As the ever-reliable Switch nears the end of its journey, Nintendo is putting its longtime experience on display with a lineup of familiar, fan-favorite entries—though none quite break through into full-on blockbuster territory—across its biggest established franchises. We’ve already seen a throwback Zelda that steps away from the usual sprawling open-world formula, alongside the last wave of Mario side stories spilling into next year: another Mario vs Donkey Kong, one more Mario Party, and a remaster of Luigi’s Mansion 2. Still, the most compelling send-off Nintendo is delivering to the Mushroom Kingdom this cycle is the long-awaited return of the handheld-born Mario & Luigi series—last refreshed with a new installment nine years ago on the 3DS.
Fans of the Mario & Luigi games—where gentle RPG sensibilities meet platforming, comedy, and turn-based clashes—should feel right at home here. This new entry largely sticks to what the series already does best, avoiding any bold attempts to reinvent its core formula. Nintendo has also mentioned that some members of the production team are returning from earlier installments in the franchise, even though long-time developer Alpha Dream shut down back in 2015. That said, Nintendo hasn’t shared the specific names or the total number of returning staff, continuing its customary approach of keeping development credits under wraps until after launch.
As you’d expect, the Mario brothers team up again for a fresh adventure centered on cooperation. The game offers puzzles and mechanics built around the idea of pairing two fairly even protagonists. Mario remains in the lead for most of the exploration in the overworld; while he moves around, Luigi automatically trails behind—he sprints when Mario runs and jumps when Mario jumps. Even so, the taller brother still gets chances to shine. Separate buttons control each sibling’s hammer strike, which is used to clear obstacles and uncover power-ups. Luigi also has distinct moments and areas where he can activate a new ability—Luigi Logic—just by pressing the L button. During these sections, you can split Luigi away from Mario to smash crates, collect items, or take part in a few more thought-driven puzzles that work best when the brothers operate on their own.
One puzzle asks you to guide the brothers through a circular maze. They split up so Luigi can trigger controls that rotate sections of the maze, while Mario waits atop a lookout tower. Because the gap between them grows, the camera pulls back to deliver a top-down view of the solution. It’s a smart way to reinforce—within the story’s own logic—that Mario and Luigi are working together, trading responsibilities and, in my mind at least, calling instructions back and forth as the maze shifts.
Brothership’s turn-based battles rely just as much on both characters. Fights begin when an enemy skitters nearby or when either brother is hit by a ranged attack. Enemies are common, and avoiding them on narrow paths can be difficult—so the encounters can feel a little relentless when your real goal is simply to reach the next area. The good news is that you can exit battles without harsh penalties, and selecting the in-fight option to flee doesn’t seem to carry the kind of failure risk you might expect.
In moderation, then, battles are satisfying—mostly because of the series’ mix of timed offense and defense. In a style reminiscent of Paper Mario classics, Mario and Luigi alternate between stomping foes or striking with their hammers, with certain enemies effectively “calling” for one approach over the other (as always, jumping on spiky enemies and hurting your feet is a poor idea). Better-timed button inputs translate into stronger attacks and longer combo strings, as both brothers spring into action together. You can also spend a limited set of attack points to trigger Bro Moves—special maneuvers that start a timed chain of button prompts involving both siblings. For example, they can toss Koopa shells back and forth between each other’s feet before landing a heavy finishing blow.
These Bro Moves can start to feel a bit familiar, though the game gradually unlocks more options as you progress, which adds some welcome variety. Battles can also feel slightly different each time thanks to the Battle Plugs (yes, that’s the name Nintendo uses), which act as combat modifiers. You can enable a small set of Plugs at once, with each one lasting for a set number of turns before going on cooldown. Some of the Plugs I tested boosted damage, increased the chance of status effects, or made counters easier to pull off. Later on, you’ll also be able to build your own Plugs if you want to tailor the experience further.
Finally, it’s worth calling out the variety in enemy attacks, since you need to watch closely to defend yourself. Some airborne opponents swoop down to carry off a brother, while others fire ranged strikes that call for quick jumps to avoid. There are also enemies that move around and surround you, requiring a correctly timed hammer counter to push them back. Each foe appears to come with several attack patterns—some even dart off-screen and then return to target the other sibling—so there’s always something to respond to. If you fail to evade, your health drops fast, or you may get hit with status effects that cost you turns. When you guard successfully, you can avoid damage entirely and punish your attackers with extra hits if your timing is on point.
The focus on battles is pretty noticeable here because I spent a large chunk of my time with Brothership working through a couple of early stages. Nintendo is still holding back most of the game’s story-driven narrative for now, but here are the essentials: Mario and Luigi explore a brand-new ocean realm called Concordia, home to beings and animals with appliance-like features (one key ally, Snoutlet, is part piggy bank and part power socket). You’ll use a hub aboard Shipshape Island, a ship-shaped floating landmass. From there, you plot its path using a sea map—steering through route-style ocean currents to dock at various islands that function as the game’s levels. These areas seem to offer lots of space to wander, and they’re packed with people to talk to and shops where you can pick up items that strengthen your abilities.
There’s some light platforming, though early on it never feels like more than a subtle callback to Mario’s long-running legacy. Most walking exploration doesn’t require jumping, even though Mario and Luigi can later unlock other movement tools. These include an oddball option that lets them combine and transform into a UFO—a UF-Bro —which lets them hover to reach areas you can’t access any other way. I’ve been told more abilities will open up as the adventure continues.
Watching the brothers shift into a spacecraft, getting caught off guard by a complicated enemy attack pattern during combat, and setting out to collect hair wax for a forgotten Concordian pop idol—there’s plenty in Mario & Luigi: Brothership that kept putting a smile on my face. (And for players who love the series, it’s also good to see several familiar names return, including series staple Starlow.) Even if some aspects of Brothership will feel familiar, it’s genuinely satisfying to reunite with Mario and Luigi again after such a long break.