’t very well balanced, with this being the only entry to have them as consumables and for the later moves to become over-centralizing fast.

That said, there’s still a lot to like about this game! The core concept of the time travel is kinda neat, there are many fun locales like the Vim Factory/Forest area, a very unique and eerie one, and Yoshi’s Island, a fun set of throwbacks. Plus, the main antagonistic body of Shroobs, while pretty one-note and straightforward, are visually distinct, entertaining, and threatening.

I wouldn’t say this is THE must-play Mario RPG but it’s still fun to play if you’ve played some of them and want another one!