Switch owners who are fans of both the Super Mario series and the turn-based RPG genre have been eating real good lately. Just within the last year, we've gotten remakes of Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, and now, after nearly a decade of patience, the Mario & Luigi series is finally making a grand return for an all-new adventure. After getting the privilege from Nintendo to play through the game early, let's set sail and discover if Mario & Luigi: Brothership is a shipshape successor to the adored spin-off series or if it should be thrown overboard.
To keep things as spoiler-free as possible, this review will not be going over story-specific details outside of what was mentioned in our preview. However, the narrative goes far beyond Mario and Luigi finding themselves on the split-apart land of Concordia and working together with its citizens to re-link the separated islands. Although it takes a while to really get going, higher-stakes plot points are introduced as you progress, paired with heartwarming and/or comedic text dialogue that's exemplified by the unique cast of characters, both friendly and villainous, that radiate personality and charm. With a more than satisfying conclusion, Brothership has one of the best narratives in a Mario & Luigi game that we've seen to date.
Shipshape Island is the main hub area of Concordia that connects all of the linked islands together. Here, you can use a map to change the constantly moving trajectory of the ship to travel along a current to undiscovered islands. The order of islands that you visit is mostly linear for the purposes of the main story, with more currents unlocking as more islands are linked, but there are some instances when you're given an option of which to go first. After successfully linking a new island, you can travel to and from them freely using a warp pipe for the purposes of exploration, to obtain useful items you might not be able to find elsewhere, and partake in side quests, but be warned, as some side quests are only available for a limited time.
Each island has something new to discover, with the main goal being to get to the 'Connectar Plug' so Mario and Luigi can connect it back to Shipshape Island. Doing so is no easy task, as you'll need to navigate enemy encounters, solve environment-based puzzles, and interact with the island residents accordingly. With a fixed camera angle and full movement control of Mario, Luigi automatically follows closely behind, but you can control both brothers' jumps and attacks independently. Using 'Luigi Logic' with the press of a button when applicable, Luigi can also be guided to pick up objects, step on buttons, and help with other various tasks. In addition, you'll also unlock 'Bros. Moves' that allow the duo to transform into things like a UFO to float (for short distances) across platforms or a rolling ball to fit through tight spaces. These mechanics create for some fun and interesting puzzle design that requires careful thought in order to solve in the later areas.
While RPGs can be quite overwhelming for those inexperienced with them, Mario titles are traditionally some of the most accessible video games out there. Therefore, the Mario & Luigi series (and Brothership in particular) manages to find the perfect balance to appeal to the most hardcore RPG fans while also simultaneously being a good introduction to the genre. The tradeoff is that the battle mechanics are slowly introduced and not all available to use from the start, but the result is a gradual increase in difficulty that feels natural. Furthermore, there is the option to lower the difficulty of a particular battle after getting a Game Over multiple times, which can come in handy if you start to become frustrated, especially during the lengthier boss battles. Save Blocks and autosaves are also plentiful, so you don't have to worry about losing progress.
Mario and Luigi each have their own stats, including: HP (health points), BP (battle points), Power, Defense, Speed, and Stache (luck). Stats can be improved by wearing different types of gear that can be earned for completing side quests, bought from island shops using the coins you've collected, or even crafted at the Shipshape Island workshop using materials dropped by enemies. Earning EXP and leveling up both brothers is also a surefire way to increase your stats, encouraging you to take on as many enemy encounters that you come across. It can be a bit annoying when an enemy you didn't want to fight charges towards you and initiates a battle, but there are no restrictions for fleeing (except in boss battles) if you're low on health or just focused on another objective. After Mario and Luigi level-up a certain number of times, they will also eventually rank-up, rewarding you with a selection of stat bonuses to help you during battle.
Battling enemies in Mario & Luigi: Brothership is turn-based, but unlike most other RPGs, there is never a dull moment. Although easier said than done, by using proper reflexes and pattern memorization you can always counter an enemy attack. Mario and Luigi each have their own turn, during which, you can either use some of your limited BP to use a powerful 'Bros. Attack', or perform a standard Jump or Hammer attack, depending on the enemy in question (you don't wanna jump on one that has a spike on their head, for example). Initiating an attack is only the first step though, as you'll then need to time button presses as indicated on screen to deal the most amount of damage possible. Even though the game runs at a capped 30fps, I didn't have any issues with timing, and it's always satisfying to successfully execute attacks and counters.
Attacks aren't the only thing Mario and Luigi can do on their turn during battle though. Using items you've gathered, like Mushrooms to recover HP, Syrup Jars to restore BP, and 1-Ups to revive a KO'd party member is also incredibly important. Additionally, Battle Plugs are a newly introduced mechanic that adds many different possible passive abilities, such as increasing the amount of damage of an attack, making counters easier, or preventing status ailments like burn and ice. New types of Battle Plugs can only be created outside of battle using Sprite Bulbs that are found around islands during exploration, but they can be swapped freely during battle as well. Starting out with two, the amount of Battle Plugs you can have equipped at once is dependent on how many Power Taps you have, with more unlocked as you play through the game. Each Power Plug has a number of charges it can be used for and a number of recharge turns it takes until you can use it again. Managing all of your resources carefully is always the key to victory, and never gets old throughout the 30+ hours of gameplay.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership is an exceptional adventure that's just as much about the journey as it is the destination. Whether you're new to the series or have played every Mario & Luigi game up to this point, the captivating narrative with well-written and comedic characters is sure to keep you thoroughly engaged as you travel from island to island to help reconnect the land of Concordia. From the brain-stimulating puzzles to the extensive RPG battle mechanics, there is a boatload of fun to be had around every turn. Don't miss out when Mario & Luigi: Brothership launches for Nintendo Switch on 7th November 2024.
9/10
A copy of Mario & Luigi: Brothership for review purposes was provided by Nintendo UK.
