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Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time Review - DS

Introduction

The DS sequel to the GBA's Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, Partners in Time begins with the invasion of a race of mushroom-esque aliens called Shroobs.

Entering the Mushroom Kingdom through a time vortex created by Princess Peach's test flight of Professor E. Gadd's time machine, Mario and Luigi are forced to travel between time periods to rescue a pair of kidnapped Princess Peaches.

In their adventure they come across their younger selves, joining forces to fight off the Shroobs, past and present, and win back their respective royal.

Developed by Intelligent Systems, Partners in Time unfolds like a regular RPG. By travelling to and through varied lands (desert, snow and fire all inclusive!) and meeting strange new people (not to mention a bevy of familiar faces, friend and foe alike) Mario, Luigi, Mario and Luigi recover the Cobalt Star, the item needed to drive back the Shroob invasion.

Gameplay

The control method is unique and interesting, with each character receiving one face button for their actions. It lends itself to plenty of interesting puzzles and mini games but it truly shines when it comes to the game's battles.

Enemy encounters are not random, a nice break from one of the most loathed features of RPGs, they begin when you encounter one of the many varied enemies that populate the Mushroom Kingdom overworld.

The battles are turn based and rely heavily on timing and reflexes to give you the upper edge, not only when attacking but when defending. Selecting the right attack is crucial to dealing defeat to your would be tormentors but the real fun is the attacks themselves.

Rather than rely on random “dice rolls”, Mario and Luigi allows you to deal massive damage by correctly timing button presses as you hit your enemy. It stops combat from becoming too boring and keeps you on your toes, instead of just selecting the same attack from a menu every round.

What's more, the varied enemies, and strategies needed to overcome them, make every new area it's own unique battlefield. Boss fights are enjoyable, with original ideas for enemies as well as tactics needed to see the better of them.

Using special items, from familiar fire flowers to chain chomps, unfolds like its own mini game. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed the battles in a turn based RPG this much.

Exploration and puzzle solving outside the arena is just as entertaining. The puzzles often require you to separate the babies from the grown ups and “tag” between them as they work together to solve the problem.

The story seems to drag out in the last half of the game, lugging on a little too long. With a few predictable plot twists, some odd side quests and a bevy of Nintendo's typical blend of quirky and cute characters, the (continued next page)