Mario & Luigi - Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions (Europe)
Nintendo 3DS
🇩🇪🇬🇧🇪🇸🇫🇷🇮🇹🇳🇱
Reviewed in 2017
82
✪ Reviewed on May 13, 2023
76
Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions on 3DS, enriched remake of the original GBA. An exclusive Bowser's Minions mode tells the story from the Koopas' perspective. Complete and excellent for discovering or rediscovering the saga.
Your verdict
Category
RPG1 player7+
Description
Mario and Luigi travel to the Beanbean Kingdom to recover Peach's voice stolen by the witch Cackletta in this enriched remake of the first entry. Published by Nintendo, released in Europe in October 2017. Turn-based combat with evasion timing, all-new Bowser's Minions mode, fully remastered visuals. Multilingual version.
Mario & Luigi - Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
The kingdom crossed here is built on a single vegetal motif. Everything derives from the pod and the stalk: bulging buildings with spiral roofs, bridges that coil, inhabitants with oval heads and spindly limbs, a palette of yellow greens and pale browns. That unity of form, held from end to end, tells this land apart at once from the mushroom kingdom next door.
The story revolves around a stolen voice, and the music draws every consequence from it. The scenes where the princess ought to speak are marked by a deliberate instrumental silence, themes break off in the middle of a phrase, and the impostor speaking in her place brings a false organ motif, slightly out of tune. Making an absence audible works better here than any explanation.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"Mild"
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Handling both brothers in concert, triggering tandem attacks with perfect timing and exploring a kingdom packed with humor makes for an action RPG whose every gag and puzzle begs for the next. The timing-based combos and duo powers reward skill. The formula has spawned plenty of follow-ups since, but this first entry keeps its freshness and bite intact.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Travelling to the Beanbean Kingdom to recover Peach's stolen voice launches a witty adventure RPG, here fully remastered. The hearty main quest, bro-duo moves to master and the bonus Bowser's Minions mode stretch the pleasure. That generosity of content, doubled by timeless humour, earns the title a length fans appreciate.
Technical info
💾0,49 GB📅06/10/2017
Published by Nintendo
Mario & Luigi - Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions (3DS) price, value & rarity
The PAL multilingual edition of Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, shipping with a six-language pack including Dutch, is the official European remake of a cult GBA classic. Collector value grew when AlphaDream filed for bankruptcy shortly after, making this box one of the studio's last official appearances in European commercial memory. Still accessible, first prints are starting to thin out.
Is Mario & Luigi - Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2017 on 3DS and known in Japan as Mario & Luigi RPG1 DX, AlphaDream's project is the remake of the very first Mario & Luigi, which founded the comic RPG series on the tandem of the two brothers. The turn based combat built on the timing of blows and dodges, the exploration dotted with puzzles and the ever present visual humour keep an intact charm, enhanced by a careful graphic overhaul. The side mode devoted to Bowser's minions adds a strategy layer. The easiness remains. An excellent accessible RPG, recommended for fans of rhythmic combat and of humour.
