Mario & Luigi: Brothership Review

The Mario & Luigi series has long been a staple of the Mario franchise, loved for its mix of RPG mechanics, humour, and quirky charm. The latest entry in the series is Mario & Luigi: Brothership, the first of the titles to come to a home console and introduces new gameplay elements and an updated look. Aimed at both long-time fans and newcomers, this title builds on the earlier games in the series like Superstar Saga and Bowser’s Inside Story and is sure to be a fun time. I can’t wait to see if it feels like a worthy addition to this series or if this latest entry misses out on capturing that same magic.

From the moment the game begins, Brothership feels familiar yet fresh, with a visual style that upgrades the classic look of its predecessors. Mario and Luigi are quickly thrust into a new world when they are pulled into a vortex that separates them and drops them into an all-new place. Mario finds himself on a beach and learns that this is not only a different world, but an alternate universe. This new world, Concordia, had been fragmented into various islands when the Uni-Tree was destroyed, breaking up the continent. The brothers' primary task is to restore these islands and combine them by reactivating the connection on each island by channelling a magical energy known as Connectar.

The platforming sections are handled with simple controls: Mario moves with the left thumbstick, and the jump button is used for both attacking and dodging enemy attacks. The game rewards players who time their hits and dodges perfectly, which reminds me of playing Super Mario RPG. Jumping and hammering are primarily used to hit enemies, but there are other attacks available like shells that cost battle points to use, but inflict more damage if they are well-timed and can also provide other benefits like making the enemy you hit dizzy and unable to attack.

One particularly notable feature is the way the brothers work together in combat. Each brother has their own unique stats, with Mario being stronger in offence and Luigi having more health and defence. You control them separately in battle, but their attacks are always coordinated. The tag-team nature of these attacks is satisfying and adds depth to the combat system. Additionally, each brother has special moves that can be activated with their respective buttons (A for Mario, B for Luigi).

This floating world is interconnected, with new paths and shortcuts opening up as you connect more islands to the Uni-Tree on Shipshape Island. When you successfully restore power to a lighthouse on an island, a blue pipe is created, enabling you to fast-travel between connected locations. You’ll also encounter various side characters who provide deeper backstories, adding a surprising layer of depth to the game. These side stories are often quite detailed, making you care about the other people you encounter.

The enemies and battles in Brothership can be approached strategically. You can launch a pre-emptive strike if you manage to sneak up unnoticed behind enemies, giving you a chance to deal damage before the battle even begins. You have a variety of attacks to use like jump, hammer, and shell attacks that you know from the earlier titles and stat-boosting items that allow you to customise your approach to combat. The brothers also have special moves like Bro Ball or UFO where they spin together in the air to cross large gaps for when you are exploring the islands; they are incredibly useful for the platforming sections. In addition, the brothers can pick up objects and interact with the environment in unique ways. Mario and Luigi can also activate special blocks and switches with their respective abilities, adding variety to the puzzle-solving aspects. Speaking of puzzle-solving, Luigi has a special ability that he can use called “Luigi Logic” where he thinks outside the box and figures out a solution to an issue you are currently having. My favourite is when he uses this in a boss battle to think of creative ways to use items in the environment to deal massive damage to the enemy.

The addition of “Battle Plugs” adds an extra layer of strategy to combat. These plugs can block enemy projectiles, heal you, or increase damage output. They are created using resources like Sprite Bulbs, which you collect during exploration. While these plugs can be powerful, they require some planning as they can only be used a limited number of times before needing to recharge. The best part is that they can be swapped in the middle of a battle based on what you need for that fight. This feature adds an extra layer of depth to combat, and having an iron ball on an enemy’s head after a well-timed jump attack was great.

Despite the improvements, Brothership does suffer from some repetition in terms of enemy encounters and puzzle design. As mentioned, some islands have you fighting smaller foes where enemies seem to appear in almost identical groups, leading to moments where the player feels caught in a loop. These repetitive battles can feel tedious, especially in the later stages of the game when grinding for experience points is necessary to level up the brothers to improve their stats. Or the other notable frustration occurs on Florall Island, where platforming challenges become quite difficult. You need to time the jumps perfectly for both brothers. Since you are controlling Mario, if Luigi happens to fall, instead of him being pulled back to your location, you will be taken to where he is. This gets quite frustrating when you are trying to make your way up a cliff…

While exploring, you can collect special items and "Lumenade," which is used for various upgrades later in the game. These items are often earned by completing side tasks, playing mini-games that have you dancing in a rhythm-based dance competition, or fishing for items to use to craft new weapons. It's worth exploring every nook and cranny of the islands, especially when you can get special items like gloves and trinkets made to power-up the brothers.

Brothership has a 3D, hand-drawn, art style that feels like right at home with the other titles in the Mario & Luigi RPG series. The visual upgrades to the series are clear, with more detailed environments and character models, along with smoother animations during both exploration and combat. The characters are animated with a cartoony flair, with Mario and Luigi maintaining their signature moves and expressions. While the dialogue is minimal — mostly consisting of sounds like “Yippee!” or “Let’s go!” — the overall goofy tone is lighthearted and fun. I played the title both in docked and handheld mode and I never had any issues with the frame rate, it felt like it ran very smoothly. Like other Mario titles, the soundtrack is another standout feature, with each island you visit having its own unique music that complements the setting and atmosphere. The tunes are catchy and upbeat, adding to the sense of adventure as you travel from one island to the next.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership is a vibrant and charming game that has you exploring a variety of islands and introducing fresh mechanics to solve puzzles and complete tasks in each of the areas. I’m a huge fan of the tag-team combat, and the variety of attacks the brothers can do together to take down the enemies that they encounter while exploring. The biggest drawback is that the game suffers from some repetitive elements, and takes a lot longer to complete than you would expect. Around the 25-hour mark of playing, I felt that the game could have wrapped up at that point.

Overall, Mario & Luigi: Brothership is a fun addition to the series that is worth checking out. It channels like the other titles’ that came before it with its lighthearted humour, tag-team style battle system, and has great cameos from other characters you know from the Mario universe. It would have been neat if you were able to play this title cooperatively with another person, each controlling one of the brothers, but either way, it’s still a fun experience if you are playing on your own. If you’re a fan of the other Mario RPGs or looking for a fun, quirky adventure, Brothership delivers. Be prepared for some grinding and repetitive battles along the way. If you are expecting the adventure to wrap up in 25 or so hours, be prepared to put in around 40 hours if you choose to complete all the side quests!