Mario and Luigi Series Brief History
The Mario & Luigi series is a collection of RPG published by Nintendo, originally developed by AlphaDream before the studio’s bankruptcy. As a spin-off from the Super Mario series, it features the iconic brothers, Mario and Luigi, embarking on adventures in unique worlds, typically battling new antagonists. The series debuted in 2003 with Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga for the Game Boy Advance, and its most recent original title, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, launched for the Nintendo 3DS on December 3, 2015. A new entry, Mario & Luigi: Brothership, is scheduled for release on November 7, 2024, for the Nintendo Switch. Additionally, Superstar Saga and Bowser’s Inside Story were remade for the 3DS, with the latter marking the final game by AlphaDream before the company closed in 2019 from going bankrupt.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership Overview
“All hands on deck for an island-hopping adventure starring Mario and Luigi! The brothers return for a brand-new adventure on the high seas! When the Uni-Tree is destroyed and the world of Concordia is broken apart, Mario and Luigi must try to reconnect a fractured world, one island at a time.”
Early Gameplay Impressions
Everyone who was invited to the preview event played through missions on two early-game islands, Twistee and Merrygo. Seafaring aboard Shipshape Island adds a unique element of exploration. You can control the speed of the ship.
- More NPCs will be added to the ship and that includes different vendors.
- On the front of the ship, you will find a canon and telescope that will launch you to each island that you find.
Charming Design and Attention to Detail
Water-electricity theme is prevalent, with socket-faced NPCs and enemy designs like jumper-cable-themed Snaptor birds. One of the best things Nintendo has done this generation is bring their characters to life Mario and Luigi’s exaggerated reaction animations add humor, such as “no” gestures and hyped-up dances. The game’s humor and charm shine, and we can finally experience this series on the TV not just handheld. The little dance after finding an island is such a small detail but one that had me smiling. It’s those details that make you feel like they are on this adventure.
Premise of Mario and Luigi Brothership
The storyline of Mario and Luigi Brothership emphasizes kindness and community-building as the brothers reconnect on isolated islands. More socket-people settle on Shipshape and unlock new gameplay elements like side quests and ship upgrades. There seems to be so much here and I am getting so excited about losing myself in this adventure.
Examples of Early Missions
- Reuniting a young poetess with her mother.
- Escorting a shopkeeper through a dangerous area. She is terrified of bugs and you will need to make sure you don’t touch any of them or it will reset your run. You also need to hand her off to the other brother if you need to move up on a platform, cause you can’t jump while holding her. Upon returning her to the shop she gives you a quest item.
- Helping a groovemaster with a hair wax dilemma.
- Striking a deal with an engineer to find Princess Peach.
RPG Mechanics
- Familiar turn-based combat system with returning elements like Bros. Attacks.
- New players can easily grasp the system, though mastering it may require trial and error.
New Battle Feature: Battle Plugs
The Battle Plugs are craftable advantages and buffs activated under specific conditions and allow for strategic combinations and more complex battle tactics. This may take time to get accustomed to but promises to enhance gameplay depth. As somewhat of novice with RPG I love when techniques can be buffed and moves can become more powerful or even chained together.
Luigi’s Role: Luigi Logic
Luigi has a special ability called Luigi Logic, allowing creative problem-solving. One example turned the brothers into a UFO to cross a gap. While some tasks were simpler like smashing rocks or retrieving items. Luigi’s ingenuity has exciting potential and I can’t wait to see just how goofy he gets with this mechanic.
My Impressions of Mario and Luigi Brothership
Seeing this game for the first time I wasn’t sure it was gonna be for me. I had never played any of the Mario and Luigi games so there was no real pull to the series. When I see RPG I immediately think about the time investment and that always worries me. I have a backlog of Paper Mario games as it is, but I could see this game was special. Something was happening in this game that Nintendo has done such an amazing job with this generation and that is bringing the main characters to life. Mario Odyssey, Luigi’s Mansion 3, Legend of Zelda Echoes of Wisdom, and Super Mario Wonder just to name a few. This game oozes charm, the facial expressions, and the little dances when the bros find an island all bring so much life to the game.
Trying Mario and Luigi for the first time
After seeing all the previews and overview trailer I don’t want to miss out on this one. I am also jumping into the Mario and Luigi Super Star Saga tonight to get a feel for the series. November 7th can’t get here soon enough and I can’t wait to lose myself in Nintendo’s main holiday title. Is this series special to you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
