Highlights

  • Mario & Luigi: Brothership is the latest installment in the Mario and Luigi series, set to release on the Nintendo Switch on November 7.
  • Players can expect a bright cel-shaded art style and unique teamwork-focused gameplay elements in this long-awaited revival of the series.

A brand-new entry in the Mario and Luigi series is coming to the Nintendo Switch later this year in the form of Mario and Luigi: Brothership. Nintendo released the original Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga on the Game Boy Advance back in 2003, and it was the third Mario RPG after Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario. In contrast to these titles, Mario and Luigi was more lighthearted, with the titular brothers journeying to the Beanbean Kingdom to thwart a pair of villains who stole Princess Peach’s voice using comical attacks and timed button presses.

Two years later, the sequel Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time was released on the Nintendo DS, with the Mario siblings teaming up with their younger selves to save Princess Peach from the alien Shroobs. 2009 saw a third entry on the DS, Bowser’s Inside Story, and Mario & Luigi: Dream Team followed in 2013. In 2015, the Mario and Luigi series crossed over with Paper Mario for Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam Bros., but this would be the last original entry in the series before developer AlphaDream filed for bankruptcy in 2019.

5:49
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Maker 2, and Super Mario Odyssey
Related
Every Mario Game on the Nintendo Switch, Ranked

From precision-based platformers to creative RPGs, the best Mario games for Switch span multiple genres and should appeal to gamers of all ages.

The first game announced during June 18’s Nintendo Direct livestream was the long-awaited next entry in the Mario and Luigi franchise, titled Mario and Luigi: Brothership. The trailer for this new game starts with Mario and Luigi enjoying a sunny day in the Mushroom Kingdom - aside from poor Luigi being chased by bees. The green-clad plumber is soon run off a cliff, prompting Mario to catch him. This seemingly triggers some sort of magical power in the siblings, causing their gloves to glow with mysterious energy and a portal to open in the sky.

Mario and Luigi: Brothership Release Date

  • November 7, 2024

From there, the Mario and Luigi: Brothership trailer cuts to gameplay, with the titular Mario brothers running through various environments and challenging enemies with button-prompt attacks in the style of the older Mario and Luigi games. This teamwork extends to navigation, as Mario and Luigi balance a see-saw to reach an NPC and help each other climb a cliff using handholds. Storywise, Mario and Luigi are transported to a strange new world, where they journey across unique islands by launching themselves out of a cannon.

Some of the other gameplay mechanics in the Mario and Luigi: Brothership trailer include Luigi coming up with ideas by racking his brain, leading to a button-pressing minigame that involves the brothers hitting falling objects with their hammers. At one point, Mario and Luigi are separated, with a split-screen view of Luigi as he hits a switch to help Mario advance through a series of floating platforms. Mario and Luigi: Brothership’s trailer also features a bright cel-shaded art style, which players will get to see more of when this latest entry in the Mario and Luigi series launches on the Nintendo Switch on November 7.