Summary
A brand-new entry in theMario and Luigiseries is coming to the Nintendo Switch later this year in the form ofMario and Luigi: Brothership.Nintendoreleased the originalMario and Luigi: Superstar Sagaon the Game Boy Advance back in 2003, and it was the thirdMarioRPG afterSuper Mario RPGandPaper Mario. In contrast to these titles,Mario and Luigiwas more lighthearted, with the titular brothers journeying to the Beanbean Kingdom to thwart a pair of villains who stole Princess Peach’s voice using comical attacks and timed button presses.
Two years later,the sequelMario & Luigi: Partners in Timewas released on the Nintendo DS, with the Mario siblings teaming up with their younger selves to save Princess Peach from the alien Shroobs. 2009 saw a third entry on the DS,Bowser’s Inside Story, andMario & Luigi: Dream Teamfollowed in 2013. In 2015, theMario and Luigiseries crossed over withPaper MarioforMario and Luigi: Paper Jam Bros., but this would be the last original entry in the series before developer AlphaDream filed for bankruptcy in 2019.
The first game announced during June 18’s Nintendo Direct livestream was the long-awaited next entry intheMario and Luigifranchise, titledMario and Luigi: Brothership. The trailer for this new game starts with Mario and Luigi enjoying a sunny day in the Mushroom Kingdom - aside from poor Luigi being chased by bees. The green-clad plumber is soon run off a cliff, prompting Mario to catch him. This seemingly triggers some sort of magical power in the siblings, causing their gloves to glow with mysterious energy and a portal to open in the sky.
Mario and Luigi: Brothership Release Date
From there, theMario and Luigi: Brothershiptrailer cuts to gameplay, with the titular Mario brothers running through various environments andchallenging enemies with button-prompt attacksin the style of the olderMario and Luigigames. This teamwork extends to navigation, as Mario and Luigi balance a see-saw to reach an NPC and help each other climb a cliff using handholds. Storywise, Mario and Luigi are transported to a strange new world, where they journey across unique islands by launching themselves out of a cannon.
Some of the other gameplay mechanics in theMario and Luigi: Brothershiptrailer include Luigi coming up with ideas by racking his brain, leading to a button-pressing minigame that involves the brothers hitting falling objects with their hammers. At one point,Mario and Luigi are separated, with a split-screen view of Luigi as he hits a switch to help Mario advance through a series of floating platforms.Mario and Luigi: Brothership’s trailer also features a bright cel-shaded art style, which players will get to see more of when this latest entry in theMario and Luigiseries launches on the Nintendo Switch on November 7.
