Review
Release Date: 11.17.2003
Platform:
Game Boy AdvanceDeveloper:
Nintendo Co., Ltd.Publisher:
Nintendo of America, Inc.Reviewed by
Brian J. Balsan on 11.27.2003
| Review Rating: 9/10 | User Rating: 8.53/10 |
It should already be taken as read that any game that stars Mario will be a good one.
And while one could say the reason behind this assumption is because that Mario is a wildly-popular character in videogames (A result of being one of the most-recognized characters the world over), it may also be the fact that just about every game mario has been in has honestly rated high both critically and publically. And no other character can say they've been in more titles that have shaped the concept of videogames than the red-hatted plumber himself (
Super Mario Bros,
Super Mario Bros 3,
Super Mario World,
Super Mario 64).
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga may not be as revolutionary as the above-mentioned games, but it certainly is one of the best Gameboy Advance games out there. Considered to be the third in the "
Super Mario RPG" series, it may not be as ambitious as the SNES
Super Mario RPG or as impressive as
Paper Mario, but what is here is a good, solid 2D Adventure/RPG with slick character animation, catchy tunes, and enough puzzles and mini-games to keep you entertained until the credits roll.
The story begins with Princess Peach caught yet again in an unfortunate situation. And this time, Bowser isn't even involved until the damage has been done. Cackletta, the peace ambassador of the BeanBean Kingdom, pays a visit to the Mushroom Kingdom. Everything goes awry, however, when she steals Peach's voice and replaces it with a vocabulary made of bombs and rockets. Bowser, angry that someone thought of a cooler plan than him, helps Mario travel to the BeanBean Kingdom on his flying ship (He can't capture peach in her current state; it would reduce his castle to ruins), and Luigi, who was originally going to see Mario off, is mistaken for a new troopa recruit and forced aboard. And thus, the first new adventure featuring both bros since
Super Mario World begins.
For starters, the presentation in
M&L:SS is wonderful. Turning on the game, you get Mario and Luigi bouncing onto the screen presenting the Nintendo logo, both happily calling out their company's name. Indeed, both Mario and Luigi speak more than they ever have in past games, and like in past Mario RPGs, what they say represents what their reactions or explanations are. For example, after the opening sequence, we see a mushroom retainer rush to the bros' house with the urgent news. After dashing past Luigi (and properly spinning him out) a quick walk to the bathroom area has us hearing Mario humming his familiar theme from the shower.
And that's where you'll experience the care that went into making the game look good as only it can. After peering in the bathroom, the retainer runs out, his face turning red, and smacks into a wall, knocking him out. Mario exits the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel (the closest you'll ever get to Mario nudity, thank the maker), and when he sees the conked-out retainer, wakes him up with bounce on the head. When the retainer finally gives Mario the news, he runs out of the house, jumps into the clothes line (Where Luigi has been standing), presto-chango, and the fully-clothed Mario dashes off...with the clothes line, and poor Luigi, entagled on the line, dragging behind him.
You'll get these nice sight gags all over the game, and it helps add to the already light-hearted nature. Of course, Luigi will be playing second fiddle throughout the entire game, with characters referring to him with such names as "Mr. Green" and "Green 'stache." There is something of a plot going on in this game, but it all does seems to revolve around the princess. To say that explanation both gives away too much and yet not enough of the story would be quite proper.
The sound and music in
M&L:SS is very well done. The soundtrack itself includes memorable classics like the Mario's Pad theme from
Super Mario RPG, to the ever-nostalgic
Super Mario Bros. theme in all its glory. The game also comes with its own set of catchy tunes, unfortunately many of them are pretty short (It may be only 30 seconds or so before you'll hear the first loop). Thankfully, they are fun enough to listen to. The best part of the sound, however, comes in the voice, which is so high-quality that there isn't any of the noise feedback you would get in other GBA games. Let it be known that Mario and Luigi don't speak full dialogues, but rather quick blurbs, like "Oh yeah" and "Let's go" and the every-popular "Mama Mia". Also, when they proceed to explain something more complex than a yes-or-no answer, they'll start mumbling in what can only be described as '
Rayman' speak. It does add to the experience, however.
The graphics are what you might consider 'modern 2D'. There isn't any 3D to talk about (even the nifty 'star' battle transition is animated), but everything here is smooth. Mario and Luigi have an incredible array of animation, from walking to battle-stance animations, to level-up dancing and using their hands to explain something, nodding, shaking their heads, spinning, swinging, cowering, and even hugging. The enemies move with great fluidity, and the bros' attacks are fun to watch. The developers also took great care in making certaing nuances change depending on the situation. To explain, when Mario and Luigi are together, a quick look into their 'menu' screen (intelligently set up to look like a suitcase. They are 'travelling' outside the Mushroom Kingdom, after all) at their status will show Mario and Luigi fighting for position on the inset circle. Whoever face is seen is the stats for that bro. However, if Mario and Luigi are seperated, and, say, you're controlling Luigi, the status screen will show Luigi alone, and choosing Mario's stats will have him holding up a photo of his brother (Representin').
The controls are some of the most innovative in its simplicity. When you control both brothers, the A and B buttons each control a brother. A controls the front, B controls the back. At the start, all you can do is jump (They're Marios, after all). But later on you'll be able to switch between Hammers and Magic Hands moves, among others. You will also learn combo moves, like spinning (to reach longer distances) and high jumps (for otherwise-unreachable ledges). As you learn the full potential of each move, they will also become 'Bros Attack' moves, special pair-moves which deal more damage to the enemy than normal attacks (You've probably seen a variation of them before in RPGs, but they've had fancier names, like "Summons.")
As you play through the game you will witness a lot of familiar things. For example, you may see Goombas in Tanooki suits, the original Hammer Bros. Asking you to play jump-rope, the Dr. Mario virus troop, a room with blocks ranging from
Super Mario Bros. to
Super Mario 64, and...a kidnapping. But maybe I've said too much. Perhaps the only problem with
M&L:SS is the pacing. Maybe it's *TOO* good. If you actually stop to take on every koopa, goomba, and Beanbean troop out there, you will be unstoppable. The 'timed attack/defense' feature also returns, so if you're good on the button, you're near-invincible.
What people will see here is an SNES-era RPG. A game that doesn't nearly go with the complexity of today's RPGs, but attempts to be simple while improving on the visuals. It doesn't try to bog you down with crazy weapons-forging and job systems. There isn't any mind-bending storyline that will make you go mad if you think too much about it. What you have is a simple, fun game with plenty of minigames, puzzles and things to see. This may as well be branded a 'beginners RPG', but people of all ages will enjoy it.
And if you're looking for a bit of nostalgia, you may find that, too. Just keep your eyes and ears open.
