Mario & Luigi: Brothership is an incredibly tight, well-designed RPG that more than lives up to the legacy left by AlphaDream, and paints a bright picture for the beloved franchise’s future. It all comes down to brilliant ideas in the concept phase that have been expanded wonderfully into a fully-fledged adventure, with every element of the game feeling cohesive and imaginative.
From a central design theme of “electricity and plug sockets,” developer Acquire has built out a world that’s a joy to explore. Characters you meet have lovely, expressive faces, themed around global plug sockets – tiny eyes, round mouths, funny-shaped heads. Some even have sockets for other cables (VGA, RCA, and so on), calling back to the analogue era.
These funny, joyful little folks accompany you across a tale with strong central themes beyond lovely electronic designs – it’s a game all about connection. Friendship. Brotherhood. And in interpreting connection as literal, in its little plug socket people, Acquire really is being both cheeky, and very clever.
On the whole, the plot of this Mario & Luigi adventure is relatively minimalist. Under mysterious circumstances, the two brothers end up on a floating island ship, adrift amongst a sea of other islands. Swiftly, you learn these floating islands used to be part of a greater whole – but they’ve drifted away and become listless, leading to a fragmented world where friends and families are separated.
That won’t do, of course. So Mario and Luigi take the helm of “Shipshape Island” and begin the process of reconnecting each floating land by finding their cables, and reattaching them. It’s a lovely visual metaphor for the work going on, as the brothers work to reconnect the world of Concordia.
Plenty of time is spent on Shipshape Island, corralling crews of folks together, and solving mini-quests. You’ll also spend plenty of time sailing the high seas to find new islands, with these drifting along ocean currents you’ll steer a course through.
Every island has its own unique theme – there’s flower-filled forests, tropical jungles, artisanal plains, urban cityscapes, and more – with each containing various quests, environmental puzzles, and enemies of all sorts to defeat.
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While the core focus of the adventure is helping out your little plug friends, the game also has a focus on strong turn-based combat, where punches and hammer-hits only land well with precise timing and attention. The classic Mario & Luigi / Super Mario RPG combat style returns here, with both Mario and Luigi able to attack hand-to-hand, with a hammer, or using special tricks (as you level up, you unlock new team-based attacks).
The twist here – which is great for those who aren’t enamoured by turn-based combat – is there’s a real-time element in performing an impactful attack. If you just select a move, Mario or Luigi will hit an opponent and cause minimal damage. Watch for button prompts, and you’ll be able to extend these moves, as Mario and Luigi can bounce off each other, for a more devastating blow.
The animation work here is absolutely standout, with Mario and Luigi’s models being expressive and “gummy” in a way that makes their movements incredibly dynamic. They bounce and fly across the screen with great enthusiasm, making each hit land with aplomb.
It’s particularly great when Luigi has a flash of inspiration while fighting a boss – a moment of so-called “Luigi Logic” – as he scratches his head, thinks deeply, and arrives at a usually maniacal, creative way to down bosses. In one particular fight, this involves Luigi grabbing onto an enemy’s blobby, oozing tongue, and swinging him around, and around, into the path of an air vent. Here, Luigi’s limbs stretch and twist as he spins, in a funny little segment that is as ridiculous as it is satisfying.
Humour is a major part of Mario & Luigi: Brothership – and it’s integrated in every part of the experience, including combat. From your first quest, the game sets up a firm, funny dynamic between Mario and Luigi. Mario is the capable and strong hero, and Luigi is his silly, creative brother.
Across combat and in each island, you’ll find head-scratching puzzles that seem complex on the surface. Mario, as the brawn, won’t be any help – but Luigi will apply his titular logic to the situation, and then present players with a wild, uncanny, and usually-quite-useful solution. For every time the game makes Luigi seem silly – on one of the first islands, he accidentally splats into the earth, and his silhouette remains on the ground forever – it also does a great job highlighting his inner strength.
In a game all about charm, humanity, and personal connection, it’s lovely to see both brothers given the spotlight in turn.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership‘s themes go well beyond the surface, for a game that shines in every aspect. It’s a deep exploration of friendship, and the need to stay anchored in rough waters. It’s a game about the magic of imagination. It’s a game about how we all fit together, and how we wield our individual strengths for good.
It’s also a game about squishing bad guys with hammers – but that’s all in service of making the game’s world a brighter, better place for everyone.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership is an absolute delight, all told. Strong themes and art direction buoy a light, well-meaning narrative that is further enhanced by dynamic combat, and a real sense of cohesion in overall game design. The Mario & Luigi franchise has a daunting legacy. Acquire has crafted a tale that more than lives up to it.
Four-and-a-half stars: ★★★★½
Mario & Luigi: Brothership
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Acquire
Release Date: 7 November 2024
A code for Mario & Luigi: Brothership was provided by the publisher for the purposes of this review. GamesHub reviews are rated on a ten-point scale.
