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At any given point I’m usually working on two different games: one on a console/PC, and one on a hand held system. I haven’t been motivated to play anything on the DS in a while, but I decided to pick up Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story based on some early reviews.

If you are a gamer, the Mario Brothers may bring a couple of different images to mind. Some people will think back to the original Super Mario Brothers; others may think of the more recent Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy, or maybe even Mario Kart.

For me, I think of my father teaching me my first rude hand gesture as a child, flipping off the TV as the flying fish end his game. Again.

I digress.

As an action/RPG, Bowser’s Inside Story doesn’t really fit in very well with most people’s concept of a Mario game. Sure, all of the characters and themes are there, but if someone picked this up expecting a traditional platformer he or she may be disappointed. All of the typical RPG elements are there, from levels and experience to turn based battles and equipment.

It’s a risky combination, if you ask me. I have no evidence to support this, but it makes sense to me that the vast majority of RPG gamers aren’t going to be very enticed to a “kiddie” franchise like Mario. Alternatively, I don’t see a lot of action/platformer fans embracing turn based battles and math.

Overgeneralizations aside, the combination works and the game is a lot of fun. Battles are a little repetitive but mostly entertaining, puzzles and locations are varied and unique, and the game has a nice balance of overall difficulty ranging from easy to challenging without being frustrating.

The best thing about this game for me is hands down the writing. The plot is borderline ridiculous, and the dialog is sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek, and hysterical. Luigi especially takes a beating – the game is full of quips about the green stache, the unknown guy following Mario around, et cetera. You’d think the poor guy was never in a game before.

20+ years ago, the Mario Brothers began my addiction to video games, the most expensive and time consuming hobby that I have ever had. Damn you, mustachioed brothers. Damn you.

It is no surprise that even twenty years later I still really get a kick out of the vast majority of all things Mario. Nintendo has managed to really maintain a respectable level of quality with the Mario franchise (disclaimer: does not include Mario Party), and the combination of that quality and my childhood nostalgia usually means that I will walk away from a Mario game thinking it was a better experience than it likely really was. The good news is that the vast majority of gamers (or at least gamers who are old enough to play the lottery) tend to feel the same way, so there are relatively few people to call me out on my bullshit.