all games are not created equal

While I think that Chrono Trigger is a better overall game, there are definately some aspects of Mario RPG that prevailed.  First off, the combat system of Mario RPG was interactive and skill based.  It made fighting more fun.  Second it had great puzzles (some extremely difficult) which made the game feel challenging. 

The big difference, in my opinion, is that Chrono Trigger had a coherent plot line.  At several instances of playing Mario RPG I would forget the goal.  Let me be specific, I'm not saying that the cheesy feel of the game is somehow deminishing.  Rather, the story itself is not cohesive.