A decent improvement to its predecessor that doubles down the gameplay, literally. The gameplay may be a lot more linear, but its also more challenging, stylish and interesting to play. Though its story makes little sense, it also has a strangely dark tone that's interesting to revisit. Overall, Partners in Time is a solid sequel that deserves more recognition than it gets.
Definitely the most mechanically dense game in the Mario & Luigi series. Unlike Superstar Saga and Bowser's Inside Story, where you at most control 2 characters at once, you control 4 characters at once in this game. This especially makes for creative mini-games in the form of the Bros. Items, where you have to press the buttons for 4 characters instead of two, and in the fact that you can deal more damage by combining attacks with the younger version of that brother's attack. The story is pretty good, although it does feel very constructed at some points. My biggest gripe with the game is that it is just too damn long. In the beginning, I had a hard time motivating myself to continue, and it took a while before the game really got its speed up. I would consider this to be a pretty good game though, and the soundtrack is what elevates it to that level. We have great tunes like "Thwomp Volcano" and the final battle theme. Overall a solid game, but probably the weakest in the M&L series.
This review contains spoilers
The weird, estranged member of the Mario & Luigi series. It was the first Mario and Luigi game I've played and replaying it again reminds me how I like this game, but also don't. They tried to change up the gameplay, but on an unsatisfactory note. Limited special moves are an addition, and I did not like that. It felt like they items more than apart of your special attack arsenal. The baby Mario and Luigi were so annoying because they cried way too much. Even as a joke it got so annoying I had Yoshi's Island flashbacks. The time traveling plot is cool. I liked going to the past and future of certain places, and seeing Peach's Castle in the future was an awesome dungeon as well as the final boss.
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time for the most part updates the M&L format with the DS' usual bag of tricks. AlphaDream streamlined the controls, increased the combat difficulty and enhanced both boss variety and graphics, but the few bad design decisions resulted in a linear, tedious, bland variation of that formula.
This review contains spoilers
Even though the special attacks being separate items is annoying this is still a fun game and the Mario & Luigi game I grew up with, would love to replay it again sometime soon
Also I remember getting stuck on the reb shroob boss for years and it felt so satisfying to finally beat it
Also I remember getting stuck on the reb shroob boss for years and it felt so satisfying to finally beat it