Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

Do you remember Mario RPG?  If the answer is yes, then you were probably one of the gamers who were angered when Square left Nintendo.  For years Square developed games exclusively on the NES, Game Boy and SNES platforms.  Then they moved onto PSone and worked exclusively for Sony for about eight years.  Square (now merged with Enix) has yet to go multi-platform, but they have agreed to develop a few exclusive games for GameCube and Game Boy Advance.  Mario RPG 2 is not one of them.

"What!?  No Mario RPG sequel?"  Officially, no.  Unofficially, gamers can walk right into their favorite game store and pick up Nintendo's new take on the series – Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.

It may appear to be cartoony and totally out of touch with the Mario RPG style, but this is not a game to overlook.  Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is an addictive, unique role-playing game.  Its platformer mechanics are very innovative.  For the first time gamers can control Mario and Luigi simultaneously.  Both characters move (one in front of the other) when a directional button is pressed.  In a clever move that'll make many game developers say, "Why didn't I think of that?", the developers dedicated one button to each character.  The default setting has Mario in front, which means that the A button belongs to him and the B button belongs to Luigi.  Press them individually and see what happens.  Now press the buttons simultaneously – Mario and Luigi jump together!  It takes virtually no practice to learn and is an integral part of the gameplay.  It separates the characters without making them feel too far apart.  They're more of a team, rather than another attack option in battle.

Combat is a big part of Superstar Saga.  This being an RPG and all, the battles take place on a separate battlefield.  Enemies are visible most of the time, so you won't have to contend with hours of random battles.  You can avoid battles, but I found that it was more fun – and more beneficial – to battle as often as possible.

To enter the battlefield all you have to do is touch an enemy.  You can go about this the simple way (walk up and tough the enemy) or the slightly difficult way (try to jump on it).  If you jump on the enemy, two points will be deducted from all enemies in combat.  However, if Luigi runs into the enemy that you've jumped on, no damage will be dealt.  Instead Luigi will be unable to move until it's his turn, putting an end to any hope you had of evading attacks.

Attack evasion works in the classic Mario way: by jumping.  Remember the bullet-shooting cannons from the original Mario?  They're back and they're ready to fire.  The only way to deal with them is to jump over their attacks and counter as soon as the coast is clear.  Goombas and other physical attack enemies make evasions so much better.  They have to come in contact with Mario and Luigi to attack.  Everyone knows what happens if Mario jumps on a Goomba – it gets squashed!  With the right timing, you can jump to evade the attack and land on top of the helpless creature.  He'll take damage, you'll be safe, and it'll be easier to finish him off.

Battles are turn-based, which should help explain why evasions are so important.  When it's the enemy's turn, Mario and Luigi can't do anything except evade.  If you're new to the genre, turn-based means exactly what the title says: you take a turn, then your enemy takes a turn.  During Mario and Luigi's turn you have a list of attacks that you can select.  At first this number consists of one – the jump attack.  But later on you'll get team attacks (a combo attack where Mario and Luigi team up for some powerful strikes) and other cool options.

Superstar Saga's sights and sounds will make you smile.  I was more than amused the first time I saw some of the game's enemies.  This is the only Game Boy Advance game I've played in the past six months that had a story worth paying attention to.  The intro is hilarious.  As usual, something bad happens to the Princess.  I can't bare to spoil what happens next.  The younger Nintendo fans might not be as amused, but if you had an NES in the late 80s/early 90s you'll be cracking up.

One thing that most RPGs and most Nintendo games in general have in common are mini-games.  Superstar Saga has some, and while some of them sound crazy, they're actually a lot of fun.  One mini-game is an elaborate jump-roping contest.  Two (friends?  Foes?) hold the rope and move it in a crazy pattern that's not easy to predict at first.  If Mario or Luigi gets hit the rope three times the mini-game is over.  You can re-start the mini-game at any time.  If you'd prefer to skip it and stick to the main quest, you can.  This should give some relief to the gamers who feared they'd have to spend the whole game worrying about this stuff.  I'm not usually fan of simple mini-games, but Superstar Saga's are highly addictive.

Gameplay: 9.5
One jump for man, a double-jump for games; Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is the Mario RPG successor you've been waiting for.  It's not as much like Final Fantasy as Mario RPG was, but that's one of the things that make it so great.  The perfect game for a long car trip.

The turn-based battles are quick.  They don't take very long to complete, and they require fast reflexes to survive.  Being able to dodge attacks is great.  It makes the experience seem so much more interactive, and gives players something to do when it's not their turn.

The bosses are a bit more resilient than I expected – you'll have to use more than the standard jump attack to take them down.  The team attacks are especially effective here, but only if performed successfully.  On-screen button icons indicate when to press A or B.  If you hit it too soon or too late, that part of the attack will fail and less damage will be dealt.  Just as much BP (Brother Power) will be depleted though.

Graphics: 8.9

Sound: 8.5
I'm not sure who the composer is, but he/she has done a stellar job of creating new music that fits in the Mario universe.  It's upbeat but is not too overdone.  It's catchy without being too repetitive.  Classic music and classic sound effects are used to give it that memorable Mario sound that we'll never forget.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
In general this game is easier than the average RPG.  It's still challenging at times, and it's long, so please don't let the rating scare you off.

Concept: 9
I never got the chance to play Paper Mario, but even the concept is similar, this game deserves praise.  Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga's brilliant control system gives players a chance to control the plumber brothers simultaneously.  The dodge/attack turn-based combat is as super as the mushrooms that make Mario big.

Multiplayer: 6
Have I been here before?  Oh yeah, I was here with Mario Advance 1, 2, 3 and 4.  The multiplayer mode is the same as the one featured in those games.  No changes have been made.  It's fun, but will we ever get something new?

Overall: 9.4
When Nintendo shines, they really shine.  Is this the best GBA RPG of 2003?  The verdict is still out on that one, but rest assured, you won't be in the least bit disappointed with this game.  All things considered, Game Boy Advance is currently the console to go to for the best role-playing games.  Technically, Advance Wars 2 isn't an RPG, but it's got addictive turn-based battles and great music.  Is there anything more an RPG needs?  A great story is only necessary if the game is 50 hours long.  Otherwise the gameplay can carry it through.

Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga is carried through in all of the ways that matter.  Its gameplay is simplistic by Final Fantasy or Fire Emblem standards, but is addictive in a way that most RPGs are not.  It's not just an RPG with the cast of Super Mario Bros.  The story is laugh-out-loud hilarious.  The music is very upbeat, very catchy.  Its graphics are a great representation of the Game Boy Advance's power.  If there's anything missing, it's the battles.  There are a lot of them, but the game uses mini-games and other diversions to avoid repetition.  Nintendo was successful in doing this, but I still want more Goombas!

More Goombas or not, this is the perfect game for a long car trip.  Or a long, relaxing Sunday afternoon on the couch.  Anywhere you go, this game is great.