'Mario & Luigi: Brothership', the pun-filled sixth edition, is set on islands in the high seas. — Photos: Nintendo
Mario, Nintendo’s famously high-voiced plumber, is known to most fans for his action platformers. Less celebrated are the Mario & Luigi role-playing games, which inspire imagination but require a precise sense of rhythm, at least for your right thumb.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership, the pun-filled sixth edition, is set on islands in the high seas. The brothers, piloting a ship that is itself a small island, maneuver through mazelike puzzles and fight monsters using hammers, shock waves and boot stomps. Luigi, the kelly-green-capped brother, comes up with clever, resourceful ideas throughout. A thought bubble featuring an exclamation point appears above Luigi’s head when he’s thinking hard.
The adventure unfolds somewhat abruptly as a pink, tornado-like vortex sucks up the peppy twosome. But when Mario washes up on the shores of Shipshape Island, only a ghost of Luigi is present. Mournful yowls of “Mario!” and “Luigi!” are heard before the gameplay begins. When the two are reunited, the effect is as touching as it is humorous.
While the tale revolves around the usual save-the-world conceit, the twist here is about restoring electricity. The brothers have to reconnect the chain of islands by placing giant plugs into outlets.
Their form of travel is being shot from a cannon, always accompanied by shocked expressions and much wailing as they plop down on another island (there are more than a dozen). While the tale revolves around the usual save-the-world conceit, the twist here is about restoring electricity. The brothers have to reconnect the chain of islands by placing giant plugs into outlets.
Part of what makes Brothership compelling is the momentary rush of joining each island to create a power grid. Linking to a major power source like the Great Lighthouse is dazzlingly colourful to witness. The bright lights, including ropes of flashing lightning, stretch elegantly across the sea.
The personalities of the inhabitants are equally electric, including the beret-wearing sculptors on Rumbla Island. Think of the varied characters in the Animal Crossing series and you’ll get the idea. Plug-faced Connie is the ingenious combination of botanist and electrical engineer. Her watering can with a flower tip pours forth a flash of magical energy that begins the process of connecting power. She is as heroic as the ardent brothers, and I wish she were playable.
Minor enemies like a sharp-beaked bird with a wild, springing neck must often be beaten a half-dozen times before the brothers can reach an island’s main boss.
There are unapologetic puns galore. Connie helps connect. A hammer crafter is called Billdit. Groovemaster Dyode, a cartoony mash-up of Elvis Presley and George Clinton, needs the pair to retrieve hair wax so he can dance again. Once they find it, Mario and Luigi dance with him. Only if they cavort in the correct rhythm are they able to climb a tree (the Twisten Sprout) to a lighthouse.
Levelling up here is all about learning patterns. But the grinding that is endemic to the series can quickly become repetitive. Minor enemies like a sharp-beaked bird with a wild, springing neck must often be beaten a half-dozen times before the brothers can reach an island’s main boss.
I had the choice to avoid each battle. Yet it’s important to level up and become strong before taking on an island’s formidable final enemy. After losing frequently to a boss, you are given the choice of an easier battle. This, after all, is a game for children, as well as arrhythmic nerds like me.
The brothers discover delightfully fascinating power-ups along the way. One has the pair dance cheek to cheek before morphing into a UFO to move over canyons.
The brothers discover delightfully fascinating power-ups along the way. One has the pair dance cheek to cheek before morphing into a UFO to move over canyons. It’s not only fun to use, but showcases their effusive bond.
Brothership isn’t undemanding, and it does spark the synapses. In a battle with Gorumbla, a mix of a gorilla and Marvel’s the Thing, Luigi finds a boulder that can deal considerable damage. I aimed carefully to try placing the boulder at exactly the right angle. When I didn’t, Luigi went rolling in a flourish, somewhat like the hapless Charlie Brown after Lucy takes away his football. – ©2024 The New York Times Company
