The next best thing to New Super Mario Bros. 2: Jeff and Scott uncover Bowser's Inside Story

What's scarier than running through a dragon-turtle's insides? We have no idea.

(Credit: Nintendo)

After a long hiatus, there are suddenly a handful of memorable, worthwhile titles for the Nintendo DS: Chinatown Wars, Rhythm Heaven, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, and most recently Scribblenauts. It took Nintendo, however, to save the best for last.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story might sound, at first read, like a kid's title. It's not; in fact, it's the third in a series of unique role-playing games featuring Mario, Luigi, and the rest of Nintendo's immortal cast of Mushroom Kingdom characters. The last in the series, Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time, came out for the DS back in 2005. In case you've never played before, you have to understand that it's barely a role-playing game at all: yes, Mario and Luigi level up, collect items, and go on an adventure, but battles unfold as real-time quick-reflex minigames, and much of the story unfolds with a completely absurd sense of humor. This series of games might be Nintendo's best-kept secret in its first-party lineup. We played it, and yes, we loved it. Here's why.

The top screen's for Bowser, the bottom zooms in on his guts.

(Credit: Gamespot)

Scott:
Bowser's Inside Story adds additional strange wrinkles to an already trippy Mario universe: the game follows Mario's giant fire-breathing nemesis Bowser, who has inexplicably grown huge and sucked people into his gut, Mario and Luigi included. The upper screen follows Bowser while the lower screen focuses on the Mario brothers, who find themselves navigating Bowser's digestive tract in a series of side-scrolling levels. It sounds like a game best enjoyed on hallucinogens, but the formula adds up to a hybrid action/adventure with many hours of gameplay. It's also commendable because Inside Story uses nearly every button the DS has to offer, and does so cleverly. Like its predecessor, Partners in Time, character attacks and special moves are assigned to specific buttons on the Nintendo pad, split between A/B for Mario and Luigi and X/Y for Bowser.

The side scrolling levels are no New Super Mario Bros., but the puzzle-solving and mild platforming they bring to the table are the next best thing. Which brings another question to mind, unfortunately: if the Mario & Luigi series was able to get a second game on the DS, why hasn't there been a New Super Mario Bros. 2?

Nintendo seems to shy away from giving its biggest-ticket games sequels on the same platform. While some exceptions have been made, such as the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, we're still waiting on follow-ups to 2006's New Super Mario Bros. and 2006's Mario Kart DS. And while we're at it, why hasn't F-Zero ever been released in DS form? But, I digress from the game at hand.

In short: Bowser's Inside Story is the type of Nintendo game we've been waiting for since 2007. Don't be put off by the title.

Jeff:
Bowser's Inside Story may just fill the Super Mario Bros. platforming void that has inflicted the Nintendo DS over the past year. Sure, it's not as polished as an in-house Mario game, but there are still plenty of familiar levels and gameplay elements that are likely to pacify fans of the classic side-scrolling genre.

Side-scrolling Mario returns, sort of.

(Credit: Gamespot)

We do need to note, however, that this title isn't strictly a platform action game. At its core, Bowser's Inside Story is a role-playing game, but it doesn't always necessarily play like one. You'll need to casually pay attention to some numbers and stats, but like a lot of friendlier role-playing games, most upgrades and level-ups are done for you.

Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story is another notable gem among a seemingly endless drought of quality titles for the Nintendo portable. It's definitely a must-have for fans of the previous Mario and Luigi RPG title, and Inside Story is even more accessible and satisfying than its predecessor.

[gameking23]

This game is AWSOME I will play it over and over.

[RockaTech]

This game looks fun especially since its not just a recycled "port" like new super mario bros 2. Seriously how many times can they convince people to buy the same game? I fell for it when I got it for DS and I was bored just 2 hours in. Nintendo is doing a good job in providing original or somewhat original games for the DS but they are terrible in providing quality games for the Wii. Eww.

[Fernandobeto]

Hey New Super Mario Bros 2 is going to be a full fledged game, not a "port". The four player co-op, the FIRST in a Mario platforming adventure, will be worth the price of admission alone. Nintendo has a really good series of games together, the problem they have is they need to promote it in any way possible, the way Microsoft does with their mediocre games that sell a bunch. This online promotion for a free Wii, this is the kind of stuff Nintendo needs to do, but for individual games. It's all about brand names these days.

http://www.gamesncs.com/rd_p?p=192108&t=9528&a=13190-wii&gift=3679

[docstar7]

"Hey New Super Mario Bros 2 is going to be a full fledged game, not a "port". The four player co-op, the FIRST in a Mario platforming adventure, will be worth the price of admission alone."

Really? Because I could care less, and that's a sentiment that is shared by just about everyone I know. If it's got Wifi multi player then maybe, but from everything I've read it doesn't, so I'll pass. Honestly the only reason I'm keeping the Wii is for Metroid: Other M, that and i doubt there's any resale value on it, as everyone and their mother and grandmother have one.

[joeytalia]

Dude, we are in the twenty first century!! Why doesn't nintendo make the graphics better? It still looks like I'm playing SNES, or even NES.

[Rod Roddy]

The DS/DSi is not a graphic powerhouse, Nintendo knows this, so they secretly lace the games with a bit of the cocaina to get people hooked.

[joefosho619]

Nintendo needs a reality check. IMPROVE YOUR GRAPHICS. Its 2009 not 1989.

[sahilk]

but ppl still like that :(

[trgdr777]

Really?
I sincerely hope you're joking, but in case you aren't...

It's a 2D Mario RPG for crying out loud. I'm guessing you don't own a DS or else you'd know that The DS has plenty of 2D games with higher detail as well as fully 3D games that utilize the system's admittedly limited horsepower quite well. Just look at the 2.5D presentation in New Super Mario Bros. However not every game is supposed to look like that. It's a style decision, and some people happen to enjoy this look. Sure it's retro, but it's supposed to be. There's some fantastic art in there.

I wish more people would understand that art direction will always be more important than graphical horsepower. On the tech side, everything's going to look outdated eventually, but great art design will continue to look good.

[gregconner786]

1989 was better in pretty much every way to 2009!!! Lets see: TV was much better, diverse sitcom, good comedies and great stars. Movies? Lets not get started, we had movies back then with original themes and scenarios. In this day and age we are just living off what the 80's started, i.e. Indiana Jones and Transformers anyone? Sports? 80's had Jordan, and Gretzky, enough said. And it had the most awesome and original games (honestly from about 84-95). From the first mario and zelda to punch out, mega-man ninja gaiden. The games of today are more impressive, but they clearly lack charm of simlpler and much more enjoyable games. In my concluding statments, I will leave with you with a story of my friend who had just settled in the US. He decided he wanted to try video games, so he purchased a PS3 and Assasin's creed. The next day he told me he returned both the game and the system. When I had asked why, he replied: 3 hours is too much time to learn the controls for one [explitive] game.

[hakeis1]

Nintendo won the console war but they lost the game war. After three years of existance they have only a small handful of games worth mentioning. They are going to be like Sega here real soon. The only good thing they got going is the DS. As for Mario Brothers goes, it's just another atempt to get kiddy's to spend their money on a known title rather than a quality game. Nintendo yor emmbarassing youself and everyone assosiated with you.

[thinkingjohn]

You know, it's amazing to hear people complain about graphics not being top-notch or bloody or overly violent, etc. And to say Nintendo lost the game wars is about the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard, Nintendo doesn't even market for the same crowd! The Nintendo WII/DSi are not targeted for hard-core gamers! It never was. It was targeted at families and getting people together (for the wii) as well as casual gaming (for both).

Here's a clue for all those that spend hours upon hours playing games, not everyone likes diving into games of ultra-intense violence and promiscuity and engulfing our lives into to them. That's why Nintendo has been so successful, it brings the genre of games that us (the casual gamers) don't mind buying. And though graphics used in most hardcore games are quite impressive, that doesn't make them any more fun than playing Wii Sports with friends and family. I've actually had more fun playing board games like monopoly and risk with friends and family than the games that are out for the PS3/XBOX (and admittedly, even some Wii games).

So I guess in short what I'm trying to say is, shut up and stop complaining that every game doesn't appeal to you. It's all a matter of preference.

[bigsel]

looking to have fun