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.
