Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Review: The best and dreamiest of the series
In this captivating installment of the Mario & Luigi series, players are invited to delve into a dreamy realm where Mario and Luigi's adventures take on a whole new dimension. From thrilling battles to charming characters, this game promises an experience that combines classic Mario elements with innovative gameplay mechanics. Join us as we delve into the heart of this beloved RPG, exploring its dynamic battle system, lighthearted story, and vibrant world. With Dreamy Luigi by Mario's side, prepare to discover a captivating blend of real-world challenges and dreamy escapades that will keep you hooked from start to finish. So, without further ado, grab your trusty 3DS and get ready to embark on an unforgettable journey through the world of dreams and adventure with Mario & Luigi: Dream Team in today's review.
Battle System - 10
In my eyes, this is the best battle gameplay ever present in a Mario & Luigi game, and my second favorite battle gameplay in a Mario RPG. The twist here is Dreamy Luigi, who alters battle in incredibly fun ways. In the real world, gameplay is as normal, with the brothers executing Bros. Attacks and all that jazz. However, in the Dream World, Dreamy Luigi becomes infused into Mario, increasing his stats and allowing for use of Luiginary Attacks that create a bunch of Luigi copies to execute epic attacks. There are also Giant Battles, special boss battles with a new battle system and new abilities, just like the ones featured in Bowser's Inside Story!
Another awesome feature is the difference between the enemy formations. In the normal world, Mario and Luigi deal with small groups of fortified enemies, whereas Dream World battles have large groups of weak enemies. Since time is split well between the two, this game hardly gets stale, something Superstar Saga, Partners in Time, and Paper Jam tend to struggle with. Ultimately, this game's battle system is tons of fun, and is one of my favorite RPG battle systems to this day.
Story - 5
While this game's narrative is fun and charming, like most Mario RPGs, it's very light compared to more sophisticated RPGs. The story fits perfectly with the game and offers enough to keep the player on their toes, but it's absolutely nothing special.
Characters - 5
Similar to the story, this game's characters are fun enough, but they aren't interesting or developed enough to stand up to more interesting RPG characters. Mario, Luigi, Bowser, and Antasma are tons of fun, but they aren't exactly well-developed, so I can't say they are above average characters.
Music - 7
This game's music isn't an epic Nobuo Uematsu soundtrack like Lost Odyssey or the perfection that is Yoko Shimamura's Final Fantasy XV soundtrack, ore ven as good as any of the Paper Mario soundtracks. But it's still above-average and my favorite soundtrack in the Mario & Luigi series! This music is tons of fun and fits perfectly with the vibe of the game. While I won't be listening to this soundtrack in my free time, I can't deny it fits perfectly with the game.
Sidequests - 6.5
This game has the best sidequests in the Mario & Luigi series, majorly due to one thing: the amazing boss re-fights. They trump any other sidequests in the series and allow this title to be the most difficult and rewarding entry in the series. This is the type of stuff I love to see in a Mario RPG, but I'd still prefer to see a little more variety in the sidequests here.
Locations - 9.5
With awesome overworld gameplay and the Dream World keeping things incredibly fresh and different, each location in this game holds tons of secrets and are fun to navigate. While some of the locations could use a bit more of Superstar Saga's openness, the locations in this game are still fantastic.
Quality of Life - 8
This game has way too many tutorials and way too little save slots. Otherwise? This game's perfectly fine, and very well optimized. With 5-10 save slots and the ability to turn off tutorials on a second playthrough (or even a first)? This would have a perfect score.
The Verdict
Fun Factor: 9.5
Overall Score: 74%
Letter Score: A
Dream Team is my favorite game in the Mario & Luigi series. It may not be the deepest or most intellectual RPG you'll find, but it is increidbly fun and engaging. The Dream World mechanics and combat are tons of fun, and the overworld gameplay is epic as well. Ultimately, this is a must-play RPG for anyone looking for an enjoyable, chill game.
Primary Version: Mario & Luigi: Dream Team (3DS)