Brothers can have… complicated relationships. Growing up, my brother and I fought like there was no tomorrow, but whenever I needed him, he would be there to vanquish bullies, fix my bike, or even plug in the NES console because I didn’t know how. As adults, I would do anything to help my brother out, a far cry from how things used to be. The Mario and Luigi series returns after a substantial hiatus since the DS entry and further explores the bonds of brothers in Mario and Luigi Brothership. What’s It Like? Grab your brother, prepare for high voltage, and let’s set sail into this review of Mario and Luigi Brothership.
Mario and Luigi Brothership starts off rather rapidly with Mario and Luigi (as well as other fan favourites) getting sucked into a vortex. They awaken on Shipshape Island, which acts as your main hub. You will eventually meet, Snoutlet, a pig-like creature that will act as your guide in the world of Concordia and sets you on a mission to connect the islands after an event disconnected them all and restore the world back to its former glory. You will have opportunities to influence certain story paths as well by choosing to do one particular thing before another. These aren’t subtle, and you’re usually told what sort of choice you are making from the get-go. You navigate the world on Shipshape island, setting it on an overworld map to follow currents that are connected. As you float on these currents, you will uncover islands to explore and connect, as well as “reefs” which are novelty sightseeing objects that you can report to someone on your island to unlock some extra rewards. While the story may seem shallow on the surface, there’s a lot of exposition to flash out the narrative throughout which builds the lore and motivations of characters, although this can sometimes be a double-edged sword as the game tends to hold your hand a fair bit, taking away some of the discovery, or temporarily holding you back when all you want to do is play.
When you do get to play though, you’re treated to some well-refined light RPG mechanics that cross with a platformer to create a rather exciting hybrid gameplay. You control Mario while Luigi follows faithfully along and you do have some control over him as his actions are assigned to the B button, as well as being able to assign him tasks via the L button. These mechanics work well in the overworld as you can assign Luigi to pluck turnips for coins, smash crates, and also hit buttons to help solve puzzles. Speaking of which, Luigi has a special ability called “Luigi Logic” that will formulate new moves, solutions to world-specific situations, and even during the heat of battle in boss fights. These are usually comical in nature and accompanied by Luigi twirling his moustache deep in thought but also offer up some of the most over-the-top moments in battle that can turn the tide. There are the usual RPG staples like gear and item management, and the more you fight, the stronger you become as Mario and Luigi level up and unlock ever more special moves and abilities. You can also unlock Battle Plugs, which offer small bonuses like extra damage on well-timed attacks, or adding fire or ice elements to increase attack damage.
Combat is handled much like the previous iterations of the Mario and Luigi series in a turn-based RPG battle system. Each brother has their own attack buttons assigned, as well as the ability to dodge or counter attacks. It may take a while to get used to, and I was still making mistakes well into my time with the game, but pulling off combos by successfully executing simple quick time events means as a player, you are engaged at all times. You can also initiate special “Bro” attacks which are ridiculous in nature, and tricky to pull off, yet very rewarding if you do. Defending can also help speed up battles as timing defensive maneuvers carefully can counterattack enemies by stomping their heads or sending projectiles flying back. I never really tired of the combat, although as the story has some backtracking, I wish enemies levelled with you as running into low-level enemies was hardly worth the time and effort.
Mario and Luigi Brothership is a long game, but not necessarily in an entirely good way. Sure, there’s a whole lot of adventure here to enjoy, but there are moments of backtracking and padding out the run time that may make less patient gamers give up before seeing the adventure through. I also found that despite the hand-holding, there were moments that led me to frustration with a lack of direction. One such moment was rather early on in the adventure when attempting to connect the first Great Lighthouse. I was told to make preparations and then depart, but I couldn’t go to the Lighthouse. So I went back to all the islands and did all the side quests hoping to eliminate whatever was blocking me to no avail. Finally, I paused the game in frustration and checked the adventure log which had highlighted a section of Shipshape Island, and I had to talk to some random NPCs to open up the way. This added an extra hour or two to the game time and really dragged on.
Graphically, the new cel-shaded style suits the Mario and Luigi series well. There’s a lot of character and charm in the denizens of Concordia, as well as our superstars who have a wide range of comical emotions and expressions to help make up for their lack of dialogue. Each island is also varied and usually has its own mechanics to learn and tackle. I also liked that most of the islands acted as bite-sized levels, suiting the Switch’s portability, meaning most levels took less than half an hour and weren’t too taxing. I did find there were moments of minor framerate drops, although these were minor and didn’t take away from the gameplay in any way. For my gaming superstars after accessibility, there are no specific options you can toggle, so as always, I recommend further research into finding out if Mario and Luigi Brothership suits your needs.
Mario and Luigi Brothership is a great game, with only a few minor things holding it back from being exceptional. It’s a hefty adventure for those with the time to sink into it, but less patient gamers may find the pacing a bit stilted and the hand-holding frustrating. Its combat mechanics will keep you fully immersed in the heat of battle, and the over-the-top Bro attacks never fail to entertain, while the bite-sized islands can be tackled in less than 30 minutes for the most part. There’s a lot to do and explore while reforming Concordia, and you’ll never be alone with your trusty brother at your side.
So, What’s It Like? Mario and Luigi Brothership is Like the original Mario and Luigi, crossed with Wind Waker.
In the interest of full disclosure, a review copy was provided by Nintendo, but this doesn’t influence my score.
