Comments on: Mario & Luigi Bowser’s Inside Story

By: RPG Lover

RPG Lover — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:10:57 +0000

The first Mario & Luigi game was truly a masterpiece; while it didn't capture the same magic as Super Mario RPG, it created a whole new sort of magic. It was funny and memorable, and the final boss was both shocking and surprisingly creepy. It truly made its place in video game history.

Since then, however, the Mario and Luigi games have been lacking, and the same goes for this installment. There's no denying that the gameplay is fun; there are a lot of small nuances that add to the overall effect of the game. Bowser's giant boss battles, while few and far between, are certainly a highlight. There are plenty of challenges to plow through, and the variation of each challenge is astounding. One of my personal favorites involves knocking back balls of energy to the rhythm of the music in order to make Bowser's muscles grow. Yes, there is a lot of fun to be found. Yet, overall, this game was disappointing.

Why was it disappointing? you may ask. It's disappointing for the same reason the last game was disappointing: there is little to no real STORY in this game. Plot is one of the most important elements of an RPG, and this point seems to have escaped the developers since the introduction of the first game. The plot points are loosely tied together; halfway through the game, the developers must have decided that they didn't know where they were going with the current plot, so they introduced the threat of the "Dark Star." After all of the seemingly inane tasks it puts you through, that's all they can come up with. It's very disheartening, especially when I was expecting a redemption from Partners in Time. Also, I found it strange that, while Fawful is the main baddie in this game, he makes no mention whatsoever of Cackletta. Hmm...

Overall, this game is fun. I had fun playing it, and the elements are pretty neat. But I wish they could have COMBINED those elements with a worthwhile plot, like they did in the first game. I liked this game, but I probably won't remember it in a month from now. I'd say buy it for fun, but don't expect much. Rating: 3 / 5

By: Jay

Jay — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:37:20 +0000

So mind numbingly boring I can’t even describe it. No one over the age of 7 could possibly enjoy this game. It is repetative and very slow. You have to read more pop-ups then actually play the game. It is more enjoyable to watch grass grow. If I was not on an airplane it would not have gotten as much play as it did. I’ll stick with Sky Mall.
Rating: 1 / 5

By: E. Smith

E. Smith — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:35:03 +0000

I am so disappointed in this game! I wanted the game to be like the old school Super Mario games. I thought that this title would satisfy me. However, the players have extremely limited movement resulting in a boring outcome. I plan on selling mine back. If you’re looking for a game that is similar to the old school Super Mario games go with Yoshi’s Island.
Rating: 1 / 5

By: I. Dickinson

I. Dickinson — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:38:44 +0000

This is a pure RPG game, absolutely no talent is required to play. You actually have almost no control over any part of the game. You just travel from one pre-planned point to another (never more than a few steps) and then you get another long story and boring battle or task. Really, I mean do I need to be told how to hit a switch three times in a row? I really don't know who this game is geared toward because younger kids would have a tough time reading the story (or just get bored) and the older player and adults are insulted by repetitive training and re-training for EVERY task. I cannot stress enough, that you really do nothing in this game, just follow the pre-planned story line without deviation.

The AMAZING! press reviews before this game was released seem a bit suspicious to me now that I played it myself. Did they really play it, or did that just watch a "cool" video.

BORING and AGGRAVATING Rating: 1 / 5

By: Mighty Lil One

Mighty Lil One — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:39:36 +0000

This review is painful for me to write, as I consider myself an extremely avid Mario fan. I have a huge collection of Mario and Mario-related games. This game was a bigger disappointment than I could have ever imagined. It’s partially my fault, because I preordered the game without knowing anything about it (assuming it would be just as great as every other Mario game). I was horrified to find out this was an RPG! Very little of it plays like all previous Mario games (run around, find secret areas, bash blocks, etc.). And two hours into gameplay, I was still going through constant mini-tutorials. I’m sorry to say I don’t recommend this game.
Rating: 1 / 5