| Platform | OVERALL |
|---|---|
| Nintendo DS | 8.70 |
| Overall | 8.70 |
|
After the let down of Mario and Luigi 2: Partners in Time it was great to see the series get back on track with Bowser's Inside Story. The third installment of Mario and Luigi introduces so many new gameplay concepts and ideas while retaining the core mechanics that make the game so much fun. To me it still never reached the magic of playing the first game but the quality of the gameplay makes it a must play DS game. As the title implies this game partially takes place inside Bowser, this is where most of the new gameplay ideas come from. When exploring Mushroom Kingdom you control Mario and Luigi from top down view just like the past two games. But when shrunk down and inside Bowser's body the game becomes a side scroller, just don't expect Mario platforming, it still controls like an RPG. The side scrolling levels make great use of Mario and Luigi's combo moves to maneuver around the world and have moments where you need to have Bowser perform certain actions like drink water to flood his body which allows Mario and Luigi to swim. Bowser is the other half of the game as he now takes center stage in the mushroom kingdom. He has a whole different move set than M&L which allows him to access areas the can't. As I mentioned above the play between what Bowser is doing and how it effects his insides is the central crux of the gameplay and this leads to all sorts of great mini games. When Bowser needs adrenaline for instance Mario and Luigi need to enter an adrenaline pumping mini game which his like a space shooter. There are a ton of these body fuctions that serve as really cool mini games, many making great use of all the DS functions. The amount of gameplay variety in this game is staggering. One of the best new additions is the giant Bowser godzilla fights where you need to turn the DS on its side and have an epic giant battle with a boss. Combat is controlled with the stylus and you have a whole different kind of move set and defense powers than you do in normal combat. I wish there were more of these moments, there are only three I believe. I think one of my biggest complaints with the game is that all these mini games come and go so quick there is no depth to them. When you are 13 hours in and still doing tutorials for new gameplay elements it does get a bit ridiculous, maybe less mini games but mini games with more meat to them would have been better. The combat remains mostly the same as in past games which means it is all about timely button presses. Like before you can boost an attack by hitting the attack button at the right moment during an attack. Defense is done by jumping or or smacking an enemy at the exact moment. Pattern recognition is a huge part of every battle. The combo attacks make use of the DS touch screen in cool ways. Bowser has the same mechanics but his fights are a bit slower. He can inhale certain enemies which sends the enemies down to M&L to battle, I love the interplay between all characters. Most fights are super easy, as long as you dodge attacks well most fights are more tedious than exciting. There is little strategy needed until boss battles. I found myself purposely avoiding fights just cause I found them to take too long and they were all the same after the first time you fight that particular enemy. But as I mentioned before during boss battles every power you have is needed so the combat shines, the game needs more of that. Just like past Mario and Luigi this game has a wicked sense of humor. NPCs in the game are self aware that they are in a video game. Most jokes poke fun at Super Mario and Nintendo tropes. Though this being the third time you kind of know the drill, if this is your first M&L game though you will find it to be hilarious. There are some nice hidden collectables to find around the world and a sort of gladiator arena for all sorts of fun challenges. Expect the game to take 20 hours or so, add another 5-10 hours if you want to do all the side activities. Bowser's Inside Story is another clear example of Nintendo's mastery of gameplay design. The way they make use of every single feature of the DS is amazing. At the same time it also showcases how Nintendo does stick to a good thing a bit too long, sure the gameplay is fantastic but we have played this game before. It is clearly better designed than the second game but it doesn't reach that magic the first game had when this kind of RPG was such a novel concept. |
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Posted by Dvader Wed, 03 Sep 2014 04:11:25
Sat, 06 Sep 2014 12:57:28
It's made by Alpha Dream no? The Hamtaro guys? I don't think they are first party.
Sun, 07 Sep 2014 00:26:44
They only make nintendo games, so they are basically nintendo.
Mon, 15 Sep 2014 11:31:17
Wonder if they are owned or not?
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