5/5 ★ – TNGLiam's review of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.

This is hands down one of the most nostalgic games for me. I can recall so much of Bowser's Inside Story, despite not having played the game for a long time. So after my journey through all of the Mario RPG titles, I finally landed upon the one that felt the most familiar, so going into Bowser's Inside Story, I already had the expectation that this game was a undeniable masterpiece, and while after beating the main story, I still believe the game is undeniably amazing, the game isn't perfect at all times, but is damn close to it. The twist by adding Bowser to the gameplay is truly brilliant, and I believe it provides the most interesting and fulfilling gameplay of the Mario & Luigi series up to this point, to the point where I believe Bowser's battles are more interesting than Mario and Luigi's to a degree, although they soon become equal in fulfillment in the game's final third. Every overworld level is bright and filled with wonderous music by the amazing Yoko Shimomura. The enemies and characters that fill the world are not only more original than any other game prior (in my opinion), but they are also charming and memorable. The dialogue between all of the characters are funny, cute, original and interesting, and sometimes made me laugh out loud. I also appreciate the change in Bowser's character into becoming a more comical and comedic figure, being somewhat of a dunce instead of the "bruiting force" that he was in Superstar Saga and Partners in Time. Starlow is also a welcomed addition to the cast, serving a good role as the third-wheel for Mario and Luigi, allowing the player to understand the funny and memorable Italian-esc gibberish that the Bros exclusively speak in. The graphics in this game are also definitely some of the best sprite work the Mario cast has ever seen, being so incredibly vibrant, yet cartoony, original, and extremely appealing to look at and see animated. There's really nothing else like it that can beat it in my opinion. This game's story is also the most interesting (and of course original) yet, with the return of Fawful after only being Cackletta's sidekick in Superstar Saga, and his cameo that hints at his return inside Partners in Time, being a wonderful way to connect the events of the Mario & Luigi series, making a nice and concise canon, especially for a series like Mario. Continuing on this point, the game's entire plot and the events that take place in it flow into the next, with the Blorbs outbreak being a nice beginning point, that sets all the characters up to begin not only the game's story, but Fawful's plot to take over the world. The introduction of the Star Spirits into the Mario & Luigi series with Starlow also allows for the idea of the Dark Star, the game's other main villain, which for me is personally such a great and unique idea. Midbus is also a cool counter for Bowser, with his hog-based design also being very unique, along with all of the Fawful themed enemies placed throughout the game. For me, the game's final two hours will always be amazing. As soon as Bowser steps into Peach's Castle (which is now taken over by Fawful), the epic music begins to kick in as you soon fight Blizzard Midbus, then venture into the Airway as the Bros to fight the Dark Star, then fighting Dark Fawful as Bowser, and topped off with the absolute masterpiece of a final battle that is The Grand Finale, Dark Bowser. Said track, The Grand Finale, is hands down my favorite video game track of all time. The entire ending to the game is just so perfect in its execution and it just makes everything about this game so perfect in one nice and tidy bow. Unrelated, I personally believe that the areas inside Bowser that you play through with the Bros aren't as interesting, although I do believe the implantation of different parts of anatomy into the enemies and areas explored are definitely interesting and clever, but when the Bros finally leave Bowser, it was certainly a breath of fresh air despite Bowser getting more overall screen time. Something I did like though were the minigames sprinkled throughout the game that are used to further the plot. Things like the carrot eating minigame, the rhythm game used to increase Bowser's strength, the pushing minigame, and the top-down shooter used to increase Bowser's size, are all so fun to play, and I only wish there was an option somewhere in the game to replay them again. One kind of major gripe I have is with the very minimalist postgame. Sure, I don't expect much postgame material, as this is a 20+ hour RPG, but one thing you can look forward to is The Gauntlet, a mode where you can face off against harder versions of bosses fought throughout the game. And while I certainly enjoyed revisiting The Gauntlet every once in a while and facing off against the "X" super-bosses, once endgame roles around, it feels tedious. After fighting practically every enemy in my path, Mario and Luigi were around Level 35, with Bowser at Level 33 in terms of experience when I fought Dark Bowser, which was enough to defeat the final boss in minutes. The final two super-bosses, Dark Star X and Bowser X, essentially require you be at Level 40 for the first, and Level 50 for the second. The issue with this is the insane amount of grinding needed. It took me about two hours to get from Level 35 to Level 40 by fighting the highest level enemies in the game, and I was not about to do it again until I reached Level 50, so now I miss out on what might otherwise be a great final challenge. Other than that one tangent, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story is one of my favorite games of all time, and deserves to be placed on the pedestal of "Greatest Mario Games of all Time". It is such an absolute treat to the eyes with its wonderful graphics, a treat to the ears for it's phenomenal soundtrack, and is a glory to play through and experience. Please, I beg you to give this game a shot.