Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga

[Macawmoses]

Release Date: November 17th, 2003
System Game Boy Advance
Players: Uh, we'll say one.
Rated: E for Everyone
Publisher: Nintendo

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Once in a while, greatness is achieved. The sheer talent of Wayne Gretzky, the creation of penicillin, and the moving speeches of Martin Luther King are such proofs of greatness. While no video game can reach these levels, at least, by the standards of today, Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga (M+L:SS) reached new heights in gaming, at least, for 2003. The finished product was magical, but not without its flaws.

It's rather interesting, as the Mario franchise itself is known for ground-breaking, it happened with Super Mario 64, for instance, when 3D was implemented. M+L:SS takes the bar, and raises it higher. The winning formula begins with the story, it seems Princess Peach has been fooled, and her melodic voice has been stolen from a wicked witch named Cackletta, and her goofy sidekick, Fawful. Of course, it wouldn't be a Mario title without Bowser trying to kidnap Peach, however, he soon realizes that the voice of Peach is now explosive, in the literal sense. Through a series of whacky misadventures, the duo or Mario and Luigi, accompanied by Bowser, Toads, and others, move through the new (to us) Beanbean Kingdom, meeting a plethora of new characters, such as Prince Peasley, and travel through a diverse mix of locales.

These new aspects, mixed with traditional elements, such as battling goombas, fuse together to form a fresh entry in the Mario universe. The story is one of the most original in the entire universe of Mario. The adventures are brilliant, and other elements of the title, namely the music and gameplay, tie in nicely. However, the spotlight of the story is the writing department. The slapstick humor found throughout the title is virtually always good for a laugh, with few exceptions. There are so many memorable quotations, and generally, the presentation is spot on. Sadly, parts seem tiresome, and some bits are killed through overuse. This doesn't happen often, but it is noticeable.



However, the story and writing is still solid, and even after some five years, I still look back and laugh. Part of that, though, is because of the gameplay mechanics. Both brothers, Mario and Luigi, are controlled simultaneously, with one acting as the leader on the overworld map, to be followed by the other. By running into a foe on screen, found wondering the Kingdom, you engage in battle. Battle is turn based, yet at no time may you take a break from the action, while on the offensive, you need to perform timely presses of the button corresponding to each brother, A or B, in order to make for a successful move. While on the defense, you may try to counter, or dodge the enemy, with similar fashion.

As you progress throughout the title, your brother earns new skills, for in and out of battle, including varying jumps, attacks with hammers, and an elemental ability. Each of these has multiple uses, in battle, you may outright attack a foe, or use your bro to aid you (costing you Bro Points, a system keeping you in check). Out of battle, these abilities can be used to move through the map, removing rocks with the hammer, for instance. Interestingly, part of the comedic element is how these are utilized. For instance, if Luigi is behind Mario on the map, and he uses his hammer, he bonks Mario over the head, shrinking him down until you so choose. It's hilarious, but more importantly, how this gameplay mechanic of always being involved draws you in, you get a profound sense of "fun".

Furthermore, traditional elements of an RPG, such as use of items, or leveling up, remain in tact. This presents a nice feature for seasoned gamers, and the casual crowd, alike. Items, obviously garnish benefits, be it speed, health boosts, etc. Unfortunately, I found them rather bland, and uninspired. Luckily, the leveling system had more depth, allowing one to choose which traditional stat, such as speed, you would give a boost to. The best part, by far, is the "stache" factor, boosting the luster of the bros' mustaches, which reaps a number of small benefits. It's another quirk that other RPG's don't have, and it makes Superstar Saga stand out.

Game mechanics aside, the melodies of Superstar Saga are superb. Classic Mario tunes are present, as well as remixes, and original scores. The music always seems appropriate, and brings back memories for dedicated fans, and will surely make some for new fans of the Mario world. They're quirky, upbeat, and just good fun, a concept many RPG's push to the side. At times, though, the looping is apparent, and the music can grate your nerves, but circumstances as such aren't all that common. Adding in voice to the sound, you have cute little expressions, be it of joy or agony, from many characters. These tie in with the rest of the title in such a way that the sound itself is a great experience.

Musically sound, the graphics department meets the bar, as well. Using bright, and more importantly, large, sprites, Mario and Co. look crisp and clean, an accomplishment on the GBA hardware. This is taken a step further with the cutesy appeal of these sprites, adding to both the comedy, and lightened mood. One qualm I had, though, was the camera positioning at times, it often conflicted the abilities of the brothers while solving puzzles, and at times could make M+L extremely frustrating. This happened more towards the end of the game, where it seems that it was perhaps a tad rushed. That aside, the appeal of these graphics is there, adding to a great package.

It should be noted that there are other parts of the title, but generally, most of your time will be dedicated to the adventure, a good 20 hours. However, the monotony of battle and platforming is broken up by mini-games and side quests, while average, still offer a nice break. On top of that, the Mario Bros game of yore is featured on the cartridge, much like in all the other Mario titles on GBA. It loses its' charm after appearing on each of the titles for GBA, yet it is a good addition.

Dedicated Mario fans should have a blast, venturing into new territory, listening to old favorites, and spotting a number of cameos. New recruits should also find the appeal of a game anyone can play, and being immersed in the Mario culture. No matter who you are, you'll find this a charming title, and will pick it up years down the road, and live through the adventure again. Even after five years since its' launch, I'm still mystified by this quality title. If you have a GBA, or a DS, you can't afford not owning Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga.

Scores:

Gameplay: 9/10 => Original, comedic, and involved.
Graphic Appeal: 4/5 => Minor camera issues detract from appealing sprites.
Sound: 5/5 => Even minor looping issues don't take away from a great soundtrack.
Story: 9.5/10 => Hilarious on many planes, original, and a great deviation from prior games.
Presentation: 9/10 => Title wraps up nicely, garnishing a great mix of elements, making a great product.
Miscellaneous: 9/10 => Fan service, mini-games, new locales, length, etc. form a great package.

Total: 45.5/50 = 91%
Score (not an average): 9/10

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Authors' Notes:

This is an entry into the Review Tournament of NS2, Week 1, Mario theme, to be matched with my partners review, that being CCM.

This review may not be reproduced in part or whole without express permission of the author, Mackormoses.

Images are not mine, used by fair use. Original sources in tact, credit to owners.

Average score, as well as non average are used in conjunction to display quality of the title.

I'm still rusty, comments wanted.

[DededeCloneChris]

Good job!

Too bad I lost the game though.

[HTA!]

Sadly, Partner's in time didn't quite surpass this game, I miss the Bros. Points. System. :(
Good review, a little robotic sounding to me, like your just some kind of review spitting machine, but I can see you spent time on it and I enjoyed reading.

Try... injecting your voice a little.
Your vocabulary was great and it flowed well, but as I said.. it seemed a little impersonal.

[Macawmoses]

Beep.

I am a machine any more...I've written too many D:

[HTA!]

Beep.

I am a machine any more...I've written too many D:

Its just that they all kind of follow the same format... and I suppose writing as many as you do its not a bad thing when your in a pinch.

Just mix it up is all I suggest.  :)

Of course, I tried that and look how my review turned out... :(

[The Seventh]

Beep.

I am a machine any more...I've written too many D:

Its just that they all kind of follow the same format... and I suppose writing as many as you do its not a bad thing when your in a pinch.

Just mix it up is all I suggest.  :)

Of course, I tried that and look how my review turned out... :(

I guess you're like me and tend to inject TOO much voice.  But, then again, people who read my essays in my class enjoy the amount of interesting voice in them.

However, Mack, you still beat my review in cleanliness.  You don't inject too much voice.

[Macawmoses]

Ah, thanks.

But yeah, I think I've done so many that it is hard getting out of the format that I know and love; one that has granted me awards. But it is stale, it's almost time for a change.