Difficulty-wise (full explanation): The game starts you out in the city of Toad Town, which is the main hub, and leads off to the game's 7 chapters. Toad Town also has many useful facilities, like a shop where you can buy health and items; an inn where you can pay to sleep and regain your health; a fortune teller's, whose purpose is to give you hints on where to go and what to do next in the game; and a save block where you can save your game by jumping underneath and hitting it with Mario's head. There are many more cities scattered between the game's levels with the same facilities.

Your main objective is to find and collect the 7 Star Spirits. To do this, Mario will explore the side-scrolling environments (with 3D elements), solve puzzles, fight enemies, and talk to the game's many characters. Mario will also gain new abilities throughout the game to counteract the ever increasing complexity of the game's environments, like using a powerful hammer that can destroy certain blocks in his way, a double spin jump that can reach high switches and blocks, and more as you progress.

The game's combat system is what you call turn-based, and is typical of the RPG genre. What this means is, when Mario (and his party) come across an enemy, the game takes you out of your current environment and places you on a stage, with Mario (and party) on the left, and the enemy on the right.

You now have the option to pick commands from a menu, like the jump command, which will have Mario jump on the enemy's head; the hammer command, which will have Mario attack the enemy with a hammer; the item command, which will have Mario use an item to restore health or use a power-up; or the Tactics command, where Mario can either defend himself for the turn or flee the battle. Once you choose, Mario will automatically perform (yes, you don't have actual control over his movement) the command, and then return to his starting position. The enemy will then take its turn (hence the name turn-based combat), and attack Mario. You then wait for your next turn, and repeat, until the enemy is defeated. After defeating the enemy, you get Star Points, and when you've acquired 100 Star Points you'll level up, which in turn will increase your total health and combat skills. In addition to leveling up, you'll come across Badges. These Badges can then be equipped in the main menu and used to boost specific skills for use in combat.

Throughout the game, you'll come across certain people who will join you on your journey. These characters have specific abilities in battle, and you'll sometimes have to use their unique abilities to destroy bosses and enemies. These abilities can also be used in the game's environments, and are required to progress further in the game. Examples of your parties' abilities are: Bombette, who is an actual bomb, and she can be used to destroy barriers blocking your path; Kolorado the Turtle, who can use himself to spin in his shell and reach normally unreachable objects like items and switches--and many more characters that join you through your quest.