If I had to choose one word to describe Mario & Luigi: Brothers, after seeing several different areas of the near-final version of the game over the course of an hour or so, this word would come right out of the title: It Delightful. If I had to choose the second one, well… let’s go for it Refreshing.
It feels a bit like the Mario & Luigi series never really left. But when you think about it, ever since we actually had a new One of these games. 2015’s Paper Jam was a brand new game, but subsequent games between then and now have been remasters of older games. In 2019, Mario & Luigi developer AlphaDream encountered difficulties and filed for bankruptcy, and the series seemed to be over. But nine years have passed since the last original game, and we have a brand new game.
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When asked who exactly was working on the game, Nintendo reps sang and danced as they usually “look at the credits as soon as they’re released,” but rest assured there were “some of the original developers” behind the series The game may already be in the works. After AlphaDream collapsed, producers and employees from Nintendo came on board.
Anyway, here’s the title: After relatively lackluster remakes that I’ve always felt were just slightly worse versions of the DS and GBA games they remade, this is a return to form for the series. This is the first Mario & Luigi game I’ve been really excited to play since Paper Jam. In fact, I found it more exciting than any 3DS game – putting it on par with some of the best games in the series.
Obviously, all of these games need a gimmick—some core idea that powers everything from the game systems to the plot. The clues are, as always, in the title – this time, it’s all driven by Mario and Luigi’s bromance, with the two able to team up in various ways – some familiar, some new – to Meet the challenge.
I admit, most of them are very familiar. The turn-based RPG combat makes this a great first RPG for kids, with simple combat options but offering a decent amount of depth. Timing is of the essence – to attack with Mario Hammer, a small button will be pressed next to the animation to maximize the impact of the attack. During these interactions, the brothers each have a button, deepening the bromance – so during Luigi’s jump attack, you’ll press B while Luigi jumps, then press A – the Mario button – to get Mario to move Shoot Luigi back at an enemy second Jump, which requires you to press B again while Luigi punches an enemy in the head.
Some of the more traditional complexity in the RPG world has been removed, or enhanced for simplicity – so there’s no elemental affinity stuff like thisbut you have to consider things like how the hammer attack affects flying enemies, but the jump attack is perfect – whereas jumping directly onto an enemy with a spiked crown is obviously not a very smart idea.
It’s a soft, fluffy, light-hearted RPG action game, but I think it would look great as a game that adults could play relatively stress-free; it’d be the perfect antidote to a rough day or hangover, while It is also an early gateway for young players to be exposed to such mechanics. Only by finding this balance can Mario RPG games be at their best.
Of course, there’s a lot of new content. There’s a new scene where Mario and Luigi are catapulted to a mysterious new land with an electrical theme – even its inhabitants are people like plugs. The land has been shattered from a unified whole into a patchwork of islands – though through the work of Mario and Luigi, these disparate islands will slowly come back together to become a unified land once again.
The titular Brother isn’t quite a real ship – it’s one of those islands, although it can be piloted like one. You reach islands by sailing near them and blowing them up with cannons; each island has its own little story, set of puzzles, and more.
Much of the fun comes from traveling around the islands. In practice, I play a small maze puzzle. The solution is to use the Brotherhood cleverly: separate Mario and Luigi. Mario climbs a tall tower, which in turn raises the camera’s perspective so you can see the entire maze. Luigi stays behind, with a switch next to him that rotates part of the circular maze, moving the various entrances and exits. Once the two are separated, you press Luigi’s action button to hit switches and spin the maze until you find a feasible route.
In another example, the brothers must escort a frightened NPC through a forest of bugs she hates. Because everyone can’t jump while carrying a charge, you have to pass her back and forth – throwing her from Mario to Luigi, letting Mario jump over some light platforming challenges – and then throwing her back for Luigi to follow. Environmental challenges like these occur across regions.
There’s a lot of that: the strength of brothers together, but also the strength of them dividing, Employed Together, but further apart. It’s a cute idea that’s also completely sold by the gorgeous animation. I recommend having one of the brothers fall in battle, just to see a very sweet animation of the other brother. Likewise, having a QTE fail in a battle – it all oozes style and love. Even the narrative is the same; full of little references, sweet dialogue and quiet revelations – did you know Mario uses wax on his impeccable mustache?
If you want deeper combat, it’s there – led primarily by the new combat mechanic “The Plug”. These plugs (which, by the way, are like power plugs – don’t go there) can be equipped by Mario and Luigi, unlocking clever bonuses. Plugins allow for example adding area of effect bonuses to well-timed attacks or applying status effects under certain conditions. In general, addons can also be used to enhance combat – so if you’re having trouble timing your counters, addons can make it easier. In case you forgot, there’s an “auto-mushroom” add-on that functions just like the auto-potion healing skill in other RPGs.
Plugs are crafted one by one by the player, and the more plugs you make, the more options you unlock by crafting the recipe book. Once made, it’s permanent – but each plug has a limited number of charges. After, say, 20 uses, the plug becomes unusable until it goes to sleep and has time to recharge. You can change plugs in the menu, or even mid-battle – so the idea is that once Mario and Luigi’s existing plugs run out of power, or even just for a different plug, you’ll snap Replace with a new plug.
Like I said – these games are essentially “baby’s first RPG”. But it’s interesting to see the depth that add-ons bring – I’m most interested in what late-game add-ons will look like. I expect there will be decent depth. These games primarily trade on atmosphere and feel, i.e. having a feel-good factor, a warm and fuzzy hug within the game. But the depth is also welcome. At first glance, this is truly the most fun Mario RPG in years, on almost every level – and I can’t wait to play the final game.
Mario & Luigi: Brotherhood will be released on Nintendo Switch on November 7th.
