Mario and his just-a-bit-goofy sibling, Luigi, have been running around in RPG-like spinoff games for a while now. The newest entry is called Mario & Luigi: Brothership. And while this title was developed by a new group of gamemakers who step up with a few fresh ideas in mind, Brothership still tends to float through very familiar waters.
Things set sail as the brothers get swooped up in a mysterious whirlwind that transports them to a domain called Concordia. The residents of this electricity-focused world—filled with characters who generally have plugs or power outlets for faces—find themselves in need of some help. It seems that a nefarious entity has killed the continent’s unifying connector, a Unitree. And that’s caused the land masses to drift apart into a large group of separate, powered-down islands.
The locals actually need a talented pair of electricians, but they’ll make do with a pair of Italian plumbers. It’s up to Mario and Luigi to launch themselves via cannon to the nearby islands and, one-by-one, to find a way to reconnect and pull all the pieces back together. If they can do that, the residents assure them they’ll figure out a way to get the brothers back home.
The various islands represent this game’s stages, of course. Naturally, Mario and Luigi roam through a variety of diverse challenges. They’ll explore small open worlds and environmental puzzles and obstacles; climb and platform through areas; find treasure chests and prizes; take on cartoony foes and bosses; and find a way to reconnect the island back to its homeland. (Along the way, Brothership also delivers a light, eco-friendly message.)
The RPG combat skirmishes here are where the designers add a few new tweaks to the gameplay. As in the past, these battles involve a combination of attacks, blocks and dodges mixed with platforming bops. This go ’round, it requires timed button presses to get Mario and Luigi bopping and firing on all cylinders.
This is a single-player-only game (with no online connection or co-op play), so a gamer must control both of the brothers with their own button faces. And if players can learn how to time their button mashes properly, the brothers perform attack combos wherein they jump, flip and toss each other acrobatically into the air. It’s a fun brotherly interplay addition that also carries over into how Mario and Luigi explore the islands and solve puzzles.
Speaking of puzzles, it should be noted that those challenges are all very approachable. And for any tykes needing assistance, there are lots of NPC bystanders looking on who’ll quickly offer up a few tips.
One other new game mechanic comes in the form of Luigi’s “logic leaps.” At certain stopping points, this usual second fiddle of a bro might stir up a fresh idea on a given objective. With a button press, Luigi then gets to step briefly out on his own to demonstrate his inventive puzzle-solving wherewithal.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership is colorful, bouncy and fun. In fact, the game’s stylish artistry delivers a nice, bright blend of classic vibes and new varieties of them. And not only does it promote working together with your siblings, it also nudges young gamers to think positively about the green and beautiful world around them.
There are battles aplenty here. Mario and Luigi bop foes and use thumping dropkicks, hammers and turtle shells to take on bosses and baddies. (Bowser and crew show up here, too.) But while the blows and bops are percussive, there’s nothing messy in the mix.
There are large beasties, spiky creatures and skeletal monsters in the enemy ranks. And some of them shoot cannon balls, lava blobs, magic-like blasts and the like.
The biggest, uh, “caution” might, oddly, be for adult players. While some past games have kept the action and humor brisk, this entry feels a bit slower and geared more toward a younger, slapstick-loving crowd. That’s not a bad thing, especially if this is an entry point for someone new to the franchise, but worth noting.
All in all then, the Italian plumber bros. are back and bopping baddies once more in Mario & Luigi: Brothership. It may not be the best of their RPG adventures together, but this game sails fun and familiar seas.
After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.
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