Turn-based battle and funny voice acting

As someone who's been eyeing Paper Mario with longing but rarely sits down to play games in front of the TV, this game is probably one of the best purchases I've made in a while. It requires very little in the way of complicated button combinations and quick maneuvering, and though it would make the game more difficult you could definitely get by with absolutely no sense of timing.

The story is cute and interesting, as Mario and Luigi meet and pair up with their younger selves in order to save the world from alien "Shroobs". It offers puzzle elements as well as an uncomplicated turn-based battle system. The only thing it's missing that Paper Mario has is the "audience" feature which was used to fuel special attack in the GameCube game.

The funny voice acting and the sometimes outright silly plot more than makes up for it, however.

OVERALL A GREAT GAME!! Mario and Luigi's Partner's in TIME is a MUST HAVE

"Introduction: One blissful day in the Mushroom Kingdom, genius inventor Professor E. Gadd constructed a time machine, which was fueled by the awesome power of the Cobalt Star. Princess Peach was overjoyed with his creation, and immediately set off to visit the Mushroom Kingdom's past. Of course, her faithful ward Toadsworth was filled with such worry for his charge that he promptly collapsed.

Shortly thereafter the time machine returned, but it was a wreck and it brought back not the princess, but a creepy alien of unknown origin. According to the professor, Princess Peach was stranded somewhere in the past! To top it off, mysterious time holes leading back in time began popping up throughout the castle! Who better to answer the call to adventure than Mario and Luigi? Nobody, that's who!

The mustachioed brothers leapt into action, plunged through a time hole, and set off on a rescue mission through time. Once they arrived in the past, the brothers met up with their childhood selves and formed the greatest team of heroes in history. Can the brothers Mario overcome all obstacles and rescue Princess Peach? Only time will tell!? (Instruction Booklet Prologue)

Thus begins the brother's strangest adventure yet. Going back in time they find out the strange shroobs aren't all that easy to deal with, team up with their younger selves, find the young Princess Peach and Toadsworth, and test Luigi's courage to the fullest. The game isn't as funny as the original, Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, but still has some great moments. One of the most enjoyable parts of the games is when the Toadsworths teach you new moves to make the Baby Princess happy, saying much more will ruin it though.

GamePlay: Playing this game is enjoyable, even though it is not quite as comical as the original. Use of the rumble pak helps to make it more enjoyable to play, so you might want to pick up one before playing. The battles, though challenging, can become incredibly easy with the acquisition of the proper badges. Badges and Pants are able to be worn in the game to increase stats, and grant special powers. The best can be bought at a secret store in the castle with Beans, which the Baby Bros can dig up from special locations in the ground. Playing through the game is simple enough that anyone can progress, yet challenging enough that if skill is lacking many Game Overs are in the future.

The time required to beat the game is somewhat short, only about 20 hours or so, though there are enough challenges to keep one busy for a long time. One such challenge requires making the Baby Bros collect 50 gems while spiraling downward, much easier said than done. Even though doing everything is not required, it makes the game well worth a second time through to see what was missed. Finding originally unobserved secrets, watching the Toadsworths squabble again, and observing Luigi's antics in the face of danger can all be more fun the second time.

Battling in the game is so unique that if you enjoyed it, many more hours will be spent playing this game. Learning to dodge every attack, as well as how to execute all the attacks perfectly will keep you busy several times through the game, and discovering the timing for perfect counter attacks will make it even longer. The discoveries of how to level up the perfect stats for you, as well as keeping Bros Item attacks going on indefinitely will greatly increase the satisfaction gleaned from the game.

OVERALL A GREAT GAME!!

One solid partnership

The RPG style mario games kicked off with the debut of, well, Mario RPG. Since then the plumber duo has ventured further into the realm of role playing games with the Paper Mario series, and the Mario and Luigi series. The latest entry, Partners in Time, proves that mustached man can once again break from the tradition 2D side scrolling genre.

The most noticeably difference between Partners in Time and Superstar Saga is the inclusion of babies Mario and Luigi. The A and B buttons control Mario and Luigi's jump, while X and Y control the babies jump. It sounds overwhelming at first, but is actually a very intuitive way to play. Often times the group will split, sending the babies into a cave on the top screen while the adults continue on on the bottom screen. The results are possibly the most unique use of the DS dual screen setup. While touch screen control is taking the gaming world by storm, Partners in Time does not use the stylus, which is actually to it's benefit. Only once does the game require the use of the stylus, which was only for a brief cutscene. The battle system is extremely simple and intuitive. Rather than cycling through a huge list of attacks ala Final Fantasy, the brothers can either jump on enemies or use their hammers. There is, however, a wide variety of bros items that can be used to inflict massive damage. Unfortunately, most of these are extremely hard to use, and players will most likely end up stocking up on only a few of the items. Battles in Mario and Luigi are extremely involving. Unlike the vast majority of RPG's, Mario and Luigi focuses more on action, requiring well timed button pushes to inflict more damage, or to dodge attacks. The beautiful thing about the setup is that it is possible to come out of a battle unscathed, one just needs to know how to counter-attack. The brothers can also enter battles when separated, or together, obviously being stronger when all four are together. Even when all four brothers are together, the game still treats battle as two against X amount of enemies. With four brothers players are able to increase the attack power of the hammer, use bros items, and perform a double jump. The controls feel great, and make battle far more interesting than the standard press button watch battle system.

Mario and Luigi Partners in Time is a game that I can full heartedly recommend. In fact, I urge anyone with a DS to buy this game. It's a lengthy quest; I clocked in over nineteen hours to beat it. It's not as hard as I would have liked, never did I see a game over screen, but it's so incredibly fun.

Good, but not great.

There are plenty of things to love about this game, especially if you are a fan of the Paper Mario, or Role Playing Games in general. However, this game may not appeal to a lot of players. The story and adventure of Parners in Time is entertaining but it can be slow a lot of the time. You may find yourself wandering around for an hour, talking to people, looking around, trying to figure out what to do next. It's easy to overlook something simple and get stuck in one portion of the game for much longer than you'd like. The fighting sequences are creative, but can get boring and repetitive after a while. You'll find yourself avoiding bad guys so you don't have to go through the entire battle sequence over and over again. Also, the controls during the battles can be quite difficult to learn, and especially difficult to master.
Most players who enjoy this game really like it a lot, however Partners in Time does not have something for every gamer.

Mario and Luigi Meet Mini Mario and Luigi

Reviewed for Big Boss Games by: KWE

Mario e Luigi: Partners in Time is an RPG for the Nintendo DS, a system that I am continually glad I purchased. The game follows Mario, Luigi and their baby counterparts in a quest to save the Princess from aliens from the past that have kidnapped her. For those of you who have played Mario RPG or the Paper Marios, you'll find surprisingly similar game play with a few new twists. The adult brothers and baby brothers can act either independently or cooperatively for a unique gaming experience from the Mario RPGs. Add some spruced up dialogue with some interesting humor and nicely animated sprites, and you have Mario e Luigi: Partners in Time.

Now, for those of you who are fans of the stylus, you won't be too fond of this game. The touch-screen is virtually non-existent in this game, which handles more like a standard console game. Additionally, the puzzles will likely never stump you. A game focused more towards a younger audience, most of the puzzles are fairly straightforward and easy, relying more on an intuitive combat system to keep the game difficult. The game is also only capable of holding two saved games at a time. Not a problem if you're the only one who plays, but don't expect to be able to share it with many friends. Overall, the game is an interesting and enjoyable addition to the Mario RPGs, which is hard to put down.

I give Mario e Luigi: Partners in Time, an 8.7 out of 10.