Summary

• Mario & Luigi: Brothership signals a promising new entry in the series and a potential shift in the Mario franchise's direction.
• Although it's too early to know what the game will be like, it's a chance for Mario & Luigi to return to form.
• Recent releases like Super Mario Wonder suggest that Nintendo is experimenting and taking risks with its beloved franchise.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership is looking like an exciting new entry to the Mario & Luigi series, but in a larger sense, it also seems like the clearest indication yet that Mario games as a whole are headed back in the right direction. Mario is an iconic gaming mascot for a reason, and even the less exciting games that bear his name tend to be generally fun. Not all of his potential is always tapped, however, and it's disappointing whenever the Mario franchise settles for simply being entertaining.

Revealed at the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, Mario & Luigi: Brothership is the first entirely new game in the Mario & Luigi series since 2015's Paper Mario crossover Paper Jam. The title of the new entry is more than just a goofy way of saying brotherhood, as sailing across the seas in an island-like ship is central to the new adventure. It's the first time that a Mario & Luigi game has come to a home console of any sort, following the lead of franchises like Pokémon in embracing the hybrid status of the Switch.

Mario RPGs Might Finally Be Able To Thrive Again

Mario & Luigi: Brothership Could Be The Dawn Of A New Era

A key tenet of the Mario & Luigi series is that they're always role-playing games, running alongside the Paper Mario series as natural successors to the original Super Mario RPG. Although the more story-focused side of Mario games has never received quite the same mainstream attention as his platforming and karting outings, the Mario & Luigi games have always received consistently strong reviews and cultivated a ionate fanbase. A fun combat system that puts an emphasis on timing and narratives that embrace both humor and heart make the experiences compelling, even if the action isn't quite as fast-paced.

Nintendo, however, hasn't always showered Mario RPGs with love, and the 2010s especially didn't necessarily feel like the best time to be a fan of Mario & Luigi or Paper Mario. While entries on the 3DS and Wii U continued to review well, they tended to feel less ambitious in their RPG elements, from narrative complexity to gameplay innovations. There's been little information and a lot of speculation about the internal rules surrounding new creations, but whatever the situation is, the streak of brilliance that once brought Mario RPGs into the limelight has definitely diminished.

Getting Mario & Luigi remakes on the 3DS was a nice way to experience some of the best Mario adventures again, even if it wasn't as exciting as new games that matched their heights might have been. In the remake realm, however, things started to get particularly interesting with the Switch remakes of Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Both games are often upheld as particular peaks for Mario RPGs, and Nintendo putting significant effort into loyal remakes wasn't exactly something that most fans expected.

With Mario & Luigi: Brothership, it feels like real progress in that realm might actually be happening again. Although it's too early to tell if Brothership will earn a place as one of the best games in the Mario & Luigi series, it does seem genuinely ambitious in a way that's encouraging. The focus looks like it's on Mario and Luigi once more (a trend toward heavy emphasis on ing characters was a common cause for complaint in recent Mario & Luigi games), and a new visual style feels fresh thanks to the Switch's increased hardware allowances.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder Showed Nintendo's Creativity

2D Mario Platformers Moved Away From A Period Of Stagnation

The feeling of progress finally coming for Mario games isn't restricted to only the RPGs, and the 2023 release of Super Mario Bros. Wonder also offered something genuinely new. 2D Mario platformers spent a long time stuck in the New Super Mario Bros. mode, which was consistently fun but frustratingly uninspired. While the first NSMB game on DS felt like a breath of fresh air in the mid-2000s, by the time the 3DS entry limped into the picture with a weak coin collection gimmick and mediocre levels, it seemed obvious that the formula had played its course.

Super Mario Wonder, on the other hand, is willing to be weird, with all kinds of strange effects, fascinating enemies, and clever gameplay shakeups to make it stand out. Nintendo is at its best when it's willing to take risks, and Super Mario Wonder proved that the company can still experiment with its most beloved franchise. It's a sign that bodes well for what Mario & Luigi: Brothership might be allowed to try, and even something that doesn't quite stick the landing could be memorable if it takes enough risks.

There's Still A Lot That's Unknown About Mario's Future

It's Easy To Be Hopeful Even Without Answers

It's important to note that Nintendo hasn't yet clarified what team is behind Mario & Luigi: Brothership, which could be coming from several different sources under the publisher's umbrella. AlphaDream, the studio traditionally known for the Mario & Luigi games, unfortunately declared bankruptcy and closed its doors in 2019. That financial struggle is all the more reason why Nintendo putting the series back into action is surprising, but the enormous success of the Switch could definitely help attract more attention to this entry.

A couple of possible candidates for the studio behind Mario & Luigi: Brothership are Next Level Games and Camelot Software, both studios with Mario experience that haven't released a new game in two or three years.

A successor to the Nintendo Switch is expected to launch sometime in 2025, and it could also bring some exciting new Mario titles with it. Even if something like a potential Super Mario Odyssey 2 could attract more attention and acclaim, however, the fact that a game like Mario & Luigi: Brothership is coming out at all might be the best proof that the Mario games are alive and kicking. With Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door having both returned in the past year, getting a third, completely new Mario RPG is a fantastic cherry on top.