Developer - AlphaDream Corporation Publisher - Nintendo Features 1 Player Cartridge Save Rumble Pack Compatible I have never been a big RPG fan as my attention span is not geared toward such. Add to this my view of how the RPG genre seems geared towards the diehards and I tend to shy away from them. Nintendo has this knack of publishing games that look beyond the hardcore and I have to say that Mario & Luigi - Partners in Time falls within this realm. Although it is an RPG'ish type game the action elements really make it feel like a typical Mario game that many have experienced before. I have to honestly say that once anyone starts to get into this game they will forget that there are playing an RPG Graphics The visuals for Partners in Time definitely do the game justice. Nintendo makes sure that each Mario game is true to its lineage, and this latest title is no different. The game is bright, colorful and has a cheeriness to it. The animations are well done and the graphics engine moves without a hiccup. Mario, Luigi and their baby counterparts are the focus of the game and they look great. But beyond that, all the NPC's that are found in the game move just as good as the main characters. I found myself really watching the screen not only during gameplay, but also during the telling of the story, as I didn't want to miss what was on-screen. There is also a smattering of special effects in the game, from special attacks to the time warp pipe that is traveled to and from the past and present. The developers made some effort to add some pizzazz but there is not an overabundance. Sound I find that each time I play a game with Mario in the name I am able to sum up the sound as Marioesque. This time around there is some really neat use of garbled voice. Each time the Mario, Luigi and any of the NPC's speak, there is a garbled voice that corresponds with the on-screen text. Each voice is suited to each character, and although you don't understand what is actually being said, the tone and accents of each voice is excellent. Add to this a great sound effects package and good in-game music and overall the sound is pretty darn good. Gameplay First and foremost people have to understand that this is a Mario game, so the standard "save Princess Peach" storyline once again applies. However, what is new is the nature of the villain. The story this time around is an evil alien race known as the Shroobs have singled out Mushroom Kingdom as a new home to plant new roots. Princess Shroob and the evil fungoids try to conquer those who will step in their way and as the title of this game hints at, the battles against the new foes are fought in the past and present (hence the "Partners in Time"). As you have to travel though time two new characters are introduced, Baby Mario and Baby Luigi. The inclusion of the much younger counterparts is not just a novelty idea as they actually play an important part in the puzzle solving aspect of this game. Their small size or special abilities are very useful and many times during the game they become the only way to reach certain areas or find certain items. Anyone who has played any Mario RPG (SNES, N64 and GCN included) will recognize many of the gameplay elements. As with most RPG's there is exploration, puzzles and turn based battling. However, as I mentioned in my introduction, many of the famed Mario elements are left in the game such as jumping or head-bonking to name a few. And as one begins to progress through game the subtleties of the Partners in Time really start to shine. Battles are not random in Mario & Luigi. It is nice to explore levels and not come across ‘invisible' enemies who I didn't really want to fight. And speaking of fighting, it is the simplicity of such that really made me enjoy the game that much more. I always felt like I was in control of the on-screen action where as other RPG's have gamers press specific buttons only to watch what is going on in front of them. During the game you can control all four characters, and when I reached this point I started to feel like I was a gaming guru in total charge of the game. The developers were able to make this one feel in total control by utilizing the dual-screens of the DS. By doing this the DS's hardware and features are really showcased as this game could not have been done this way on any other portable console. The innovativeness of this setup is quite evident as solving puzzles and completing various actions with two separate characters is so much easier on two screens then having to go back and forth between a single screen. This does take some getting used to however but with time it becomes quite easy and in many ways quite rewarding. The benefit of two screens is also evident during battles as the extra viewing area helps one watch enemies move as well as help to pull off well timed moves, especially when attempting special attacks. Partners in Time in time is an RPG and as is typical with these types of games you will earn experience that will help you level up your characters. To assist in your quest, you can also find coins and these coins can be used to buy things from shops, such as special items, clothing and badges. You can clothe all four characters as you venture on through the game and in terms of the badge use, which have specific bonuses, all the characters involved can equip these as well. Something I found interesting in this game is that you can buy or collect specific attacks, instead of having to learn them like previous versions. Each attack is specific to each individual brother and by linking them up you can make some pretty strong combo's. I don't want to give the fun away, but the feeling of satisfaction when you launch an attack with the bigger brothers only to add the presence of the baby brothers to supplement its strength is really enjoyable and I really enjoyed this aspect of the game. I found the computer AI to be quite competent. At first I was getting through battles quite easily, but as time wore on the struggle to get through the various fights ramped up and it became a fair challenge. Most of them will have a pattern of attack that you will have to figure out and there is the addition of a counterattack which adds more strategy to the overall fight. Final boss battles also are fierce and there were many occasions that I had to scratch my head and really think to find the best way to defeat them. I usually don't like to have to think too much when playing my games, however with Partners in Time I found that I really enjoyed it and again, it added to the overall scope of the game. In someways this game screams multiplayer, especially with the wi-fi capabilities of the DS. However this is not the case with Partners in time. I think it would have been great to hook up with a friend and play some cooperative play, each controlling one of the brothers, baby versions included. I can only hope that this is the case next time. Conclusion I had a great time playing Mario & Luigi - Partners in time. Nintendo tries very hard to take premiere titles and carry them into the future with great success and this game is no different. The ‘cuteness' of Partners in Time does not take away from any of the overall scope of the game and developers AlphaDream have done the Mario name proud with pretty graphics, great sound and great gameplay to match.