#but under Bowser's influence I would say that the new Luigi would not hesitate go along with that idea (or any of Bowser's ideas really)

[itsamenickname]

Ooo, I got a fun Bowuigi plot twist for y'all:

Instead of Luigi influencing Bowser to become a better person/Koopa, what if Bowser accidentally influenced Luigi to become more like him?

How do you think Mario would react to finding out that his sweet and innocent baby brother isn't so sweet and innocent anymore?

[intrepidprogrammer]

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions review

I finally completed Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions, so it’s time for a review.

Superstar Saga proper

This is not going to be a traditional review, given that this part is a remake of the 2003 game, which has already been extensively reviewed. So it is the same as the classic? I am not going to answer that question, as it is fraught with peril; rather, depending on your situation I am going to give you the elements in order for you to decide whether to play it.

If you played the original and enjoyed it: then get and play this remake, it has everything you liked from the original while doing away with some annoyances; you never know, you might notice things you missed the first time round.

That’s nice and all, buster, but these days I don’t have the same kind of time I used to have 15 years ago: that is a legitimate concern: the game will take on the order of 20 hours to complete, so is it worth it? Compared to the original, there are some additions, the main three of which is that you will get to execute advanced bros. actions (there were advanced bros. actions in the original, but they were very hard to execute properly, nigh impossible to discover, and absolutely impossible to train for at your leisure), the music box, with both the original and the remade versions Of Yoko Shimomura’s excellent themes, and Bowser’s Minions, whose review will follow shortly; note that you can start playing Bowser’s Minions early in Mario and Luigi’s quest, but you must complete the main game before you can get to the final battle of Bowser’s Minions. It’s up to you to decide whether this is something you want to spend money and hours for.

If you played the original but had trouble with it: you should play or at least try out this remake, which has done away with a number of annoyances in the original, so you may find it enjoyable this time. Notably, controls are much easier to understand, there are now heart blocks that will restore all life and flower points for free all over the overworld, there is a minimap so it is much harder to get lost now, the occasional solo fights are no longer absurdly hard, you can flee any time for free anyway, bros. moves are easier to execute and you can train for them in a special mode, you can keep the hammer held high for as long as you need in a fight, etc.

If you never played the original: you should read a review of the original (which are still easily available thanks to the Internet), keeping in mind if necessary some of the changes I mentioned, to help you decide whether to play it; as far as I am concerned, it is a classic that everyone should play.

While I cannot claim completeness, I have listed the changes I noticed from the original under the cut.

Bowser’s Minions

Bowser’s minions is a completely different game of… let’s just say squad combat; the closest reference I have for this is Heroes of Might and Magic, complete with a hero and its spells (here called a captain and its actions, respectively) and strategic triangle: flying beats melee which beats ranged which beats flying. Except here the strategic triangle is backwards from HoMM, which takes some getting used to (don’t worry about this if you’ve never played HoMM).

Another specificity is that not only the battle is real-time, but it will happen without needing your input in any way: you’re almost reduced to a spectator… almost, because you can intervene by helping your minions accomplish their special abilities (a special attack innate to your minion) to maximum effectiveness, and by having the captain perform one of his actions (i.e. spells). The latter actions use captain points (i.e. mana), and that is where you have the most strategic input, as you often have to fight multiple squads in sequence, and while your troops are entirely healed between two enemy squads, your captain will only recover a limited number of captain points, so use them wisely and to maximum effect.

Beyond that, since the minions will fight even without your input, the other main strategic input is in the composition of your squad, or rather squads, as you may need a different makeup depending of what you will fight (remember the strategic triangle). You can recruit minions of a given type by going back to a fight where they are in play (opposite you, obviously), then you can train them by having them, guess what, fight, until they are ready for the fight you prepared them for. There are interesting interactions, documented in the description for the minions in question, beyond even the strategic triangle: for instance, shy guys will obliterate lakitus; however, not all such interactions turn out to be worth taking advantage of. You have numerous other possibilities for preparing your squad prior to a battle, such as feeding your minions bonuses (either experience or to a specific skill), or selecting the captain actions he will have available, or trying to take advantage of a squad bonus.

I really wish there was more possibility for control, especially when minions get matched to go head to head with one another. You can influence this by reordering the minions in your squad, but only in a minor way, as melee will always get matched first, followed by flying (ranged don’t get matched except if a flying or melee in front of them is still unmatched), so you can only influence matching by reordering within these groups. And even then, you’d better predict well as you can’t really know the makeup in front of you before you’re already engaged in battle… not to mention you can’t change the ordering in-between two enemy squads in the same sequence, so efforts to influence matching by reordering minions are usually pointless. I also wish there were more captain actions available: some of the actions you can only get at random from the random bonus action would be very useful to invoke consistently (e.g. damaging all of the enemy’s melee troops).

Still, I appreciate the fact they are taking a bold stance with an interaction paradigm where it’s the choices you make in preparation that matter most: you can’t save your way by micromanagement like some sort of overbearing boss. The input you do have in combat is just enough to keep you an attentive spectator instead of growing bored watching a fight go on autopilot. And even with the limited interaction it does have good strategic depth, both with squad composition and with captain points management.

The story is nothing to write home about, in particular it does not fit especially well with the main story (even though it is supposed to). I will admit, however, that the creators have not lost any of the wit Superstar Saga is famous for.

My tips:

When fighting mixed squads that do not feature a given group (e.g. no flying), then go all in with a squad only composed of units weak against the missing type.

However, when fighting squads featuring all groups, then you will have to field a balanced squad. My advice: don’t hesitate to put 3 or even 4 ranged minions for best firepower, but make sure they have good defense so that, when they get matched with a melee troop, they can resist a bit until another minion can come to their rescue.

Spend captain points wisely. For instance, don’t bother blocking enemy special attacks when it is clear the enemy is in a losing position (and typically you’ve already lost at least one guy so it is no longer possible to aim for the +10% experience bonus). Remember, you don’t recharge captain points fully between successive squads.

Special attacks pretty much ignore the strategic triangle (e.g. flying minions will often dodge melee attacks, but they can’t dodge special attacks from the same melee minions), so the best moment to use captain points is for boosting the morale when facing a squad your minions are somewhat weak against (e.g. an all melee squad when you have more ranged than flying in yours).

However, in case you are completely weak (e.g. you face an all-ranged squad with your all-flying squad), then only the captain duel action, exclusive to captain Goomba, can possibly save your butt… better hope you’re not facing a flying captain.

The beam special attack of giant boos is very dangerous, especially to the opposite captain: you can easily lose from them only, with your captain having otherwise never been hit. When you are facing one, or worse, multiple giant boos, save your captain points exclusively to blocking the special attacks from these giant boos and no other enemy.

Appendix A: Local changes to Superstar Saga.

There is a new nuts vendor in Uf village.

Stairsteps have added to access the block just south of where guards check you have the brooch to enter the woods.

New role for the shop South-East of the bridge in the middle of Beanbean castle town: rewards for achievements.

Coffee shop blends only take 10 beans, down from 25.

Gift-giving moles no longer have sunglasses.

Viruses (when combined) and erlenmeyers (when attacking) make music now.

You can now go as high as you want when swimming.

No more Geno.

Nice addition: The flags on the pirate ship are now floating in the wind.

The minimap makes it much easier to find your way (and locate whirlwinds) in the ocean. Perhaps a little bit too easy, but before it was a chore.

The icebergs in the background of Joke’s end now move.

They simplified the 4th cylinders stage in Joke’s end: you no longer need to invoke electricity.

The new northern lights in Joke’s end are quite nice looking.

Fighting solo in Joke’s end is definitely no longer the absurd “do everything right every time or you’re toast” challenge it used to be: you meet enemies only one or two at a time.

The posters were changed in Yoshi theater to reference more recent games, in particular Mario & Luigi RPGs released since then

One of the Koopa kids fight on Bowser’s castle was changed wholesale into a puzzle fight.

Appendix B: General changes to Superstar Saga.

Oh, music box, do I love you…

Advanced bros. moves in combat are now easier to discover and execute, and you can now train for them at your leisure (regular bros. moves are easier, as well).

There are heart blocks everywhere in the overworld to recharge both life and flower points at will.

You can keep the hammer held high for as long as you need in a fight.

There is a new boo biscuit item to use in combat to protect yourself against attacks (never used it)

Mario remains controlled by A even when in the back for preparation of spin.

Also, no more way to have Luigi in the front for « ordinary » times.

Both of those modify the explanations given (by the toads and the sergeant bros).

No longer recharged after a boss battle.

New 3D design, though characters don’t feel polygon-based.

Music resampled, enriched, etc.

Minimap!!!!!! I love you almost as much as the music box.

So enemies have a level which is communicated to us now…

With the “second jump”, I think they attempted to better materialize the fact we “succeeded” in the initial timed hit.

Save points (e.g. mount Uf Ufross) are no longer named. :(

Boss fights are definitely easier (how easier depends on the fight, some still require stamina), at least at the start.

Green pipes in more places: Uf village for instance

Many new objets, e.g. bondibottes.

Hand techniques sound effects completely redone.

Water cyclones (e.g. in first underwater section after learning behind hand techniques) don’t seem to be necessary anymore, but they are still there…

Dynamic with hammer in the overworld has entirely changed: easier to use in the field thanks to the analog stick which allows approach from any side, no longer stuns, « only » slows down but also damages, making it almost a better jump…

At equivalent level characters appear to have more hp.

Climbing up stairs no longer slows characters down.

Fleeing is now free, you can flee even when the other brother is “on the ground”, and fleeing makes the enemy disappear in the overworld!

Money is no longer capped at 9999.

In general the game feels harder as you go on, but generally fairer. For instance in the original I can breeze through the first stage of Bowletta’s fight in a mere two turns (without being overly trained); I can’t in the remake. However in the original Cackletta’s spirit attacks you first in the second part of the fight (where you have only 1 hit point), so unless you’ve already mastered dodging her attacks, your game is directly over and you need to start over from the beginning of the fight; in the remake you get to act first in order to take a shroom or nut so you can resist better.