11-Jan-2004 Nintendo's dungareed duo return for some sublime RPG antics - highly recommended We've been dissing Nintendo for its lazy Mario remakes on GBA and guess what we get in return? An all-new, unique Mario adventure, that's what. A chubbilicious smoothie of quality handheld gaming, mixing platforming and role-playing. Cool.
Follow The Leader Your quest begins when the brothers crashland in Beanbean Kingdom and have to find their way home, rescuing Princess Peach's lost voice along the way. Missions are seamlessly blended, with the game playing more like Zelda than Mario.
Where it differs, however, is in the battles. These are turn-based, but with elements of real-time combat. Button presses during each player's turn add power to your attacks, or help you defend by leaping Bullet Bills or hammers coming at you from behind enemy lines. It's a cool mixture, and a brand new way to play Mario.
The one problem with the game is that cycling through the Brothers' many different moves and skills with the shoulder buttons isn't very streamlined. The way you have to make both moustachioed dudes jump to scale obstacles is also a bit whiffy. Aside from these niggles, it's a cracking role-player that should appeal to more than just orc-lovers. We're still going to get our moan in, though. Why does it come bundled with the same sorry old multiplayer Mario seen in the other games? Bah!
One of the best things about Superstar Saga is the game's quirky sense of humour. Mario opens the game in his underwear, Luigi does the monkey on the level-up screen and you meet crazy folks like Blablanadon, the pteradon-like dude who just won't shut up. Mental.
Fill Mario with water then get Luigi to leap onto his bro for instant firehose action
The humour transfers into the game mechanics for solving puzzles, too
// Double Team Dudes
Two brothers are better than one, particularly in battle. Special Bros Attacks are tricky to pull off, but the damage dished out if successful is well worth the busted fingers. The Brothers learn more moves as they gain new items and abilities, too.
Now quickly press A when Mazza glows red to give Luigi a height boost. He’s not such a midget now
Finish the move with a well-timed tap of B to boost the move’s power even more
Luigi starts his Bounce Bros Attack. Press B when he flashes green
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