Mario & Luigi: Brothership

Disappointing Nintendo RPG with bad dialogue and overbearing handholding. Only combat stands out.

A worthy if not series-best entry whose standout idea is the island-hopping ship hub, sending you somewhere new every hour or so with self-contained stories, joyous set pieces, and charming Luigi Logic puzzle sequences. The two-brother combat is fun but grows repetitive over a long game, and the stop-start cutscenes and quirky fail-to-unlock-easier-mode accessibility design grate, yet it still brims with the color, wit, and invention the RPGs are loved for.

The best Mario & Luigi RPG to date, taking the turn-based series to new heights with a high-seas adventure full of inventive variety and surprises. Combat is the standout, deepened by the new battle plug system, flashy Bros. moves, and an expressive art style. The expansive Concordia ocean world and clever island puzzles impress, though the writing and bland supporting cast drag, and random encounters are unavoidable.

A delightful, pleasant surprise that captures pure Nintendo charm across a wide variety of bite-sized, uniquely themed islands, with engaging timing-based combat, flashy Bros. attacks, fun mini-games, and surprisingly emotional side quests. Top-tier level and world design plus a brilliant soundtrack round out a generous 30-40 hour adventure. The main blemish is sub-30fps performance on the Unreal Engine that introduces slight stutter, alongside a minor combat-control quirk around the B button and recharging plug-ins for offensive QTEs.