Partners in Time -DS-

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time review

Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time is the second installment of a three part RPG series for the Nintendo DS. I decided to play and beat this game because I loved Mario and Luigi: Inside Story (see my later review for this game). For those of you who don’t like to read entire reviews in order to get the review score or pros and cons of the game, I will include it in this paragraph. I give this game a 4 out of 5. The pros: this game provides a silly but unique storyline, simple yet very interactive RPG based battles, captivating graphics, and never-boring game play. The cons: this game only has one, monotony. I will explain all of these aspects below. For those of you who have 20+ hours to spare and want an all around fun game, by all means please get this game.

The storyline to Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time is silly but entertaining. The game starts off with Mario and Luigi visiting Peach in her castle. Her special inventor Professor E. Gadd has just come up with a new invention, a time machine (just as an FYI Professor E. Gadd’s theme music is from Luigi’s Mansion. I was pretty excited when I heard it). This time machine takes Peach and Toadbert back to the time of baby peach. Upon arrival, she encounters the destruction and capture of her kingdom. An alien race called Shroob invades and takes over the kingdom. The Princess Shroob captures both Peach and Toadbert while sending the time machine is sent back to the Present time with an enemy. Mario and Luigi figure out that they must go back in time to save her. To assist them, their counterparts baby Mario and baby Luigi joins the team. Their goal is to find the Cobalt star that powers the time machine and use it defeat the Shroob Princess. With this summery you can’t help but assume that as you play you will have to encounter some weird things. The story although silly is very interesting and doesn’t distract from the overall feel of the game. In addition the cut scenes between the four heroes will make you chuckle. Luigi is always teased and picked on by enemies, friends and even the babies. He is a great aspect to the story as he adds comic relief. The storyline of this game is great, original, and fun to participate in.

The best part of this game is the role play battles. For most RPG battles you just mash the A button and you’ll win every time. With Partners in Time it actually takes some intelligence, stratagem and interaction. This game is set up so each character is assigned a button. Mario A, Luigi B, baby Mario X baby Luigi Y. For each turn you have to hit their respective buttons or else you will fail on the attack. There are two basic command functions: the regular attack which is either a jumping hit or a hammer blow, the second is the special or group attacks. With close to a dozen special attacks you will never get board of battles. Plus if you hit your buttons right you will get bonus damage. There is also a counter attack system that allows you to deal additional attack damage if you time your counters right. As you cooperate with each bro, battles won’t be monotonous but they will be pleasurable.

FYI battles are not random in this game. You get to choose when you want to fight by personally attacking enemies. They move about each level and stage so if desired by passing them is fine and easy.

There is only one negative aspect to this game, the monotony of the storyline. As great and original as it was, I found myself doing the same tasks and puzzles in every area. Even the different stages or places you visited in the Mushroom Kingdom were similar. You enter an area, kill all the foes, hit the purple or star squares that open doors and ascend to the top. There were never any new puzzles. You always did the same thing. In addition towards the end of the game, I didn’t know where or why I was going to some levels. It didn’t seem to go with the story. For example, you go to toad town located south of Peaches castle. This area is designed exactly the same as Peaches castle. The task was to separate the bros into two groups and open the locked gates that impeded your path by hitting the purple box. There was no storyline, no toads to save, or worth in going to that place. It seemed that all they wanted you to see was a Shroob infested town. That’s all. This was frustrating but it didn’t distract too much from the overall awesomeness of the game.

In the end, I gave Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time a 4 out of 5 because of this game provides a silly but intriguing storyline, simple and very interactive RPG battle system, captivating graphics, and never-boring game play. The monotony of the adventure towards the end of the game is a bit frustrating but as Pete says,”You just have to work through the hard times and focus on the good”. This is editor Andy Paulos with your Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time review. GO PLAY IT!!!!!!