The next game in the Mario & Luigi series brings some new changes to the concept, but for the most part, it feels just like its brethren. It’s got the same interactive timed-button-press battle system, the classic sense of humor, and a wide variety of teamwork-based puzzles. The biggest difference in this game is that the dual-screen setup is used to display Bowser’s escapades on the top screen and Mario and Luigi’s on the bottom. Mario and Luigi actually end up inside Bowser’s body, and they find themselves helping him to complete tasks in the “real” world by fooling around with his innards—muscles, arteries, etc. Sound weird? Well, the odd humor is something that’s a staple of the series at this point, and even Nintendo’s official fact sheet acknowledges that.
Speaking of which, there really isn’t a heck of a lot to be said about this game, except for the fact that the demo consisted of four parts. I played through two of them; the two most interesting ones, that is, according to the rep who was available at the time. You can see both of them in our upcoming HD streaming video of the title (soon), but until then, here’s a little more basic information about the game from the fact sheet, which says it as well as any written impressions can:
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Players are in control of two separate storylines. One features Bowser and his efforts to stop an arch-villain from taking over his castle. Meanwhile, inside Bowser, the microbe-sized Mario & Luigi must muscle their way through challenges and keep their nerve if they want to find a way out. They take action to control Bowser from the inside – but without his knowledge.
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Players can switch between storylines at will. What happens inside Bowser affects what he’s doing on the outside. Sometimes Mario & Luigi must solve puzzles and challenges behind the scenes to help Bowser overcome various obstacles and advance the plot.
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Players must make well-timed button presses to enhance their performance during battles and challenges. In some battles, Bowser grows so large that players must turn their Nintendo DS or Nintendo DSi™ system sideways, blow into the microphone or tap on the touch screen with the stylus to keep up with the action.
One notable point during the demo saw Bowser tugging on a rope on the beach… but oddly enough, his muscles don’t work properly when he tries at first. So Mario and Luigi must travel within his body to a certain location where the muscles required for the tugging are located (the arm) and play a strange mini-game where green and red projectiles need to be bounced into the muscle to stimulate it. It’s weird, but it’s fun, and that’s really all that matters.
Keep your eyes peeled for our upcoming video if you want lots more information about the game. Until then, let us know if you’ve got questions and we’ll do our best to have them answered.
