Mario & Luigi: Brothership (2024)

Note: good entry, not even halfway through and I have problems:

Performance is not great across systems, I have a Lite so it's not gonna be the best, but I noticed the same issues on the OLED.

It's LONG, but half the time you're wandering on the water to get to the next island, think of a long loading screen but you can actually do stuff in game.

Pros: the intro was damn fire and the story is pretty great too!

The animations are fantastic and the combat/gameplay is the same as all other entries just cooler.

But the framerate really....drags the score down.

Finally finished this game. While I agree with the general consensus that this is not the best entry in the franchise, I don't think it is a bad entry. In fact, I think it has a lot going for it. Not only is the animation fantastic, but I really like this direction that Mario games in general (this one alongside Super Mario Bros Wonder) are going with the expressiveness and character in every detail. This game also manages to make something that other RPGs fail to do: make the characters feel like they care for each other DURING gameplay and not only during the cinematics. In every move in combat and outside of combat you are reminded that Mario and Luigi trust and depend on each other. That is, of course, a staple for the Mario & Luigi franchise, but deserves praise for the great implementation regardless.

Now, I do agree that the game does feel simultaneously too broad and too shallow. It is slow paced and too long, with a lot of uninteresting side quests that don't feel all too necessary. I think this game would benefit from being a bit more linear with less backtracking. It also feels like the developers were not comfortable delving deeper into the mechanics they establish. But for being new developers in the franchise, I am surprised by how good it came out and I am looking forward to what they will do next if allowed to continue working on this franchise.

I've been playing this (about 7 hours in) and while the game has issues, overall I'm having a blast. The battle system is a joy; I love discovering the enemies' patterns and parrying in real time. The music is fantastic; some of the best in Mario's Switch output. And while the story is overly simple, some of the writing is charmingly so.

I saw that IGN 5/10, and I agree with a lot of their criticisms.* The game is very easy, and the story is very simple, and the designs of the electric people are not distinct enough. However, all the stuff I enjoy about it is completely overshadowing any minor frustrations. Also, while RPGs do have a difficulty level attached to their intended path, just don't follow that path. I just don't upgrade my equipment, and the boss fights put up a challenge. I actually end up thinking strategically with my mushrooms and whatnot. It's not hard to make an easy RPG hard if you want.

*The one criticism I can't speak to is the issue of if the game overstays its welcome. I'm ~7 hours in and I don't think I'll be begging for the game to end in 30 hours, but we'll see.