The RPG is a divisive genre. While there are innumerable people who enjoy the sense of scale and atmosphere these games at their best can create, RPG detractors will deride the genre for its reliance on lengthy, self indulgent and let’s face it, poorly written, and more poorly localised plots and irritating characters, not to mention combat systems that seem like a relic of table top pen and paper games where outcomes are decided by an electronic roll of the 26 sided die.

Guess what? I’m in the latter camp. Show me an RPG and I’ll normally don my +4 robe of indifference and walk away. Despite being a Mario fan, then, I was predisposed against Bowser’s Inside Story, the western localisation of February’s Mario and Luigi RPG 3!!!. Yup, the Japanese title really does have three exclamation marks in it, and with the box art being a shabby knocked up image of the eponymous brothers and Bowser on a plain white background above the writ large title, it always seemed to me to drone from the shelf ‘this ain’t for you, chum, move along..’



Yet those familiar with Alpha Dreams’ previous work with the first two Mario and Luigi games on Game Boy Advance and DS, and indeed those familiar with the Paper Mario series of games on the home systems will know that Mario is unafraid to bend genres and mess with convention when he jumps into RPG land, and these alterations make this title a lot more fun than its genre roots may lead you to expect.



Primary amongst BIS’ successes is the pacing. While the worst kinds of RPG will have you traipsing around a dull environment kicking shrubs around for the first few hours before something interesting happens and the game starts proper, BIS has probably the most hectic and bizarre opening couple of hours of any game in recent memory. In those first two hours, Mushroom Kingdom is overrun by a bizarre disease, Mario and Luigi make their entrance, Bowser eats a poisoned mushroom,  inhales the Italian duo, and then gains extra strength when Mario stimulates his biceps with the aid of a hammer. The game progresses with an inventiveness and offbeat attitude that shouldn’t be spoiled by a mere handful of words, but suffice to say it’s a richly detailed world that’s populated with the kind of attention to detail and character you’d expect from Nintendo.



Most refreshing is that the game obviously doesn’t take itself too seriously, and BIS is filled with sly references and in jokes that poke fun not just at gaming conventions that Mario helped to invent, but Nintendo itself. Wii Fit is parodied in signs popping up around the game world. The Toads are delighted to see Mario at the start of the game and then on seeing Luigi slightly deflatedly comment ‘oh, and you brought him.. That’s nice.’ Goombas are forced by Bowser to chant their motto ‘marching ever onward into our opponents’ feet’. A living breathing ? box with a French accent runs an item shop with his pet dog, who is also a block. You can never go to far into the game without seeing a little reference or gag that’ll be ring a smile to dedicated gamers.



It’s Bowser himself, though, who is the star of the show. Incredibly, in 25 years or so, Bowser has rarely been playable, let alone been developed as a character and allowed to take centre stage. For at least half of the game, you’re playing as Bowser here, while Mario and Luigi help out inside his guts and occasionally elsewhere. The giant lizards brute power is great to play with after you tire of the plumbers jumps and hammer whacks, and it’s easy to fall in love with the character, a guy who’s not so much insanely evil as he is dumb and egotistical, frequently finding his greed and ego getting him (and you) into trouble, but in such a way you can’t stay mad at him. The antagonist of the piece, a tiny Marvin the Martian type named Fawful is great foil for Bowser and may have some of the best lines, but never stealing the big B’s thunder.

When the situation demands it, Bowser can grow to super size and take on bosses with the DS in portrait mode. Blowing into the mic and stylus attacks could be seen as gimmick box checking, but these are the most empowering moments of the game.

So Alpha have written a good game, but what of playing? The story’s charm carries into the gameplay well, Bowser’s environments being chunky and designed to fit his frame, while Mario and Luigi jump around the more confined spaces of his belly. The game world as a whole is constructed in the same sort of satisfying way as something like Metroid, Zelda or Castlevania, with you constantly seeing areas just out of reach and eagerly awaiting a power that will enable you to get there.

The combat, and bear in mind this is probably what I hate most about the RPG genre, is a mixed bag. Battles commendably have elements of skill that some of the weaker examples of this type of game don’t. As with other games in the series, and Paper Mario as well, well timed button presses are key to doling out more damage on offense, and avoiding taking a beating on defense. Strictly speaking even those with low level characters avoiding combat unless absolutely necessary can avoid taking any damage at all on even the hardest of boss fights if they’ve got the keen eye for timing and attack patterns play of Mario’s more traditional platforming adventures will have given them.







On the other hand, combat is a long, drawn out process. While real time skill is needed, the core of the battle system is still turn based, and it’s jarring to be brought out of the world you’re exploring to have a separate battle screen when you come across an enemy. Boss fights, especially on first attempts can take a long time when you’re trying to establish how to take the big enemies on, and with saving only occurring at fixed points, and not anywhere, you may need to free up twenty minute blocks of your time to take on boss battles (which will, incidentally, occasionally occur concurrently without a save point in between, which is frustrating). Even stomping the feeblest of enemies requires a short animated vignette and musical sting, a battle screen to appear, a couple of rounds of attacks and a status update and levelling up which seems like artificially lengthening of the game, and is definitely jarring, especially for those parts of the game Mario and Luigi find themselves inside Bowser, where the game takes a platforming view and play style and where it seems a simple bounce on the noggin of wandering monsters should do the trick but doesn’t. Nintendo’s own Super Paper Mario showed us you could have the same great Mario RPG writing and elements and combine it with real time platforming combat and have it all work soundly, so this is a source of frustration.



Negativity quickly floats away though when you’re handed back to the exploration of the richly detailed world contained within BIS, where you get into eating contests to gain items, take pop quizzes in return for hints on where to go, or just get into the power hungry mentality of Bowser. This is the perfect RPG for those who aren’t familiar with the genre, and the perfect Mario fan service for those that are. An arrogant stomping triumph.

Bowser’s Inside Story Trailer