4.5/5 ★ – echocaustics's review of Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.

The internet has done damage to this games reputation. The many critisms and dismissals of it had me worried that my memories of it were wrong and that it would be a slog to play when I decided to briefly try it out again. Instead, I couldn't put it down and enjoyed it all the way through. It is true that the games combat is very unbalanced, and there are many ways to make bosses a joke, but mixing badges, getting rare gear and buffing yourself to that point is a satisfying experience in itself. The linearity is something people consider a deal breaker. I couldn't disagree more. There is almost no backtracking in this game, and the environments are designed well enough that I'm always engaged with each new challenge and then immediately greeted with a new one once I'm satisfied. My time never felt wasted, even when some dungeons got quite long. The positives are exactly what I love from the series. The writing is on point, memorable moments are constant, the background art and animations are beyond charming, and the music is phenomenal. In fact, I believe there are ways that it exceeds the other Mario and Luigi titles. The connections to other Mario titles are very fun. There's Star Hill from Super Mario RPG, Star Spirits from Paper Mario, Petey Piranha, and Shinesprites from Sunshine, E. Gadd from Luigi's Mansion, Yoshi's Island and the babies from Yoshi's Island, the castle theme from Mario 64, Fawful from Superstar Saga, and probably more I forgot. None of it feels like just cheeky cameos. It feels like the greater Mario universe being used in a way that works for a story. Something that modern Mario games have avoided for a long time. The setting is uniquely dark. The oppression, destruction, and corruption of the parasitic alien forces is felt everywhere. There's even a reference to face huggers from the Alien franchise. It gives the game much more flavor than the standard cheery Mario worlds. It's definitely a Mario game that wouldn't be made today, and it deserves to be experienced for that reason alone.