It has been 30 years since Mario's cowardly brother made his pixellated debut in Mario Bros, and Nintendo is celebrating the anniversary by making 2013 the official Year Of Luigi. The company's latest Nintendo Direct presentation revealed a handful of new projects, including Luigi-focused DLC for New Super Mario Bros U and a release date for Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, though it's the upcoming Mario & Luigi: Dream Team that has us reaching for those green overalls in barely contained excitement.
Coming exclusively to 3D5 later this year, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team is taking the brothers on an unlikely adventure inside Luigi's dreams. Utilising the dual screens, players can take control of Mario on the top screen while using a sleeping Luigi on the bottom screen to solve puzzles.
The Mario & Luigi RPG series has been a popular addition to Nintendo's handheld line-up since Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga was released back in 2003, and while fan favour has wavered a little since Partners In Time and Bowser's Inside Story, there's no doubt that the duo's RPG debut on the 3D5 will have the sprinkling of innovative magic that we've come to expect from a Nintendo first-party title.
Luigi tends to get a bad rap, but we'd have problems developing confidence too if our Dream Team older, shorter brother continued to get the girl, and all we inherited was spooky mansions and old men with vacuums. Besides, at night Luigi can be the hero he's always dreamed of being, letting him assist Mario on what looks like their most dangerous adventure yet.
As the duo run around the beautiful environments, Luigi can crash out on mattresses, opening up warp gates for Mario to dive into, transporting him to a surreal dreamscape. It's here that the player can then poke and prod sleeping Luigi on the bottom screen to influence the level design and solve puzzles. If Mario is presented with an impossible chasm to cross, the player can tickle Luigi's nose in the real world that will in turn cause him to sneeze, blowing blocks into Mario's path to get across.
The combat system has also had an overhaul, with players able to multiply and flood enemies with waves of Luigis in battle. We also got a further sneak peek at the 2D platforming sections, where Mario can summon and ride a tower of Luigis through a tough section of enemies. The isometric overworld looks beautiful, and we can only imagine how great they will look with the 3D slider cranked to maximum.
Nintendo is aiming Mario & Luigi: Dream Team at a summer 2013 release, and despite this being the first we've heard of it, it's looking fantastic. The 3D5 line-up continues to get stronger and stronger
Format: 3DS
Origin: Japan
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: In-house
Release: 2013
Players: 1-IBA
