Playing A Game Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story NDS

So I guess Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story has been on my backlog for about eight years. I'd totally forgotten about it.

And considering my fond memories of Superstar Saga and less-than-fond ones of Partners in Time, this installment is ... well, it's pretty okay.

  • The light-hearted storytelling and strangely-Italian miming are still somewhat charming (especially now that Bowser's in on it). But the larger plot seems silly and unstructured, more like I'm following dots on a map than like I'm actually on a mission.
  • The timing-based combat moves are fun, and keep gameplay more interesting than just selecting the right attack (i.e. not jumping on a spiny shell). But learning an enemy's tells can be frustrating, particularly when they're in dinky little details like a left-eye versus right-eye wink.
  • Other RPG aspects, like equipment and stat points, don't feel all that important. I mean, leveling up definitely makes a visible difference in overall power; but the finer details aren't that impactful, so far.
  • And then there are the overworld puzzles, and the bros' special moves like Luigi smushing Mario with a hammer so he can walk under short ceilings. This was one of the coolest parts of Superstar Saga; but until a genuinely new ability shows up, it's feeling a little over-familiar.

The aspect of switching control between Bowser (in the Mushroom Kingdom) and the bros (inside Bowser) hasn't come up much so far. There is some real promise in how Bowser's vacuum move can make a battle span both perspectives; but at least so far, they don't really integrate with each other all that much.

If I had played it when it was new, I'd probably be a lot more impressed. And it's not like I'm down on the game, exactly. It just hasn't "grabbed" me yet.

Progress: Plack Beach