[Game Review] Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (DS)

Wow. I can't believe it's been so long since I've done one of these. It feels really awkward writing this seeing as it's been well over a month since the last. And when you take into consideration that I never did finish The Diabolical Box. . . Ah, well. No one's perfect. Not even this game. But it sure puts in a good effort. Now without any further ado(and by ado, I mean rekindling the awkwardness between me and those reading this), let us continue on to my psuedo-formal review I've got prepared for you guys!

Storyline

AHHH! IT'S THE BLORBS! Hah, so much for not being awkward. But I suppose if you haven't played this game yet you don't know why I'm laughing right now. I really don't want to say much about the story for a couple of reasons though, to be honest. One reason being that there really isn't a lot there to talk about without spoiling something and another being the little that is there can be pretty genius. It's not that Bowser's Inside Story has a strong plot, rather it has a neat premise with fun dialogue. But of course, being that it's a Mario game there are glaring plot holes(like the lack of an explanation for traveling between bowser and the world via pipes!) Not that it really matters. But you can't really be surprised by my score for this section.

Score: Slightly Above Average 7/10

Gameplay

Perhaps the best thing the Mario & Luigi has to offer is it's constant ability to combine refined, interactive gameplay whilst incorporating new mechanics throughout the series to keep things interesting. I find it increasingly impressive that Mario & Luigi have made it through three games without feeling the slightest bit redundant. Similar to its predecessors, Bowser's Inside Story is an adventure RPG game starring the dynamic duo of plumbers known as Mario and Luigi. The adventure aspect of the game includes two large, explorable worlds with enemies, items and hidden areas to discover, while incorporating many platforming elements such as timed jumps and other moves the bros learn throughout their adventure. However, the combat system of the game maintains being turn based but incorporates timing into both attacking and defending or avoiding the enemies attacks. It is almost like an action RPG, only with turns. Sounds weird? Well, probably not if you've already played a previous game in the series.

One thing that is different in this game as opposed to the rest of the series though is your control of Bowser. While this technically isn't the first time Bowser has starred as a playable character in a Mario game, I'm fairly certain it's the first time Bowser stars as a world for Mario & Luigi to explore. And it's not just that you explore the insides of Bowser but you actually end up playing a lot of little minigames inside of him, such as tapping bits of food as Bowser swallows it to digest it. And despite Bowser's unawareness, you actually work together a lot to fight a common enemy in the end. As for controlling Bowser himself, only one thing really stood out to me as awesome, but I don't want to spoil it(you'll know what I'm talking about the first time it happens.) Other than that, Bowser just punches, breathes fire and performs other moves that overall feel a bit uninspired, yet not too disappointing. One last thing I want to mention that I almost forgot is that if you enter a battle as Bowser, some enemies can actually be swallowed for Mario and Luigi to fight. I thought this was actually pretty innovative, but like I said, it's not the most impressive thing you'll see Bowser do in this game.

To be honest, I could spend a whole lot more time talking about the gameplay of this game, but instead I'm not going to spoil every little detail. I want you to explore this game and all of its little surprises as I did. Because they developers of Bowser's Inside Story did a really good job on innovating a lot of classic aspects of both Mario games in general and the Mario & Luigi series as a whole.

Score: Almost Perfect 9/10

Sound & Graphics

When it comes to the sound and graphics for Bowser's Inside Story, I almost feel like sound should just have its own section. The graphics for the game a pretty average and for the most part what you would expect from a Mario & Luigi game on the DS. The sound on the other hand, well exceeds expectations. It's not enough that they put in the effort to make a diverse soundtrack for the game but they actually made remixes of songs that they played while you were inside Bowser. I truly feel like they outdid themselves with the music this time around, and for that reason alone I'm giving a pretty good score.

Score: Almost Perfect 9/10

Final Thoughts

There truly is a lot to say about Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, but you have to realize that the only reason that's true is because this game is packed full of surprises. With over 30 hours of exciting and innovative gameplay(if you do the extra stuff) I would recommend this game to just about anyone. Whether your a Mario junkie who isn't real into RPGs or longer games in general, or you are that hardcore gamer that wants to feel immersed. This game has enough appeal for both sides of the gaming spectrum. So if you have a DS and haven't played this game yet, my only question is, "What are you waiting for?!"

My overall score is: 8.4/10.0