Mario & Luigi: I used to play Mario & Luigi RPG on the Nintendo DS long ago. Mario and Luigi’s deft use of button mapping to mix their controls with each other made it seem as though you were traveling an adventure with both of them.
Just when the Nintendo Switch seems to be nearing the end of its life cycle, it is getting a new Mario & Luigi game. The game is a pleasant little diversion, but the graphics performance exposes the Switch’s shortcomings.
The Switch is in a tough spot right now. Good games continue to come, but Nintendo has already admitted that a Switch 2 will be released next year. In the meantime, Switch games feel like they’re holding the fort for the console’s arrival, along with a possible slew of new games designed specifically for it.
As much as I’ve enjoyed the hours I’ve spent with Mario & Luigi: Brothership so far, it’s a very familiar concept for Nintendo. There have been plenty of turn-based RPGs with time-based mechanics on the Switch, from Paper Mario: Origami King to the remake of Paper Mario and the Thousand Year Door.
However, this is the first Mario & Luigi game since Bowser’s Inside Story on the Nintendo 3DS in 2018, so fans of that particular series are probably excited that it’s back. But for me, the Mario & Luigi and Paper Mario games share a lot of play styles and a quirky sense of humor, so the absence doesn’t feel that long.
Brothership has an interesting setup: a giant island-shaped ship sails across the ocean, discovering other lost islands in an attempt to reconnect the enchanting world of Concordia.
The voyage of discovery across the ocean reminded me a little of the classic The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, although the way the ship sails on the track-shaped currents to find new areas was also reminiscent of the old Nintendo DS Zelda game Spirit Tracks (deep cut there!).
This game is mostly about finding islands, discovering the secrets and challenges on each island, and collecting upgrades and new battle skills for Mario and Luigi as you wander around the 3D islands and complete some puzzling platforming. The battles that are triggered when an enemy gets close to you can get tiring after a while.
I felt the same way with the turn-based battles in Origami King. Sometimes I just want to progress and find the next island or the next interesting boss fight. The story and the discovery are what interest me, not the battles.
Brothership’s relaxed style lends itself well to playing in small chunks along the way, and so far nothing feels too incredibly challenging. What is a little disappointing is the game’s framerate at some moments. Particularly in moments that otherwise feel like 3D cutscenes from a Mario and Luigi animated movie, there are stutters.
It’s all playable, but it’s the kind of compromise I’ve gotten used to with some recent games on the Switch. The 7 year old hardware has had a great run, but it’s time for a console upgrade that can make these games shine even more.
Am I in love with Brothership so far? Not really. Am I enjoying playing it? Definitely. Much like a solid book you can lose yourself in, it serves its purpose. But it also feels a little forgettable amidst a huge selection of great Nintendo Switch games.
I found Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom to be more my style, but Brothership is another really good RPG in a line of impressively deep Nintendo RPGs already available on the Switch. Do we need another one? I don’t, but it’s hard to complain.
I just hope Brothership and many other current Switch games get nice upgrades when Nintendo finally announces the next-gen Switch sometime next year.
