Bowser: The Best Thing since Babies

[Burley]

I loved Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. I loved it.
I bought Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. I love it even more.

I laughed out loud during the training fight, when Luigi rolled over while napping.
I giggled like a school girl when I got in my first Bowser fight.

The battle mechanics are similar to the first Mario & Luigi, e.g. Special Attacks use 'points' and not items.
The boss fights are super fun, especially when you're dealing 100's of points with Bowser, swallowing them, letting the Bros. stomp 'em a bit.
I also like the equipment system. Badges were... frustrating. The gloves/socks/rings and pants/shells they have going works great.

Also, Hot Drumstick.

So, who got it and who loves it?

[Green-Shirt Q]

I loved Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. I loved it.
I bought Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. I love it even more.

I laughed out loud during the training fight, when Luigi rolled over while napping.
I giggled like a school girl when I got in my first Bowser fight.

The battle mechanics are similar to the first Mario & Luigi, e.g. Special Attacks use 'points' and not items.
The boss fights are super fun, especially when you're dealing 100's of points with Bowser, swallowing them, letting the Bros. stomp 'em a bit.
I also like the equipment system. Badges were... frustrating. The gloves/socks/rings and pants/shells they have going works great.

Also, Hot Drumstick.

So, who got it and who loves it?

Wait....:smallconfused:

*checks Wikipedia*

THE GAME IS OUT ALREADY!? I'VE BEEN WAITING SO LONG AND SO HARD TO GET IT! I MUST OWN IT NOW! :eek:

*runs to the store to get a copy*

[Thrawn183]

Still can't compare to dead babies.

[Green-Shirt Q]

Just got the game now. Haven't played it, but can't wait.

Well, obviously I can wait long enough to post this. But still. I'm going to play soon!

I am feeling pretty good about it. Particularly since even the manual is making me crack up. :smallbiggrin:


Still can't compare to dead babies.

.....Oooooookay then. :smalleek::smallconfused:

[Crispy Dave]

Still can't compare to dead babies.

Nothing really can compare to dead babies. Aside from burning dead babies.

[Vorpal word]

Wait a minute, so do you get to play bowser in this game, or what?

[Green-Shirt Q]

Wait a minute, so do you get to play bowser in this game, or what?

Oh yes. Oh yes. Probably much more then in any other Mario game so far.

And he is awesome. :smallbiggrin:

This is probably the closest thing so far to a story starring Bowser. I know a lot of people have been complaining for a long time that Bowser hasn't had his own adventure, and I think this finally counts as one.

Bowser has different powers then the Mario Bros. do, though. He can't jump, but he can punch and use flame breath. Also, you can't control them at the same time like you can Mario and Luigi.

[Dihan]

It comes out on 9th October here... Along with Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. That'll be an expensive day.

[CapedLuigiYoshi]

I got it the day it came out, but haven't got the chance to play it yet. (Stupid homework...)

[Burley]

Oh yes. Oh yes. Probably much more then in any other Mario game so far.

And he is awesome. :smallbiggrin:

This is probably the closest thing so far to a story starring Bowser. I know a lot of people have been complaining for a long time that Bowser hasn't had his own adventure, and I think this finally counts as one.

Bowser has different powers then the Mario Bros. do, though. He can't jump, but he can punch and use flame breath. Also, you can't control them at the same time like you can Mario and Luigi.

Once you go further in the adventure, you can switch back and forth between Luigi/Mario and Bowser, pretty much in real time.
Also, the baby Wiggler. Just wait. You'll definitely go "D'awww!"

[Sipex]

This game has been at the top of my "DO WANT" list since I had heard it was coming out.

Only problem is we're into birthday/christmas season with my family now which means no buying anything for yourself!

[Jamin]

Very fun. One of the best games of the year.

[Cheesegear]

Does the new game compare favourably to Super Mario RPG? The 'other' Best Mario Game Ever?

[Burley]

It's probably not as good as the good ol' SNES classic. But, I think it's better than what I expected.
Honestly, after the let down that was Super Paper Mario, I didn't think this would be as great as it is.

Also, Giant Bowser fights are hard! In the second one, I kept getting knocked in the water. Though, I was distracted and didn't counter effectively.

[Inhuman Bot]

This is out? Since when?

Also, how does playing as Bowser work?

[Zevox]

I got this at the same time as Scribblenauts, and have recently taken to playing it as a break form that game. Very good, no doubt about that. A lot makes absolutely no sense when you think about it, but it's fun. I especially like how they made it so Bowser can suck up some enemies and have Mario and Luigi deal with them inside of him, so there's some synergy between the two groups besides just the mini-games and dungeons that Mario and Luigi deal with inside him helping him story-wise.


Also, Giant Bowser fights are hard! In the second one, I kept getting knocked in the water. Though, I was distracted and didn't counter effectively.
There's a second one? Damn, that was the one thing I wasn't liking thus far. The controls for it just seem really awkward to me. As is holding the DS sidewise for it.

Zevox

[Green-Shirt Q]

Honestly, after the let down that was Super Paper Mario, I didn't think this would be as great as it is.

Ugh. Am I the only one who wasn't disappointed with it? Who liked it for what it was, despite the fact that the other Paper Mario games are better?

I just don't think that every single game needs to be the best in the series. I certainly thought it compared pretty well to the others and it's not like they totally &%$ed it up, and on it's own it's a prety freakin' good Wii game.

[Sipex]

Yeah, I'm confused to. If they had given it a seperate style and a different title (or if the other two paper mario games didn't exist) everyone would be all over it.

I loved the game. Was it different? Yes. Our war technology is different than 200 years ago but you don't see people complaining about it saying "OMG, THEY SHOULD'VE STUCK TO TRENCHES AND ONE SHOT RELOAD GUNS"

[Zevox]

Ugh. Am I the only one who wasn't disappointed with it? Who liked it for what it was, despite the fact that the other Paper Mario games are better?
No, you're not. I liked it. It definitely wasn't as good as its two predecessors overall (though I think the argument could be made that it had a superior story to either of them), and I really wish they had stuck with the turn-based RPG format, but it was a good game nevertheless. I did really like the idea of switching between 2D and 3D perspectives that way throughout the game - very unique.

Zevox

[Jamin]

Does the new game compare favourably to Super Mario RPG? The 'other' Best Mario Game Ever?

Yes it does.
Here is how I rank the Mario RPGs

Paper Mario TYD
Mario and Luigi Bowser Inside Story
Paper Mario
Super Mario RPG
Mario and Luigi SuperStar Saga
Mario and Luigi Partners in time
Super Paper Mario

These are all great games. I love all of them

[Green-Shirt Q]

There's a second one? Damn, that was the one thing I wasn't liking thus far. The controls for it just seem really awkward to me. As is holding the DS sidewise for it.


I have just now got into my first giant Bowser fight, and I have to say that I disagree with you.

This may sound VERY weird, since you have to turn the whole thing around which adds to the constant reminding that you are just playing a game with the explaination of the controls, but surprisingly I found it incredibly immersive. I know. :smalleek:


Also, how does playing as Bowser work?

Pretty much the same way Mario and Luigi work, except there's only one of him and the abilities are different. Instead of jump, you punch. Instead of hammer, you can breath fire. Bowser is also in a 3-D environment, while the Mario Bros. at least when inside Bowser's body, are in a 2-D environment. As you can imagine, this changes the genre of the game a little. From platformer to beat-em-up with turn based battles.

This may not sound pretty fun, but they make it work. Either way, Bowser's lines of dialog are sheer brilliance and will keep you plowing through it even if you don't like it.

[Zevox]

I have just now got into my first giant Bowser fight, and I have to say that I disagree with you.

This may sound VERY weird, since you have to turn the whole thing around which adds to the constant reminding that you are just playing a game with the explaination of the controls, but surprisingly I found it incredibly immersive. I know. :smalleek:
Huh. Weird indeed.

Though personally, I really don't notice different levels of "immersion" with games. I'm never bothered by being reminded that I'm just playing a game - I know that anyway. Which makes it odd for me to hear others talk about that. Closest parallel to that I can think of for me is how much the story makes me care about the characters, but that's never altered by how much or little the game gives indications that it is just game, only by the quality of the story and characterization.

More on-topic: I'm not the only one who, the first time he saw Bowser enter his fury mode when his hp got low, immediately thought "BOWSER HAS FURY!!", am I? :smallbiggrin:

Zevox

[Green-Shirt Q]

Just beat this game. And loved it. :smallbiggrin: Didn't think it was perfect, though.

Final thoughts (Warning! Contains Spoilers!):

Very fun, very funny. Definetely the funniest Mario & Luigi game made so far, and it's argueably the funniest Mario RPG that I've played (I didn't get very far in the original Paper Mario before getting bored, and I never played Ledgend of the Seven Stars on account of not owning a SNES and having a broken Wii internet. Every line that comes out of Bowser's mouth is hilarious.

Still, I think it could be funnier. It definetely had more Mario in-jokes then in any other game, but I still think there was a shortage. The refrences that they did have, like "Goomba's are supposed to walk straight into the enemies feet! Didn't you guys memorize that at Goomba bootcamp?!" and "We must have fired thousands of those Bonzai Bills at Mario over the years!" were hilarious and I think that one of the funniest moments in the enitre game was when Luigi was alone and had to go inside a Sockop, an obvious refrence to the Goomba's shoe. :smallbiggrin: But still, there was a lot more room for more, like what did the special moves of Mario and Luigi, other then the first two, have to do with anything in the Mario series?!

I didn't quite like a lot of the gameplay, though. Battles were pretty fun, but a lot of the attacks are WAY too quick to avoid on the first go. It takes forever to get anywhere in the world even when you find the stupid teleporting things. Platforming was rarely fun, too. Luigi kept hitting his head on low hanging blocks and forcing me to fall down to get him. I really don't understand why, when trying to create a perfect blend of platforming and RPG and people compliment on how they liked the lack of turn-based battle but complain about less-then-eventful platforming in Super Paper Mario that you keep the boring platforming and throw turn-based back in. It doesn't make sense. :smallconfused:

I loved a lot of the characters of this game. Is Dr. Toadly hilarious? He is. Toadbert has taken a level in badass too for this game. I also liked the french block guy (who I don't know how to spell his name). I didn't think Stalow/Chippy was different enough from Stuffwell to have been a completely different character, though. I liked Stuffwell and I wish he'd have returned in this game. Sure, Stalow was female (the only other female was Princess Peach, who wasn't in the game a whole lot on account of getting kidnapped SPOILER ALERT!) and slightly more badass when talking to Bowser, but I think Stuffwell could've easily fit the role. The only reason I could see for a completely different character was because Stalow can fly, and therefore could help Mario & Luigi dodge huge attacks in battle and easily talk to Bowser without Mario & Luigi being heard, but I think if they just fitted Stuffwell with a propeller or something they could've brought him back.

I thought Fawful was actually a little annoying in this game. I think he's only funny in small doses. He also didn't say as many funny smilies as he usually does for how bigger a role he has been giving and how much screen time he got. Still, he does have quite a few lines that cracked me up, and I hated to see him die, so I guess that's really all you can ask for, right? Toadsworth was also more annoying then he's been in any other game, but has his moments of hilarity.

I'm also fence-sitting on whether or not I like the third sage character, Chakran (I think that's how you spell his name). I thought it was great how they tied him to the game from the start by him being the one to teleport Bowser (it was hinted quite much) and I didn't connect the two together untill he also teleported Mario & Luigi, whcih I loved. He would've been my favourite character after Boswer if not for the end of the game, in which he tells you what rank you have. Which doesn't sound bad, but I got the Star Rank, the highest rank we know up till this point we can get, and then he comes and tells us about another higher rank that we didn't know about untill the END of the game when he tells us. Then he says he is less then impressed the we got the Star Rank. You know what?! *&%$# you buddy! I didn't know I could get that rank and wasn't griding to get it! This would've been perfectly acceptable if there was some sort of endless play where we could continue to level up after the story, but no. There isn't. I didn't like this. :smallmad:

Also, no BOO?! I mean, Boo WERE in this game. Quite a lot. In Boswer's castle, A bunch of devices in Yik Tower and blocks in Boswer's body, as well as in the level-up screen for Bowser. But not as enemies and NOT AS MINIONS FOR BOWSER! They're the single most popular enemy in the Mario series! What the hell? :smallyuk:

Last thought, I really hope I wasn't the only one who thought of the massages Bowser can give to the female french block person as G-rated sex scenes. :smalleek:

But still, despite these little, unimportant things it's a great game anyway. One one the best RPGs, and even one of the best Mario games! :biggrin:

[CapedLuigiYoshi]

Well, I've gotten very far at this point. I already beat Dark Star and Robo-Peach's-Castle and am now backtracking to get the stuff I missed (such as beans).

And like everyone says, the dialouge is hilarious.:smallbiggrin: