Review: Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

The brothers are back, this time in a story unlike any you’ve seen before. It all unfolds inside Bowser. Yup, inside the big brute himself. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen a new Mario game for the Nintendo DS. The Big N is pulling out all the punches, introducing a unique story with plenty of twists and a new evil villain! Does Nintendo deliver a worthy adventure on the pint sized portable? It’s Nintendo, what do you think!

The Story

It’s no secret, Bowser’s a big ol’ pig. So when a mysterious merchant offers him a rare delicious mushroom in the forest to eat, the big brute can’t resist. That small mushroom starts a big adventure. The moment it hit’s Bowser’s stomach, he begins inhaling everything in sight! Trees, boulders, plants, Mario, Luigi, even Princess Peach. It’s up to Mario and Luigi to save the day, and find Princess Peach inside Bowser and get out of the big baddy himself!

Oh yes. There’s one small part we missed. Remember the merchant in the forest. Turns out he wants to rule the Mushroom Kingdom. Feeding Bowser the vacuum shroom was no accident, and he will stop at nothing to make sure Bowser, the Bros, and Princess Peach remain under his control…in his new kingdom.

The Game Play

Mario and Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story plays similar to other Mario RPG games developed in the past. The action is a mix of side scrolling adventure and RPG. While the adventuring aspect of the game carries out as a typical Mario side scrolling adventure, it all changes once you stomp on an enemy. The camera zooms in and you fight the bad guys in a classic RPG style battle. You’ll have the choice to fight, use a special attack or run.

One of the best features which sets this RPG apart from most, is the use of action buttons during battle. As in previous games, you can increase the damage Mario or Luigi dish out by pressing buttons at certain times during your attack. Special attacks will also require that you use the stylus to perform different actions if you want your attack to be successful. I love this feature. It definitely keeps this game from becoming a typical RPG.

This time around you will also be playing as Bowser. In fact the story centers more around Bowser than the plumber brothers. A new minion, Fawful, takes over Bowser’s castle, and is trying to rule the Mushroom Kingdom. You’ll guide not only Mario and Luigi through Bowser, but guide Bowser himself as he tries to get control of his castle back.

How do all the stories tie together/ Well remember, Mario and Luigi are trapped inside Bowser. Any actions they make will affect Bowser. Hit a nerve with a hammer, and Bowser is going to feel it. In fact you can help Bowser get past obstacles by entering different limbs and performing tasks to give him extra abilities.

Bowser’s action can also help or hinder Mario and Luigi. If Bowser takes a sip of water, the brothers will be inundated with water. This can be helpful or a hindrance. Wate rmay make it more difficult to make it though a level, but sometimes it may be needed. The bros may need water to raise a gate. It becomes a bit of a puzzler, deciding what actions all the characters should take to progress through the game.

The Controls

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s the rule Nintendo is following with this title. The big N isn’t monkeying around with controls, rather choosing to stick with the same controls used in previous Mario RPG games for fighting etc. A few new elements have been added however.

You will be switching back and forth between characters continuously. To make it easy Nintendo has designated the top DS screen as Bowsers, and the bottom screen as Mario and Luigi’s.You can switch back and forth and gain control of any character at any time.

When controlling Mario and Luigi, extra care and caution needs to be taken into consideration when timing jumps. You control both brothers at the same time on the screen. The D-Pad moves both brothers together, but you must press both the A and B button simultaneously to get the duo to jump at the same time to make it past obstacles. This takes a bit of practice. Even mid way through the game there were areas where I’d fall into a pit because my timing was lousy. It definitely adds a new challenge.

To mix it up even more, Nintendo added a couple of areas in the games where you need to flip the DS on it’s side to play. A fight between Bowser and his castle (yes, sounds weird but it happens) plays out with the DS tilted. It’s a bit awkward to hold the DS this way, but it adds a unique twist to the game.

The Graphics

Everything about this game screams Mario. The graphics are bright and cheerful, the characters cute and cuddly. One look at this title and you know it’s a Mario game. Yes the DS screens are small, but Nintendo continues to surprise me on what it can pull off on this handheld console.

The Downsides

Only one real issue surfaced as I played through Mario and Luigi: Bowser’s Inside story, and it all comes down to the cut scenes. You can’t skip them! If you take on a boss and lose, you are forced to watch the cut scenes again leading up to the battle. Worse yet, you have to click through all the dialogue that takes place. Argh!

The second issue may not really be an issue at all, but rather typical Nintendo. Either translation is loose, or Nintendo purposely leaves some strange dialogue in the game. Anyone who plays this game will ask the same question. What the hell are Chortles? Fawful, the main villain in this title, continuously laughs and says “I have Chortles!”. He also says a few other things that make no sense. Hard to say if this is purposely put in the game, or a case of poor translation.

The Bottom Line

If you’ve ever played a Mario RPG game before and liked it, well then you’re guaranteed to love this title. The story is funny, the game play unique, and it will keep you entertained right till the bitter end.

If you’re new to the Mario RPG scene, it can take some getting used to. Having to fight enemies every time you stomp them does break up the action. Remember, this is not a side scrolling adventure! It is an RPG. Remember that going in!

Keeping players continuously switching between characters and screens is just plain ol’ clever. And seeing how the actions of Bowser affect Mario and Luigi and vice versa, well that’s just brilliant.

Nintendo has yet another Mario hit on it’s hands for RPG fans. Then again, does it really come as a surprise?

The Good

Fun Story
Solid controls
Unique gameplay

The Bad

Can’t skip cut scenes
Odd translation