GameSpot editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Outstanding
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 10/07/2009
- Released on: 09/14/2009
- Originally published on GameSpot: Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (DS) Review
The story in most Mario games boils down to three things: Princess Peach is ransom fodder, the Mushroom Kingdom residents are hopeless at damage control, and Luigi treads that fine line between hero and zero. But though these elements have been in one combination or another in just about every Mario game for more than two decades, Nintendo has almost always managed to put some new spin on the classic Mario formula to keep the games fun and interesting. Case in point: the recently released Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, a fun and funny action role-playing game for the Nintendo DS that tosses Mario's longtime nemesis, Bowser, into the action as a playable character. The odd coupling of hero and surly shelled villain--who you just know is chomping at the bit to smash the mustachioed plumber--makes for not only comedy gold, but also a complete gold-star experience that's definitely deserving of your time and money.
The brothers prepare to do battle with Bowser's lunch.
The game finds the Mushroom Kingdom weathering its latest calamity: a mysterious ailment known as the blorbs, which causes the locals to balloon out to the point where they can't move. Mario and Luigi are called in to help, but when Bowser crashes the party, a series of sitcom-like shenanigans ensue that leave Peach, the brothers, a star sprite, some toads, and some magic pipes inside Bowser's belly. The villain behind it all is Lord Fawful, whom you might remember from Superstar Saga on the Game Boy Advance. He's a resident of the neighboring Bean Bean Kingdom and has designs on a powerful artifact buried beneath Toad Town. Fawful's evil intentions for the Mushroom Kingdom see him hijack Bowser's castle and brainwash the koopa king's minions. This leads Bowser to end up playing the role of unlikely hero in the adventure. His real motive is that he wants to be the only Peach kidnapper and mayhem bringer in town, but given the circumstances, no one's really complaining.
There's plenty of Nintendo's patented good-natured humor, which deftly walks the line between genuinely funny and cheesy as you progress through the story. The storytelling is kept fresh thanks to the inclusion of some new, eccentric faces that allowed the writers to have some fun. Fawful is a chatty, ungrammatical nightmare; Starlow the star sprite is helpful but surprisingly punchy; Bowser is a self-absorbed, impatient but likable jerk; and the two French block people, one of whom is looking for the perfect massage, are as funny as they are bizarre.
As you make your way through the story, your time is divided between controlling Bowser on the top screen and directing the brothers on the bottom screen. You'll usually be able to switch active control of Bowser and the brothers by simply hitting the buttons that correspond to them. The X and Y buttons are used for anything related to Bowser's attacks, while the A and B buttons are tied to the brothers. The control system is smooth and easy to use. This ease of use is a key component to many sequences where you'll have to make Bowser engage in activities to move things around in his guts to let the brothers get by. For example, sometimes you have to direct Bowser to chug water to shift some obstacles in his innards so the brothers can slip by, or position him in front of an X-ray machine to cause certain walls to disappear.
At the start of the adventure, Mario and Luigi are confined to Bowser's insides, which are miniature worlds unto themselves. The koopa king's roomy interior is broken up into areas that correspond to the different parts of his body. Initially, the brothers will spend the bulk of their time inside Bowser acting as his support staff and helping him deal with random physical problems as they arise. For example, you'll have to guide the pair to Bowser's throat and do some work to restore his flame breath. Later in the game, the brothers serve as a medical team and get some resuscitation going when heavy things, such as castles, fall on Bowser, which happens a lot more than you'd think. One of the side benefits of the internal work the brothers do is opening up more powers and abilities for Bowser to use. However, as you get further into the game, circumstances change and the boys are able to move in and out of Bowser's guts courtesy of the magic pipes he swallowed.
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Where to buy
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (DS):
$33.99 - $34.99
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
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$33.99 | Yes |
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$33.99 | No |
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RadioShack.com
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$34.99 | Yes |
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