Mario & Luigi: Brothership Review: An enjoyable RPG that doesn’t rock the boat

When AlphaDream closed its doors in October 2019, many fans thought it was the end of the Mario & Luigi RPG series. However, that is clearly not the case, since Mario & Luigi: Brotherhood marks a brand new entry on the Nintendo Switch, with some of the previous developers returning to create this new adventure. Brotherhood manages to carry over some of the most enjoyable features of previous games, including slapstick humor and rhythm-based combat. The result is a largely enjoyable RPG that doesn’t change the formula too much, which should be welcome news for those who missed the series.

Mario & Luigi: BrotherhoodThe name comes from Shipshape Island, the location the brothers call home for much of the game. Shipshape Island is the location of a Uni-Tree seed, which has the power to keep all of Concordia united. The land is mysteriously disconnected and the brothers must travel between islands to reconnect them to Shipshape. Reaching different islands happens as players discover and connect with new currents in the sea. Once an island is found, Mario and Luigi can launch to the location using a cannon on Shipshape Island. If the heroes fail to reach the cannon while the island is in range, they must wait for it to get closer.

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Fortunately, the Toads create an option to speed up Shipshape early in the game, allowing players to speed things up if they’re trying to reach an island further away. Once Mario and Luigi restore the power of Connectar connecting these islands to Shipshape, players will be able to travel freely between locations via Warp Pipe, just like the otherwise separated citizens. In addition to the islands themselves, the seas of Concordia are filled with smaller islets that can be explored, as well as reefs that play a role in one of the game’s side quests.

The central theme works well and adds some interesting story beats as well as side missions for the heroes to complete. As a result of Concordia’s separation, families and friends have also been separated, and players can help reunite them. That adds a little more heart to the story, but there’s also a lot of humor, and the story has plenty of moments that will provoke a chuckle. As noted in our hands-on preview from last monthmuch of the game’s humor comes from the physical mannerisms of the two main characters. Mario and Luigi are silent, but the characters appear more expressive Brotherhood than in any other video game. Their facial expressions help convey their emotions very well, and the slapstick quality is one of the best parts of the game.

Anyone who’s ever played a Mario RPG should have a good idea of ​​what to expect from the battle system. Mario & Luigi: Brotherhood features turn-based combat with rhythm and platforming action. The duo’s attacks deal more damage with timed button presses with commands, and they can avoid most enemy attacks in the same way. This starts out quite simply, with Mario and Luigi working together to make each other’s basic attacks do more damage. Things become more and more complex as the game progresses and as players learn things like Bros. Attacks of Luigi Logic. Missing the beat or pressing a necessary button can quickly prove costly, and the difficulty is manageable, but higher than players might expect. With some moves it can take a few tries to get right, and even with some practice I would slip and get into trouble.

Everything in the world of Mario & Luigi: Brotherhood is inspired by electronics, and that also applies to the combat system. As players get a few hours into the game, they discover a new mechanic called Battle Plugs. Mario and Luigi can create plugs that have different effects in battle, such as reducing the damage done by certain attacks or increasing the damage done to airborne enemies. Only two plugs can be placed in the Power Tap at a time, and they can run out quickly, requiring players to switch and recharge them. This forces players to think carefully about when to use them. If I have one complaint about the system, it’s that Plugs don’t stay in the Power Tap when they’re empty, so even after they’re charged, players have to reconnect them from the menu to use them again. It’s easy to forget that, and as a result I would go long distances without using them.

One of the more interesting elements of Mario & Luigi: Brotherhood is that players are given a handful of opportunities to make choices that shape the overall story of the game. Sometimes it’s as simple as being able to choose the order of the islands you want to visit, but sometimes it’s a bigger deal and can have an impact on the difficulty level. There are even some limited-time side quests, which can only be completed at specific points in the game. Sometimes these side quests add something extra to the story, but other times they simply let the brothers unlock items and gain some extra experience. The game does a great job of letting players know which quests are restricted and which are not, thanks to a handy menu and special color patterns assigned to each mission. The little bit of extra freedom these choices provide is nice, but I found myself pressured to do quests in limited time for fear of missing out on something special.

The presentation inside Mario & Luigi: Brotherhood is especially strong. The graphics don’t quite push the Nintendo Switch to its limits (there are better looking games on the console); However, the developers find multiple ways to impress, from beautiful water effects to beautiful character animations. The music is also delightful, with many songs staying in your head long after a playing session has ended (hopefully they come to Nintendo Music soon). A personal favorite of mine was the winscreen song, and Mario and Luigi’s celebratory animations as they level up are great to see every time.

While the presentation and world are smart, there are times when the character designs fall a little flat. All of Concordia’s residents have faces inspired by electrical sockets, which fits with the overall theme of the game, but it can make the NPCs blend into each other, making some forgettable. Luckily, the design team found some clever ways to separate the cast, and the writing makes a few of them stand out, like the members of IDLE. Fortunately, the enemies don’t have the same problem, as there are some very strong villain designs that are similarly inspired by electronics.

Over the past year, Switch fans have been treated to two of the best Nintendo RPGs in existence, with remasters and remakes of Super Mario RPG And Paper Mario: The Millennial Door. Mario & Luigi: Brotherhood doesn’t quite reach the same heights as those games; there are none striking original characters such as Vivian or Geno, and the overall adventure isn’t all that memorable. That said, the highlights of Mario & Luigi: Brotherhood make the game an easy recommendation, and they serve as a great reminder of why the series was so compelling in the first place. There was a point where these games seemed to come out way too often, but after a long hiatus between new entries, I hope we don’t have to wait another nine years for the next one.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Mario & Luigi: Brotherhood will be released on Nintendo Switch on November 7. For this review, the publisher has provided a code, which was reviewed on a Nintendo Switch OLED.