So with Mario & Luigi 3!!!1 released today, I figured that I should get going on the series. I popped in my copy of the original game and started it up via the Gamecube’s Gameboy player. I’m having fun.
I don’t know why the decision to make the RPG versions of Mario’s adventures very light hearted and goofy came up, but I do not mind this decision. Even in Japanese, where my understanding of jokes is minimal at best, I get hearty chuckles while playing. The treatment of Luigi as a second class citizen probably has some history that I’m not to sure of, or a simple explanation that I can’t think of, but it still works to make the game a riot.
The battle system is also very neat. Unlike a lot of modern RPGs, you do very little damage and have very little hit points. Scoring a perfectly timed hit, that is pressing the button again before your attack hits, is very much a requirement to speeding up battles and taking minimal damage. Being able to avoid most attacks is also helpful in going with this pattern. Items are still readily available so no real danger is often felt, but being able to go through battles quickly and without taking damage brings a particular enjoyment.
I’ve run into two mini games so far, and I’d rather I don’t run into any more. I know they go with the game’s themes of “Roleplaying and …” but I tend to be awful at these bonus games and sometimes my progression is hindered by them. Yes, I am blaming the game for my sucking, but hell, just like how I didn’t buy Halo 3 to fucking race, I didn’t buy Mario & Luigi to jump in mine-carts.
Still, I’m having a grand ol’ time.
- Yes, the exclamation marks are part of the name. [↩]
