Mario & Luigi: Brothershipis a highly-anticipated release, and it’s not hard to see why. As the first originalMario & Luigientry in almost 9 years,the game serves as a long-awaited comebackfor a series whose future was left uncertain following the closure of developer AlphaDream in 2019. It’s certainly a monumental occasion for fans ofMario & Luigi. However, when looking further, it becomes clear thatBrothershipcould be a far more important release than it first seems.
After a rough few years,MarioRPGs have seen a much-deserved renaissance on the Nintendo Switch. Remakes of belovedMarioRPG classics in the past year have served as a way to recapture the magic of this franchise and to show the strengths that these games have to offer.Brothership, the only original entry in this past year, has an important task ahead with the renewed interest from players. Not only must this game continue to carry the essence ofMarioRPGs that make them so beloved, but it must serve as the starting point for a new, ambitious future.
Mario RPGs Were Almost A Thing Of The Past
Nintendo Lost Sight Of The Magic Of Mario RPGs
The past year of new releases isa necessary recognition of a subseries that struggled during the Wii U and 3DS era. Two primary series,Paper MarioandMario & Luigi, struggled with a mix of underwhelming and confusing releases.Paper Mariowas often subject to scrutiny, as titles such asSticker StarandColor Splashdecided to forego ambitious adventures and a variety of unique characters in favor of a more simplistic premise and characters that are a staple of majorMariotitles, losing the magic that the series was built upon.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership Review - The Brothers Are Back In This Light RPG
Mario & Luigi: Brothership is an incredibly fun ARPG where the brothers take center stage to use combined abilities and save the world of Concordia.
Mario & Luigialso suffered from underwhelming releases during this time.2016’sPaper Jamsquandered the potential that came from a crossoverbetween twoMario RPGs, disregarding each series’s established worlds, characters, and enemies in favor of the typical damsel-in-distress plot and exploration through the Mushroom Kingdom that had become tedious in otherMariotitles. The most well-received new game of the era wasDream Team, and it’s been over a decade since its release.
Superstar SagaandBowser’s Inside Storyremakes released in 2017 and 2019 for the 3DS, but both were somewhat overshadowed by the enormous success of the Switch.
Theseries of underwhelming releaseswas indicative of the shift in focus Nintendo was giving toMario RPGs.The primary appeal of these games comes from their often ambitious scope and creativity.Mario RPGs often whisked players to unfamiliar worlds like the Beanbean Kingdom and Rogueport, meeting a slew of new characters with a variety of different personalities alongside unique, menacing threats to encounter. These titles typically contrasted with the mainMarioseries, offering something fresh and challenging the conventions of the greaterMariofranchise as a whole.
Nintendo seemed to lose sight of its appeal during this era. While the moment-to-moment gameplay ofPaper MarioandMario & Luigiremained engaging,later titles resorted to typical tropes of theSuper Mariofranchise, resulting in games with no real heart. During this time, it was easy to feel thatMario RPGs, at least in terms of its ambition and passion, were a thing of the past.
Mario RPGs Have Seen A Comeback On Switch
Remakes Have Recaptured The Magic Of Mario RPGs
Luckily, the fate ofMario RPGs seems to be changing. The Switch era has seen a recent comeback for the beloved series, primarily thanks to remakes of some of the most belovedMario RPGtitles.BothSuper Mario RPGandPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Doorwere remadewith stunning HD visuals, quality-of-life improvements, and beautifully remastered soundtracks.
“A Delightful Rendition of a Historic Treasure”: Super Mario RPG Review
Super Mario RPG brings the fan-favorite classic back with welcome bells and whistles, inspiring players young and old to rediscover this Mario curio.
These remakes feel like morethan simple re-releases. BothSuper Mario RPGandTTYDfeel deliberately chosen by Nintendo due to their status as some of Mario’s greatest RPG entries. Both titles perfectly illustrate the major strengths ofMario RPGs, with ambitious plots and a slew of memorable characters, like Geno and Goombella, that have since become fan-favorites. By adapting these specific titles, Nintendo exhibits an apparent renewedinterest in returning to more ambitious, creativeMarioRPGs.
This renewed interest has clearly paid off. Both remakes have seen huge success, withSuper Mario RPGin particular surpassing the sales of its original SNES version, as represented byNintendo’s financial results for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.These sales are clear proof of the continued love and passion that players have forMarioRPGs, pointing to the need to keep that imagination and creativity alive.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership Could Determine The Future Of Mario RPGs
Brothership Seems To Be Heading In The Right Direction
With the remakes throwingMarioRPGs back into the limelight, there’s a lot riding on the release ofMario & Luigi:Brothership. As the only originalMario RPGentry releasing in the past year,Brothershiphas the gargantuan task of setting the path forward for the future of the franchise.Brothershipmust prove that the imagination and creativity of theMario RPGgames is still present, while also having the potential to reach even greater heights.
10 Biggest Changes In Super Mario RPG From The Original
The remake of the Super Mario RPG is pretty close to the original, but there are still several changes and updates that have been made to it.
Thankfully,Brothershipseems to be doing exactly what it needs to. The brothers' latest venture sees the duo hopping across various islands that make up Concordia, a continent filled with a plethora of new friends to be made, alongside a multitude of mysterious enemies to face. Through various promotion videos following its initial announcement, Nintendo has shown howBrothershipeffortlessly captures the spiritof the series, withwonderfully weird and original ideas oozing out of every aspectof the game.
Brothershipalso commits to carving a new path forward for the series. The updated battle system still maintains the same button commands that keep the turn-based combat engaging, alongside new additions such as the Battle Plugs that create a variety of effects.Adding a level of strategy to make the initially simplistic battle system more complexindicatesBrothership’s push to showcase the new places that theMarioRPGfranchise can be taken.
New Mario & Luigi: Brothership Videos Hint At Shocking New Mechanic
New media for Mario & Luigi: Brothership show off new locations and gameplay, but everyone’s wondering about one in-battle mechanic in particular.
There’s an ambition inBrothershipthat hasn’t been seen withMarioRPGs in a long time. The title’s mix of series staples alongside new ideas is assurance for fans that there is a bright future ahead forMarioRPGs, so long as future games continue to recognize the level of creativity that made previous titles so beloved. Nintendo’s own renewed commitment toMarioRPGs means that this franchise could have the revival it truly deserves with games likeMario & Luigi: Brothershipand whatever might come next.
