MARIO & LUIGI: BROTHERSHIP: THE BROTHERS SET SAIL AGAIN
7.5 of 10 bananas. The first new Mario & Luigi RPG in nine years sends the brothers island hopping on a ship with timing-based fights and clever Battle Plugs. Bright and funny, but slow to start and padded with tutorials and talk.
By the Alpha. Switch cartridge listing. Updated Oct 27 2026.
Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from launch reviews, critic consensus, update history, and what is known about the game today. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch only (developed by Acquire, published by Nintendo, released November 7 2024). It also runs on Switch 2. The Amazon button is the Switch cartridge. At my Oct 27 2026 check it was sold by a third-party seller and shipped by Amazon. The seller rotated during the day, DealTavern USA on my first look and GAMES R US on my last, under the original 59.99 dollar price. Avoid the separate European Version listing unless you want an import.
Get Mario & Luigi: Brothership for Nintendo Switch on AmazonStore check, Oct 27 2026: new copies on offer from a third-party seller, GAMES R US, shipped by Amazon. Prices and sellers change, so look before you pay.
Sit with me a moment. Two brothers, two buttons. That was the whole trick of this series on the Game Boy Advance: A for Mario, B for Luigi, and a rhythm you felt in your thumbs. I waited nine years to feel that rhythm again. It came back on a boat.
What It Wants To Be
Mario & Luigi: Brothership is a turn-based RPG where every attack and dodge is a timing test for each brother. The world of Concordia has split into islands, and the brothers sail a giant island ship to reconnect them, landing on new islands as the ship drifts. Battle Plugs let you equip effects like extra shields or automatic counters, and the Luigi Logic moments let Luigi spot clever solutions in the field and in fights.
What Works
Critics landed in the mid to high 70s on Metacritic. The battle system is still the heart: watching the brothers' animations and learning when to jump or swing feels great, and Battle Plugs add real strategy as you mix and match. The cel-shaded look is the best the series has ever looked, and the island-hopping structure makes the world feel big. The writing is warm and often funny.
What Breaks
Listen well. The first hours crawl with tutorials and long conversations, and the whole adventure runs long, commonly around 40 hours, with padding in the middle. Many reviewers flagged too much dialogue and backtracking. Performance dips in some busy areas. If you have little patience for slow starts, this will test you.
Who Should Play
Play it if you loved the old Mario & Luigi games on the Game Boy Advance and DS, or if you finished Paper Mario and Super Mario RPG and want a longer, deeper timing RPG. Skip it if you want a fast, short adventure.
STRENGTHS
- Timing battles are the best in the series
- Battle Plugs add real strategy
- Gorgeous cel-shaded art
- Big island-hopping world
HONEST COSTS
- Slow, tutorial-heavy start
- Padded middle and lots of talk
- Performance dips
- Third-party seller at my check
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