After nearly a decade since the release of Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam (2015), the future of the Mario & Luigi series has been uncertain for quite some time. With the struggling sales of the 3DS remakes of Superstar Saga (2017) and Bowser's Inside Story (2018) leading to some unfortunate circumstances, all hope seemed lost for the critically acclaimed RPG spin-off series. But despite all odds, it was announced during the June 2024 Nintendo Direct that the iconic brotherly duo are back once again with a brand new entry for Nintendo Switch - Mario & Luigi: Brothership.
When a mysterious vortex transports our heroes to Shipshape Island, they meet a local resident, Connie, who explains to them the history of Concordia; the world in which Shipshape Island resides. At the centre of Concordia used to be home to a Uni-Tree that would connect to the different districts of the land using an energy known as Connectar, but after an unfortunate and catastrophic event where the Uni-Tree was destroyed, the land of Concordia was shattered and separated into numerous islands. With the help of the brothers, a newly planted Uni-Tree, and a flying pig-like companion named Snoutlet, the main objective is to reconnect the islands and restore Concordia back to its former glory, with each island a new area to explore.
Following the superb remakes of Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, it's great to see that Nintendo is once again willing to expand upon the world of Super Mario by introducing a new cast of characters beyond the typical Toads, Goombas, and Koopas. The residents of Concordia all have adorable designs that represent an AC power outlet (I never thought I'd use "adorable" and "power outlet" in the same sentence), with each one having a unique look and personality. Other familiar faces also make an appearance as you progress through the story, including the Star Sprite Starlow, though her previous role as the companion guide for Mario and Luigi has now been replaced by Snoutlet. Mario & Luigi games are known for their clever and witty dialogue, and Brothership definitely lives up to its predecessors. Although voice acting is minimal, the dialogue boxes still make unique, unintelligible sounds; similarly to games like Animal Crossing and Banjo Kazooie. While Mario and Luigi themselves don't speak through text, with Snoutlet doing most of the talking for them, their new voice actor, Kevin Afghani, shows off his vocal talents with not only the expected catchphrases and exclamations, but also humorous Italian-gibberish to represent the characters, just as the wonderful original voice, Charles Martinet, did before.
Since Mario & Luigi: Brothership is a turn-based RPG, the beginning is a bit hand-holdy to make it accessible to newcomers of the genre, teaching you the ropes of the battle system and slowly introducing new mechanics. However, once things start to get rolling, the game becomes much more in-depth and complex. My biggest concern with games like this is always whether or not it will be challenging enough, and I'm happy to report that both proper skill and strategy are required to progress once you get past the earlier areas and all of the abilities are at your disposal. If you're not one for a challenge though, or just not very good at RPGs in general, there's also an Easy Mode option after getting a Game Over twice, and if you're still looking for a more leisurely experience, if you fail a third time, there's also an additional Cakewalk Mode to further lower the difficulty.
There are two types of gameplay in Mario & Luigi: Brothership: the turn-based battles initiated by enemy encounters and the exploration and puzzle-solving of the Concordia islands. As for the turn-based battles, Mario and Luigi function as two separate party members, each with their own turn, abilities, and health bars. The goal is to deplete the health of all the enemies in an encounter before they deplete yours. Using Command Blocks, Mario and Luigi can either flee from the battle, use an item, or perform different kinds of attacks, including a Jump Attack, Hammer Attack, or a special Bros. Attack (which requires BP). With the right timing of button presses, you can execute a satisfying combo to deal extra damage. During the enemies' turn, timing also plays an important role, as Mario and Luigi are able to dodge or counter their attacks if your reflexes are fast enough and you pay close enough attention to their movements. Just about everything you would expect from an intricate turn-based RPG is here, including detailed player stats, EXP to level up, items, gear, status ailments, craftable passive abilities in the form of Battle Plugs, and more, all of which I will go into more detail about in our upcoming review.
During exploration, you control both Mario and Luigi, with Luigi automatically following close behind Mario as you traverse the land. Mario and Luigi can independently jump and attack with the press of different buttons, but you never get full control of Luigi's movement. Instead, you have to use a new mechanic called "Luigi Logic," where you guide him to perform specific tasks, such as picking up an object, but this can only be done while a glow appears around him, which indicates that he has an idea. While Luigi Logic is a fun and intuitive way to control two characters at once, the gameplay almost feels like it was tailor made for co-op. Despite the Switch being the perfect opportunity to introduce multiplayer to a series that was previously only available on handheld consoles, Brothership is unfortunately a single-player exclusive experience through and through.
Brothership is the first Mario & Luigi game to be developed for a dedicated home console, meaning it's also the first time that the series is making the jump to HD, and the result couldn't be more glorious. The wacky, colourful world and cartoonish design and movement of the characters are visually stunning with the new cel-shaded graphics, staying faithful to the art style of the classic games while also drastically updating it for more modern times. If the trailers weren't convincing enough already, just wait until you see how everything pops on the screen of the Nintendo Switch OLED Model. The only downside is that the game only runs at 30fps, but fortunately, I haven't come across any noticeable framerate drops or lag during my playthrough.
Mario & Luigi has never been so back. From what I've played so far, Mario & Luigi: Brothership is not only a worthy revival for series veterans, but also a wonderful, standalone turn-based RPG in its own right, with intricate battle mechanics, compelling original characters, and eye-catching visuals to boot. I still have plenty more of Concordia to explore before I can make a final verdict, but as it currently stands, I haven't been able to wipe the smile from my face while playing, and I can't wait to see what's next. Stay tuned for our review before Mario & Luigi: Brothership sets sail for Nintendo Switch on 7th November 2024.
A copy of Mario & Luigi: Brothership for preview purposes was provided by Nintendo UK.
