Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey

 3DS
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
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  1. Hardcore Gamer
    Jan 18, 2019
    70
    Bowser Jr’s Journey is easy to overlook and it’s a shame it wasn’t a more thought-out experience that could have been enjoyable given a good shake up instead of just being a glorified mobile title. There’s a lot of things done right here, but also some missed opportunities that could have been better executed overall. Anyone who wants to dive back into the Mario & Luigi RPG series will likely enjoy their time with Bowser’s Inside Story, but it’s an extremely relaxed experience that won’t be too memorable outside lots of chortles along the way.
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  1. Gaming Age
    Jan 29, 2019
    Overall Mario and Luigi Bowser’s Inside Story is a charming game. If you’ve never played this game before pick it up for this adventure alone. It is a fun enjoyable experience. However, Bowser Jr’s Journey should be skipped entirely, unless you are a completionist. The 3DS may be on the end of its life cycle, but that isn’t stopping Nintendo from putting out great games for the system. If you still have your 3DS and are a fan of RPGs, you will have fun with Bowser’s Inside Story.

Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best 3DS Game of 2019
1
#1 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2019
4
#4 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2019

User Reviews

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User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 102 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 80 out of 102
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 102
  3. Negative: 18 out of 102
  1. holnugget
    Jan 11, 2019
    10
    This is basically the third polishing of an otherwise gem of a game. If you picked up the last version on 3DS then you have the bulk of theThis is basically the third polishing of an otherwise gem of a game. If you picked up the last version on 3DS then you have the bulk of the game. The new missions and extra story are the whip cream and cherry on the sundae. Visuals also appear to have gotten a polish. Even though the old visuals on the last game weren’t bad. Definitely worth dusting off the old 3DS to play. Highly recommended!… Full Review »
  2. QuacksonjaMeme
    Jan 13, 2019
    8
    Remember playing Mario & Luigi games on my DS. It takes all elements of the original. Graphics feel more polished. For some reason I preferRemember playing Mario & Luigi games on my DS. It takes all elements of the original. Graphics feel more polished. For some reason I prefer the original. All in all this is a great port.

    8/10    … Full Review »
  3. Da_Zman10
    Feb 4, 2019
    3
    Honestly, this port was one of the most disappointing games I've ever played. For context, the original BIS is one of my favorite games of allHonestly, this port was one of the most disappointing games I've ever played. For context, the original BIS is one of my favorite games of all time. The game has so much charm, personality, humor, and little details that make it absolutely amazing. Ok, now get rid of all of that and you have this remake. It feels so soulless compared to the original. It removes so much funny dialog, some sound effects are missing, and some voice lines are way less expressive than in the original. The graphics are kind of better, but in some places the original does look better. The gameplay is pretty much the same as before. So, if your ok with playing a game with no soul, you can at least have some fun turn-based battles. However, Bowser's Inside Story isn't the only adventure in this game. Bowser Jr has his own adventure in the form of Bowser Jr's Journey. Bowser Jr's Journey is absolutely amazing. It's everything I would have wanted from a sequel to the Bowser's Minions mode from the Superstar Saga remake. This side-mode has way more charm and personality than the main game. Bowser Jr had me laughing in almost every cutscene due to his interactions with other characters. The gameplay is also a huge improvement over Bowser's Minions. The gameplay involves recruiting different enemies from the Mario series to build your own team to fight in some real time battles. You can see what your enemies team is and change your team formation to fit your needs. Depending on what minions and team formation you use, you can do some special attacks and get some stat buffs like more defense or more health. The story also does a great job tying into the original story in BIS while adding to the story in interesting ways. I won't get into the story in detail here mostly because of spoilers though. It is still somewhat luck based and will require a good amount of grinding from time to time which can make it frustrating at points. Overall, Bowser Jr's Journey is an amazing expansion that's weighed down by a disappointing remake of an otherwise amazing game. Separately, I would give Bowser's Inside Story a 1/10 and give Bowser Jr's Journey a 9/10. Together however is a hard call to make. If Bowser Jr's Journey looks interesting to you or you have no way of getting the original game then I'd say get it, but if you were a big fan of the original game, aren't interested in Bowser Jr's Journey, have easy access to the original game on DS, or if you're looking for the classic Mario and Luigi experience then don't get this game. I should probably score the game higher, but if Nintendo is going undersell the actual good part of this game and overshadow it with worth soulless garbage than I'm going to overshadow the good with the bad.
    3/10    … Full Review »
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