Mario and Luigi: SuperStar Saga
Genre: RPG
Developer: AlphaDream
Release Date: 11/17/03 (US), 11/21/03 (EU and JPN)
MetaCritic Score: 90
Genre: RPG
Developer: AlphaDream
Release Date: 11/17/03 (US), 11/21/03 (EU and JPN)
MetaCritic Score: 90
Mario is not unfamiliar with the RPG world, in fact he's been in several! Beginning with Square-Enix's (then Squaresoft) Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Mario soon found himself as an RPG icon for the Super Nintendo. Years later, on the Nintendo 64, came Paper Mario which took Mario to a new level on the RPG plane. Shortly after then, came this lovely gem on the Game Boy Advance. Mario and Luigi: SuperStar Saga takes the ideas of previous Mario RPGs and creates a unique experience in not just gameplay, but everything else.
The game starts off with the evil witch Cackletta stealing the voice of Princess Peach, replacing it with... an "explosive" vocabulary, literally. After learning of the events (and beating up Bowser in the process) Mario and Luigi then travel to the BeanBean Kingdom where Cackletta came from to recover Peach's voice and stop the witch's plot. The game has a lot of humor in it, and the dialogue is excellently written. Characters shine with personality such as Luigi and his cowardly behavior, and Bowser's arrogant attitude. The graphics are very traditional of Mario games and are very bright, cartoony, and unique... which makes the game look great on the GBA screen.
The music is also top notch in this game with several remixes of past songs from the franchise along with new mixes created for the game. The sound effects accompany the game and the music is a delight to listen to. The music and sound really adds an atmosphere to this game, making this RPG all the more unique.
The gameplay is similar to many RPGs of the world, where you control Mario and Luigi as they explore an overworld and accomplish goals. Like in Super Mario RPG you can see the enemies you can battle in the overworld, and like Paper Mario you can do a preemptive strike by jumping or hammering these enemies to gain an advantage in battle. The game focuses heavily on the A (Mario) and B (Luigi) buttons, which are used for not just commands but actions in the overworld and in battle. Battles are unique also with an easy to learn and hard to master battle system. The player controls Mario with A and Luigi with B, as they can use the standard hammer, jumps, and other special attacks solo.
However, both brothers can team up for a "Bros. Attack" (similar to Special/Magic attacks in traditional RPGs) that require you to co-ordinate and control both brothers in real time. These attacks do more damage, and mastering them can eventually help you in the long run battle wise. You can also defend the brothers with their buttons, as each enemy has a "tell" that lets you know who they'll attack. Simple enemies will be easier to avoid or defend against, while later enemies and bosses become complex and hard to defend against. The battle system is wonderful and a very unique and fun aspect of the game, making this one very different from traditional RPGs.
This game has it all, and I easily feel that it is the #1 GBA Game that any gamer could own. The gameplay, music, graphics, and story are all excellent, and create a truly wonderful experience. Though there isn't too much to do after finishing the main game (save side-quests and mini games), the game is so much fun you can find yourself easily picking this up again and doing the whole adventure just for fun. Because of these reasons, Mario and Luigi: SuperStar Saga is my #1 GBA game of al time. Happy playing, and join me for a new feature tomorrow on VidyaBridge.Also, as a bonus please enjoy the animated commercial for this game from Japan... makes me wish a series came from the art style!
The game starts off with the evil witch Cackletta stealing the voice of Princess Peach, replacing it with... an "explosive" vocabulary, literally. After learning of the events (and beating up Bowser in the process) Mario and Luigi then travel to the BeanBean Kingdom where Cackletta came from to recover Peach's voice and stop the witch's plot. The game has a lot of humor in it, and the dialogue is excellently written. Characters shine with personality such as Luigi and his cowardly behavior, and Bowser's arrogant attitude. The graphics are very traditional of Mario games and are very bright, cartoony, and unique... which makes the game look great on the GBA screen.
The music is also top notch in this game with several remixes of past songs from the franchise along with new mixes created for the game. The sound effects accompany the game and the music is a delight to listen to. The music and sound really adds an atmosphere to this game, making this RPG all the more unique.
The gameplay is similar to many RPGs of the world, where you control Mario and Luigi as they explore an overworld and accomplish goals. Like in Super Mario RPG you can see the enemies you can battle in the overworld, and like Paper Mario you can do a preemptive strike by jumping or hammering these enemies to gain an advantage in battle. The game focuses heavily on the A (Mario) and B (Luigi) buttons, which are used for not just commands but actions in the overworld and in battle. Battles are unique also with an easy to learn and hard to master battle system. The player controls Mario with A and Luigi with B, as they can use the standard hammer, jumps, and other special attacks solo.
However, both brothers can team up for a "Bros. Attack" (similar to Special/Magic attacks in traditional RPGs) that require you to co-ordinate and control both brothers in real time. These attacks do more damage, and mastering them can eventually help you in the long run battle wise. You can also defend the brothers with their buttons, as each enemy has a "tell" that lets you know who they'll attack. Simple enemies will be easier to avoid or defend against, while later enemies and bosses become complex and hard to defend against. The battle system is wonderful and a very unique and fun aspect of the game, making this one very different from traditional RPGs.
This game has it all, and I easily feel that it is the #1 GBA Game that any gamer could own. The gameplay, music, graphics, and story are all excellent, and create a truly wonderful experience. Though there isn't too much to do after finishing the main game (save side-quests and mini games), the game is so much fun you can find yourself easily picking this up again and doing the whole adventure just for fun. Because of these reasons, Mario and Luigi: SuperStar Saga is my #1 GBA game of al time. Happy playing, and join me for a new feature tomorrow on VidyaBridge.Also, as a bonus please enjoy the animated commercial for this game from Japan... makes me wish a series came from the art style!
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