[singlepic id=77 w=174 h=190 float=left]Review written for Acegamez.co.uk
Nintendo keeps it in the family with the latest Mario Brothers title

With a myriad of Super Mario games on the Gameboy Advance following a tried and true tested formula, Mario and Luigi: Super Star Saga seems to break every rule in the handbook; thou shall not have a compelling storyline full of personality and humour and thou shall not be an original game, rather than port or update of an older title. Perhaps Nintendo have finally admitted defeat and run out of older instalments to rehash, repackage and resell? If this is a sign of things to come, the future is bright; Mario and Luigi: Super Star Saga is quite possibly the best thing to happen to the GBA thus far.

The game kicks off in the familiar land of the Mushroom Kingdom in which Princess Peach awaits a gift from the neighbouring BeanBean Kingdom. Showing a consistency in her streak of bad luck, it turns out to be a trap as the evil Cacktella arrives on scene to steal her voice and replace it with an explosive vocabulary, literally; the font in the speech bubble hanging above her head blows up whenever she attempts to talk. Mario and Luigi turn up only to find Bowser reluctant to kidnap the princess for once because of this ailment, and agrees to join forces with Mario and Luigi to track down Cacktella. Taking a backseat as signature bad guy, Bowser retreats to the role of the comic relief punching bag for the duration of the game. Being an RPG, it’s expected to add a certain level of depth to the game, although Super Star Saga has a lot to take liberties for considering the simplistic source material. Characters gain a huge amount of… well, character which is a breath of fresh air. Despite the two protagonists being of the silent variety, through sound, expression and beautifully animated sprites their personalities are made vivid and lively, especially the cowardly yet endearing Luigi.

You’d be forgiven for questioning how the platform heavy world of Mario would translate into the RPG genre, known for being heavy on plot, exploration and thoughtful and strategic battles requiring patience. Let’s not forget that in addition to being a plumber, Mario’s resume includes being a racer, golfer and doctor and his approach to RPGs hasn’t failed him in taking on new endeavours. Making a twist on the familiar formula of RPGs, Super Star Saga sprinkles that Mario magic found in his more traditional outings. The result is a game with all the depth and character progression of a standard RPG, with much of the fat cut out and action thrown in.

Taking place on an isometric plane, the two brothers can explore their surroundings and interact with various non-playable characters and objects. However, control is taken over both brothers, who walk in single file and the A and B buttons used to control each one’s actions independently. At first, this is limited to jumping, and as expected from the formerly known character as “Jumpman,” jumping shall be done! Platforming plays a big role in getting around and exploring the game’s world, staying true to the roots of Mario titles. Further along in the game, the brothers learn new abilities which can be used in the game world and in battle sequences. Gaining new abilities gives access to new areas later in the game, and it’s never a chore to return to find new goodies.

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The name of the game is teamwork, and abilities gained make for some interesting executions of this, an example being Mario jumping off Luigi’s head to gain access to higher platforms, or reversing the process to use a spin jump to hover in the air to far off areas. It’s a challenge to figure out when to use an ability and where and these amusing little methods of getting about makes exploration bearable and fun.

Super Star Saga approaches battles in a turn based fashion, although the execution implemented is unusually engaging. Upon one of the brothers’ turn to make an action, a range of options are presented on what to do, including attacking, using a “Bros Attack”, an item or fleeing from the battle. There’s never a dull moment as the game rarely encourages you to sit and watch battles unfold after choosing an action; it demands your constant interaction and engagement for added effect to your chosen selection. Hitting the respective button representing Mario or Luigi will add extra damage to an attack before contact with an enemy. Using a Bros Attack requires the two to work together to attack, for example Mario jumping onto Luigi’s head prompts you to press the button corresponding to him (A) and before Luigi launches him at an enemy, his corresponding action button must be pressed (B). It’s a risk-reward system which favours taking the risk of successful timing or missing a cue to lose the chance to strike an enemy.

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The brothers also receive weapons such as hammers to aid them and abilities including thunder and fire as the game progresses. Once obtained, these can also be used in and outside of battles in their own unique ways for offense and defence. This makes for strategic planning for battles, keeping a close eye on the attack patterns of enemies and discovering their weaknesses and your own vulnerabilities to their attacks. Winning battles means experience points, and once enough have been gained, the brothers gain a level. This boosts their statistics up, such as speed (which affects how quick their turn comes around), strength (how much damage their attacks will cause), their HP (health points, how much damage they can take), Brother Points (how many brother attacks can be made) and Stache Points (how much shops charge, and how often critical attacks are made). Although levelling up plays an important part in approaching battles, they can be won purely based on skill and timing by avoiding enemy attacks if reflexes are good enough. It’s not something I would recommend for the fainthearted, but the option is there as unlike many RPGs, you’re not forced to wait for an enemy to attack you as you can dodge and even counter their strikes.

Super Star Saga does away with random battles, as enemies can be seen on the world map and field screens. Battles are only initiated if contact with enemies is made, giving the option to avoid them completely by staying away or dodging them. Jumping on or striking them with a weapon initiates battles with the added benefit of dealing a sneaky initial strike. Super Star Saga never forces you into fighting battles that can be avoided and provides a method of pre-empting them if you’re feeling for a brawl.

The art direction for the sprites used in game are extremely detailed and well animated to provide as much character as possible for the duo of plumbers. Using chunky black outlines allows the characters to pop from the equally colourful backgrounds and accentuates their presence in game. Little details such as the look of worry and fear of a character when the other has been knocked out in battle makes a difference the experience to life.

Super Star Saga is a challenging experience, but never too difficult to the point of frustration. It does, however take some patience and has a small learning curve considering the control scheme of having to guide both characters at once along with the reflexes and timing required to get through battles. The game is generous in easing players into the team based gameplay though, and quickly becomes second nature before the game takes the feature up a notch. It never feels like a gimmick however and is used liberally in a clever way to present new approaches to battles and exploration with a sense of style and purpose. Battles can tend to move along at a slow pace, although much of this is spent figuring out weak spots, which is half the fun and the action-oriented approach ensures there’s never a dull moment. Although the game is guilty of featuring a good deal of backtracking, in most instances a new ability is in possession, giving access to new areas along the way.

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There’s a lot to see and do in the BeanBean Kingdom, including mini games such as a jump rope challenge which requires quick reflexes, and a mine cart mini game in which one brother rides in the foreground holding a torch out to the other in the background to find jewels; both are annoyingly addictive distractions away from the main game. The kingdom is a huge and vibrant world which takes time to explore to its completion with all its hidden secrets and areas. There’s even the additional bonus of the original Mario Bros arcade game tucked away in that little cart, although it’s only worth a shot with a few friends playing along.

With the constant stream of previous Mario titles being ported to the GBA, fans have been longing for an original title. Perhaps this isn’t the fresh, new iteration of the classic 2D Mario games we’ve become so accustomed to, but it’s got all the makings of a great Mario game with a new spin on the franchise. Nintendo haven’t lost their touch in dropping their mascot into a totally alien genre without losing any of the charm, innovation and straight fun they’re known for. Superstar Saga is the perfect mix of turn based combat, exploration and platforming wrapped up into one nice, little neat package. There are countless references to past games that pay service to devoted fans such as the viruses from Dr Mario which need to be attacked to match colours before they all die. It’s little details such as this that show the thought, care and attention that’s been put into the development of the title. Even to a point where it almost strays too far from what a Mario game “should” be, Mario and Luigi: Super Star Saga stays true to its roots. With a massive, lush world to explore, brilliant graphics, addictive gameplay and more than generous lifespan, Mario and Luigi: Super Star Saga is an essential purchase for any RPG and Mario Fan.