also known as Mario & Luigi - Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
Nintendo 3DS
🇯🇵
Reviewed in 2018
78
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✪ Reviewed on June 5, 2023
72
Mario & Luigi Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr's Journey on 3DS, remake of the DS masterpiece with an exclusive Bowser Jr mode. The inside of Bowser's body as a playground. Brilliant humour and innovative gameplay. A must.
Your verdict
Category
RPG1 player7+
Description
Mario and Luigi explore inside Bowser's body in this enriched Japanese remake of the third entry, featuring an all-new Bowser Jr. mode. Published by Nintendo, released in Japan in December 2018. Turn-based combat, giant Bowser control, all-new Bowser Jr.'s Journey mode, fully remastered visuals. Japan exclusive.
Mario & Luigi RPG3 DX review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"Mild"
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Switching between the brothers above ground and Bowser inside his own body, syncing attacks to split-second timing and solving puzzles as a duo makes for an action RPG whose every zany idea brings back the smile. The timing-based battles and the humor keep you going. The pacing drags at times, but the constant inventiveness pulls you in to the very end.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Exploring the inside of Bowser's body while steering him on the outside makes for a double-sided adventure, funny and inventive. To the long main quest is added Bowser Jr.'s brand-new mode, which noticeably extends the content. That humour, pace and extra material explain the generous length of this remake, appreciated by RPG fans.
Japanese version of the 3DS remake of Mario & Luigi Bowser's Inside Story, expanded with a mode devoted to Bowser Jr. Released late in 2018, at the very end of the 3DS's commercial life and shortly before AlphaDream's demise, the Japanese pressing stayed confidential. Desirability rests on that twilight-release status of a renowned Mario RPG, doubled by the memorial value of a last project from a now-defunct studio.
Is Mario & Luigi RPG3 DX still worth playing in 2026?
An enriched remake of the third Mario & Luigi RPG, this title keeps its brilliant idea, alternating the brothers exploring the inside of Bowser's body and Bowser himself acting outside, in turn based battles paced by timing. The added mode centred on Bowser Jr., more strategic, broadens the offering. The funny writing and the precision of the fights have lost none of their effectiveness. For a fan of accessible, inventive RPGs or a fan of the Mario world, the title remains one of the series' peaks, as tasty as ever.
