The Mario brothers return again on another RPG adventure for Nintendo's dual screen portable. And this time, they're not alone… they have their infant counterparts joining them on a time traveling adventure. Following the outline set by the loveable Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga, Partners in Time promises even more of what made the first game so great.
For the most part, the gameplay remains similar to the first installment. It's a lighthearted RPG, with fairly traditional gameplay focusing on active battle reaction commands and special ability & team work based puzzles. With Mario and Luigi and their miniature versions, there are plenty of new moves and gameplay mechanics at your disposal. Not only do you have to control a pair of brothers (Mario with Baby Mario and Luigi with Baby Luigi) but you also have to control split teams at times with the babies making one team and the normal pair.
Gameplay stays away from making much use of the DS's features besides the dual screens. Really, that's not a bad thing as controlling the brothers using the face buttons works fines. The controls are a bit more complex to control this time around but the steady learning curve and in game tutorials help a lot. As with the predecessor, the difficultly curves up very nicely as you progress. The reaction commands during battle return and are a bit easier to pull off this time which is nice. New enemies, new moves, new faces, new locations all make their appearances of course. All in all, the gameplay is just as good as the last adventure.
While there is nothing wrong with the gameplay, the game does suffer from repetition and a bit of excessive puzzling near the final quarter of the game. Some of the tasks feel repetitive and drags down what should have been the most exciting part of the game. It seems as though the developers had a working formula in the last game but this time around they overdid it. But the game remains enjoyable for the most part and so far this is the only good RPG for the DS. It will last a good while, clocking in at a nice 20 hours or so but some real side quests would have been nice.
One look and listen at Partners in Time will make it appear as though they were not improved form the last game. While the games runs at a high resolution and looks much sharper, it's hard to notice any graphical improvements. The audio quality fairs just fine and the music is good overall. Nothing that pushes the DS hardware but for a 2D game, it looks and sounds great.
If there is a major fault with this game, it's the lack of humor. The game just isn't as funny as the previous installment. One of the most charming things about Superstar Saga was the humor in nearly everything: the animation, the vocal clips, and the especially story. Its not boring to say the least, it still has its moments, but definitely shy of all the moments in Superstar Saga. It's enjoyable enough to drive the game along at the very least.
A worthy follow up no doubt, Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time is a great RPG and will help to satisfy fans of the genre for a little bit. Cleaver design, luscious graphics, upbeat story, and a unique battle system deliver a solid game. Hampered only by a bit of tedious gameplay near the end and the reduction in humor, the game easily shows why good design beats out flash any day.
Overall: A good RPG that delivers traditional and new elements all around.
-Vinny
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