Mario & Luigi: Brothership aims to be a grander and more ambitious version of the casual RPG franchise, yet this top-heavy vessel ultimately sinks under its own weight.
By Steve Watts on November 6, 2024 at 12:15PM PST
The Mario & Luigi RPG franchise began on the Game Boy Advance, and despite numerous developments over the years, it continues to reflect a bond with its origins. The simple two-button layout of the Game Boy Advance inspired the series’ main feature: Each brother corresponds to a face button and is controlled simultaneously. Even as the franchise has evolved to platforms with more buttons, the fundamental idea has remained anchored in its initial constraints. Now available on the Switch, Mario & Luigi: Brothership appears to consciously strive to break free from these limitations, resulting in an extensive RPG that struggles to maintain its own balance.
In Brothership, various characters from the Mushroom Kingdom are magically transported to a fresh scenario in Concordia—a vast ocean filled with islands that were once part of a single land mass. The Uni-Tree, a type of world tree, functioned as the connection holding all the islands together, but it has suddenly withered, causing the islands to drift apart. With the assistance of a young researcher, you navigate a ship that carries a new sapling of the Uni-Tree, linking the islands and the Great Lighthouses that enhance its energy to unite them once more. Consequently, your ship resembles a tugboat, pulling several islands along as it travels.
This concept brings forth a variety of unique environments and narratives, set within self-contained islands. Some islands may mimic a desert landscape, while others resemble towering corporate headquarters. The Great Lighthouses function as significant dungeons, with each act featuring smaller tales unfolding on the islands, a broader storyline that weaves throughout the region, and ultimately the Great Lighthouse dungeon as the climax of the adventure.
Mario and Luigi are vigilant heroes who assist whenever they can. Though they don’t exchange spoken words, their personalities shine through thanks to the impressive quality of animation. The artistry in Brothership is commendable, blending both new and beloved characters with a straightforward yet impactful visual style that offers a cartoonish fluidity. I found joy in witnessing the gleam in Luigi’s eyes and the varied animations that accompany their landings on diverse islands. A running gag illustrates Mario’s flawless landings compared to Luigi’s comically imperfect arrivals, showcasing a variety of amusing mishaps.
While the islands stand out distinctly, the exploration itself leaves something to be desired. The Mario & Luigi series is not particularly renowned for its platforming mechanics, and Brothership should not be mistaken for a traditional Mario platformer. The controls carry a certain rigidity, occasionally making platforming puzzles feel less natural than they could. Additionally, the game’s focus shifts away from the cooperative dynamic typically associated with Mario & Luigi, placing Mario firmly in the lead role. Luigi finds himself in more of a supporting position, assisting when called upon by tapping the L button to collect resources or aid in solving puzzles. This alleviates some earlier frustrations around timing that required precision from both characters in platforming sections, but it feels unusual to see Luigi predominantly as a sidekick, altering the series’ identity—transforming it into more of a Mario game with Luigi as a special guest.
However, during combat, Luigi shines as an equal partner. Each brother performs their own animated timing-based attacks, and in many boss encounters, Luigi can tap into “Luigi Logic,” unleashing a special stage-based stun that leaves foes vulnerable. This mechanic seems designed to ensure Luigi has an active role, balancing his primarily supporting character in exploration segments. The timing attacks continue to function effectively, allowing players to choose between Jump or Hammer based on enemy traits, introducing a light rock-paper-scissors dynamic. Counterattacks return and can sometimes deliver devastating damage, potentially finishing battles outright. However, with only two characters in the party, players may find themselves caught in a cycle of using revival items on each brother as they confront tougher foes while learning their attack patterns.
The combat system introduces some intriguing new features that enhance the overall experience. One of the key additions is a consistent method of permanent upgrades. Every eight levels, players can choose an upgrade that remains effective for the rest of the game. Options include gaining extra experience from battles or boosting power stats with each level-up. While these upgrades are the same for both Mario and Luigi, they each have their unique strengths, with Luigi excelling in Defense and the Luck-themed Stash stat, for instance.
Another significant aspect of combat is the introduction of Plugs: transformative power-ups that can be equipped via a power-strip-like interface as more outlets are unlocked. These Plugs can provide various benefits, such as creating a blast radius with an Excellent rating on timed attacks, restoring items after use, or offering heightened resistance to specific status effects. Each Plug has a finite number of charges before entering a recharge phase, but their recharge timing can be influenced by other Plugs. This system is reminiscent of Materia from Final Fantasy 7, where nodes could be configured for powerful abilities, but Plugs are even more flexible since they can be swapped mid-battle without forfeiting a turn.
Despite these exciting additions, Plugs highlight a critical issue with the pacing of Mario & Luigi: Brothership. The Mario & Luigi series is known for being fully realized RPGs, typically lasting about 25 hours. However, Brothership aims for a longer gameplay experience that it struggles to maintain. The Plugs mechanic only becomes available nearly ten hours into the game, by which time combat has begun to lose its excitement. While the introduction of Plugs was a welcomed change, it would have been preferable to implement them earlier to prevent the game from feeling repetitive.
The pacing concerns are further magnified as the game unfolds. Towards the conclusion, there’s a mandatory story quest that leads to a decision that could render the quest itself pointless. Players are frequently required to revisit several islands they have already explored. Two nearly identical boss fights occur in quick succession, adding to the monotony. Traveling by sea can become laborious, even with a faster sailing option, and small islands lack fast-travel capabilities, necessitating manual navigation. Additionally, when a new plot element emerges, the humor in the writing significantly sharpens, featuring several genuinely funny moments and dialogues, but it takes around 30 hours to experience this improvement. Overall, this leads to a feeling that the game does not adequately value your time. To compound these issues, the performance deteriorates late in the game, with noticeable frame rate drops, ultimately leaving a disappointing impression.
It is particularly disheartening because, at its essence, Brothership conveys a charming yet straightforward tale about unity and human connections. The islands have been torn apart and isolated, leading to the greater danger of a widespread feeling of loneliness. There is even an unexpectedly bright visual theme concerning screen addiction and how it might hinder individuals from forming meaningful relationships. While it’s a lovely narrative, it certainly doesn’t require an extensive 50 hours to tell.
The extended length may stem from an intention to develop an expansive, substantial RPG; however, it ultimately highlights the simplicity present in every aspect of the game. When stretched over such a long duration, exploration becomes monotonous, combat seems redundant, and the story fails to maintain its momentum. Mario & Luigi: Brothership is thoughtfully crafted and contains some impressive concepts, but by seeking to surpass the boundaries of its handheld origins, it overreaches beyond what it can manage.
