One of the biggest games revealed during the Nintendo Direct in June of this year was Mario & Luigi: Brothership. Nearly a decade had passed since the release of the last new installment in the Mario & Luigi franchise, so the unexpected announcement of this new title predictably took many longtime fans by surprise. Scheduled to launch on November 7, 2024, Mario & Luigi: Brothership is a bit of a fresh start for Nintendo's beloved RPG series, as it has the distinction of being the first Mario & Luigi title to be developed for a home console like the Switch. Since previous games in the franchise were created for underpowered handhelds, Brothership is also the first entry in the series that will feature fully 3D visuals, bringing it more in line with its modern Mario RPG peers, such as Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario.
Another aspect of Mario & Luigi: Brothership that differs from prior M&L games is the developer behind it. Up until now, every installment in the series has been developed by AlphaDream, an independent Japanese company that was made up of former SquareSoft employees. This studio created games almost exclusively for Nintendo handhelds throughout its existence. Unfortunately, after the commercial failure of the 2019 3DS game Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Insider Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, it filed for bankruptcy in that same year. Since AlphaDream no longer exists, Mario & Luigi: Brothership is instead being developed by Acquire, a newcomer to the series.
The Mario & Luigi: Brothership Developers Have Worked On Many Different Games in the Past
Acquire is Best Known for Its Work On Franchises Like Octopath Traveler, Tenchu, and More
Acquire may not be a household name, but this Tokyo-based developer has a storied history in the video game industry. It is, after all, a nearly 30-year-old company that was established way back in 1994. Over the last couple of decades, Acquire has created more than 40 games in an assortment of different genres. While the company is nowadays best known for its work on the Octopath Traveler series, it originally rose to fame after creating the Tenchu franchise.
For those who don't know, Tenchu is a series of stealth games that took place in Sengoku-era Japan and placed players in the shoes of skilled ninjas. The first entry in the franchise, 1998 's Tenchu: Stealth Assassins, was Acquire's debut game. After the success of this title, the company went on to develop two more installments in the series, Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins and Tenchu: Shadow Assassins.
After the launch of Tenchu 2 in 2000, Acquire went on to make another game called Way of the Samurai. This action-adventure title, which was set in 19th century Japan, was fairly unique compared to its contemporaries because it featured a heavy emphasis on player freedom in terms of both narrative and gameplay. Way of the Samurai came out in 2002 for the PlayStation 2, and it was successful enough to spawn three sequels, all of which were released during the seventh and eighth console generations.
Akiba's Trip, Rain, and Shinobido are Just Some of the Other, Lesser-Known Games Acquire Made
Acquire has created a handful of other franchises in addition to Tenchu, Octopath Traveler, and Way of the Samurai, but they aren't as notable. The comedic RTS series What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord?, the eccentric action-adventure franchise Akiba's Trip, and the Shinobido stealth games are good examples of this. Of course, the company has worked on its fair share of standalone releases as well, such as the 2013 PS3 exclusive Rain and the 2015 RTS title Aegis of Earth: Protonovus Assault.
Acquire Mostly Works on Smaller Titles, But Mario & Luigi: Brothership is One of Its Bigger Games
Acquire was recently purchased by Kadokawa Corporation after being under the ownership of the Japanese publisher GungHo Entertainment for more than a decade. Even though it is now the subsidiary of a media conglomerate that owns major companies like FromSoftware and Spike Chunsoft, Acquire is mostly working on smaller-scale games at the moment. In just 2024 alone, the company launched Scars of Mars, Ancient Weapon Holly, Amedama, and Hookah Haze, among other titles. Mario & Luigi: Brothership is pretty much the only AAA game Acquire will release this year.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 77 /100 Critics Rec: 68%
- Released
- November 7, 2024
- ESRB
- E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Acquire
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
WHERE TO PLAY
All hands on deck for an island-hopping adventure starring Mario and Luigi
The brothers return for a brand-new adventure on the high seas! Set sail with Mario and Luigi on Shipshape Island (part ship, part island) and journey through the vast world of Concordia. Launch out of Shipshape’s cannon to visit, explore, and quest your way through islands that range from tropical rainforests to bustling cities. Meet new friends along the way, like Connie and Snoutlet (definitely not a pig), and encounter familiar faces from the Mushroom Kingdom like Peach and Bowser, who may help—or hinder—you on your journey!
You’ll have to rely on Mario and Luigi’s brotherly bond to succeed. Use Bros. Moves to get past obstacles while you explore, and powerful Bros. Attacks in a dynamic twist on turn-based combat. You’ll need every edge this “brothership” will give you to save the day!
- Franchise
- Mario & Luigi
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch
