It's hard to believe that the Nintendo DS came out almost 20 years ago. To me, it's still a vibrant system with loads of unbounded creativity that influenced how I look at games in a critical sense, and yet it retains its childlike formality with its bizarre dual screens, inundated with many varied games that made inventive uses of the DS's capabilities.

There were 3D games that showcased the DS's graphical capacity; there were 2D games that were more familiar, but had more breathing room to figure out why this game HAD to be a DS game. Of course, the big franchise that no doubt was coming to DS was Super Mario, which is undeniably why I love the DS because I love Mario games. There was Super Mario 64 DS which introduced me to older games in the franchise, Mario Kart DS brought the competitive thrills of go-karting on the go, and New Super Mario Bros. had finally returned Mario back from hell in Super Mario Sunshine.

I love that Mario games paint a picture in its own way, each painting putting a new light on the artist behind the canvas. There's a lot of variety to this franchise with 3D/2D platformers feeling different from each other, the myriad of spin-offs like kart racing and party boards, and even the RPG games which retain the strengths of Mario's goofy world, while having the game play depth to satisfy core RPG audiences. My favorite games are RPGs, and Mario had many that I really enjoyed like Paper Mario and Mario and Luigi.

Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (MLBIS) is THE Mario RPG for the system. There was Partner's in Time before it and that game is also good, but Bowser's Inside Story felt like a true successor to the GBA original - Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga. Partner's In Time was more like a GBA game that just went to DS mid-production. MLBIS is fantastic. The characters are charming and the world is as rich as any Mario game should be. Each environment cascades into sub-environments creating this concisely designed world that feels fully explored, yet I don't notice because the game's pacing is brisk with it only taking about 20 hours to beat.

What I love about this game is playing as Bowser. Not only is he full of charisma and witty snark, he's got some great attacks in battle and mobility in the overworld. It's also so absurd that Mario and Luigi are primarily exploring Bowser's body which ties to fun uses of the dual screens on DS, bizarre minigames, and seeing new enemies to keep the game varied. Some great variety comes with the Mega Bowser fights after Mario and Luigi do their minigame schtick, and these always come as such a delight surprise. I know that it could distract from actual RPG gameplay, but I treat these fights as small novelties that play with the DS system in fun ways. One downside is that some minigames haven't aged well. There's one in particular inside Bowser's "Nose Deck" which is just awful because the touch screen isn't responsive to flicks like the iPhone is. Mostly though, these minigames are are fun distraction to make the game more unique and standout among other RPGs. It's at least more fun than generic 50+ hour generic anime RPG bullshit I don't have time to play anyways.

MLBIS is always cracking a smile at the player, it doesn't take itself too seriously. But there's still gravity and stake to the story which I do admire from most Mario RPGs. Fawful, the antagonist, always seems to have the upper-hand causing much needed tension in the story. Fawful is also just a fun character, dispensing weird proverbs alongside his equally badly-dubbed minion named "Midbus". Additionally, I love that Fawful hatches nonsensical schemes that just "somehow" work because the Mario characters all have a crayon stuck up their noses causing major brain damage. Nonetheless, Fawful is providing a reason why the player wants to keep playing as he keeps the plot thickening and the player guessing what will happen to the Mushroom Kingdom next.

The game is complete with RPG tropes like leveling up, armor equipments, stat-boosts and temporary debuffs, etc. It's all standard and simple, yet very effective. The badge mechanic is also a fun way to spice up battles and allows the player to experiment further with particular play styles which is always a great decision to have in RPG games. Something that most Mario RPGs do well is ensuring the player isn't bored during battles; this is probably the most difficult aspect to achieve for any turn-based RPG game. In all Mario RPGs, timing button presses to enhance attacks is the smartest decision they could've made. Mario and Luigi games also bolster the gameplay by allowing the player to observe how enemies will attack such that they can aptly dodge. It keeps the game from staying stale as new enemies will show up and have their own ways of attacking both the Brothers and Bowser. It's almost like a puzzle game in some ways, trying to figure out new enemy attacks; when you solve the puzzle, it's rewarding!

The music is vibrant and jumpy as Mario games are. The music complements the games and worlds they live in. However, there's some tracks that feel a little forgettable compared to other Mario RPGs like Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario. Those games have great ambience that I feel this game doesn't quite achieve. It would've been a great opportunity to craft original songs for traversing through Bowser's body instead of getting small remixes of the overworld song playing in that respective area. These songs could've described more about the game without words. For instance, these songs could've described how Bowser is feeling during certain moments of the game using a strong motif. It could've created unsettling vibes to contrast the cheery music in the overworld. It could've been their own unique identity which I felt this game missed the mark on unfortunately. The music overall is great though; there was just some missed potential for songs inside Bowser's body. I also want to say that the sound effects are all memorable; Mario and Luigi's dialogue amongst each other is the prime example of why I think so, I don't even need to provide other examples to explain my point. The sounds are amazing.

This game is one of my favorite DS games on the system. It's not my favorite Mario RPG, but it's a close 2nd place in my ranking. Just play it. It's erupting with creative mechanics through the convection of the developers, keeping the Mario franchise alive. Every time I remember this game or replay it, it gives me that jovial sensation that most games don't entirely do for me anymore; it's what Mario excels at for my gaming tastes. Mario games are one of the reasons why living life is fun, to expand your horizons and go where no game can quite journey to. Bowser's Inside Story is one of the many Mario games that delves into the unknown and experiments with wackier stories and characters that I love seeing unearthed in the Mario franchise.

But, it's box art background is boring. So I give this game a 1 star. The Mario Movie had a better plot too, and I also love sticking crayons up my nose until it bleeds.

Yeah... it's a 5-star game to me.

Mario games secretly kick ass, no question about it. A pattern with the major Mario games is that it always tries something new and seeks innovation, that's what I love about them. What amazes me about this Mario game, is just how much it changed 2D platformers drastically.

Once this game came out, everyone tried to be Super Mario Bros. 3. Games were cashing in on having colorful games with loveable mascots that could steal the living rooms from Nintendo's meaty hold on the market. The thing is though, they eventually fizzled out, like M.C. Kids or whatever (I dunno). Video games were a fad, a toy you get for little Billy who could barely count to 3. Yet, Mario, Nintendo, and even the Video Game industry are still relevant today because of this game. It proved that games aren't a fad, they are here to stay.

Something remarkable about this game is that it doesn't have the sun-faded age of most NES games. I don't want to knock down Zelda, Mega-Man, Castlevania, or even the original Super Mario Bros., but they show their 8-bit grime occasionally; reminding me of an age where a game's longevity and length relied on implementing cheap pitfalls, enemies, cryptic design, and brutal game overs that make you start from the beginning (with 3 lives I might add). None of that is prevalent in Super Mario Bros. 3.

Every time I play it, I'm sucked back in again. The music is upbeat and catchy, the levels are packed with unique set pieces and obstacles, and the art style is wonderfully cartoony. All of these are interlocked and woven together in harmony that propels the game even further.

I'm always finding new things about it years after release. For example, it wasn't until 7 years later upon first playing it that I discovered you can spawn the coin-ship in certain worlds (famously World 1) by manipulating the coin. score, and time counters. This is insane to me.

There's also a level of strategy that I feel no other 2D Mario has replicated (Mario World almost did it, but Mario 3 still wins). Mostly because of the item storage mechanic. You see, in most Mario games, there's a way to instantly warp to World 8 through back-end means. For me, it's the path I take when I replay them, except for Mario 3 because World 8 is legitimately challenging. In this game, you could just warp to World 8 from World 1, but it makes trudging through World 8 "literal" hell. However, with more items as you skillfully complete worlds and utilize hidden passage ways to find extra goodies in said overworlds, you essentially decide your difficulty scaling by natural means (and no, not through some slider crap in most modern games). If you're a novice, complete all the worlds. If you're a pro, warp straight to World 8. If you're me, go until World 4 and then warp to World 8.

I'd talk more about this game, but there's so much more to be said by the actual game. So, go play it! Even if you're not into 8-bit games, I say this is the one to check out. It's the best NES game hands down and one of the most influential games to me.

Final Thoughts:
-Iconic Music by Douglas Brown of Brown University
-Excellent Shigeru Miyamoto Graphics
-Not Yoshi compatible
-Chris Pratt approved
-Despite the title, there are only 2 Brothers, not 3
-"Extra Space"
-SteamVR compatible
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-My Chicken is finished cooking
-Bye Bye