Mario and Luigi: Brothership Opens the Same Door as Origami King (2024)

Leading the June 2024 Nintendo Direct was the announcement of Mario and Luigi: Brothership, an original title in the Mario and Luigi series after nine years without any. The last brand-new game in the franchise was an underwhelming crossover with the then-flagging Paper Mario franchise, followed by two remakes released to a fanbase that had been waiting years for a proper sequel. Developer AlphaDream’s subsequent shutdown was unfortunate but made a sad amount of sense with how things were going. However, Mario and Luigi: Brothership’s announcement could be a sign that things are finally turning around.

It’s already apparent that Mario and Luigi: Brothership is placing its best foot forward, showing off tons of new gameplay ideas and character designs in its first trailer. Whoever is developing this game has done a great job translating the old Mario and Luigi games’ cartoon sprite work into 3D, and its release date is surprisingly soon as well. Despite the years spent without Mario and Luigi, Nintendo has brought out a new one like the franchise never left. This isn't the first time that’s happened with a Mario RPG series, and the Mario and Luigi line could end up repeating its sibling’s trajectory.

Paper Mario: The Origami King Brought Paper Mario Back From The Brink

Back in the middle of 2020, Nintendo and Intelligent Systems stunned Paper Mario fans with the announcement and prompt release of Paper Mario: The Origami King. While its approach to combat puzzles wasn't for everyone, the game as a whole was a step up from the preceding Paper Mario: Sticker Star, Paper Mario: Color Splash, and Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam. It proved that the Paper Mario series was still evolving and could still put out a solid entry without fully returning to the first two Paper Mario’s gameplay, but more importantly, it kept the series alive and moving forward.

Origami King Set The Stage For TTYD’s Remake To Blow Fans Away

That is a vital aspect, as a few years later, the unthinkable happened. Mario RPG fans were greeted by remakes of both Super Mario RPG and series-favorite Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, each launching a few months apart. Mario and Luigi: Brothership is about to complete this Mario RPG trifecta, marking an unprecedented Nintendo IP revival within the span of one year. Despite its differences from these traditional RPGs, The Origami King likely helped open the door to at least the Paper Mario: TTYD remake, something Mario and Luigi: Brothership could repeat for its own series.

Given how the last Mario and Luigi remakes turned out, this isn't to say that Brothership should immediately be followed by another Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions remake in its 3D style, but the idea can't be counted out. Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions came out in 2017, and developing a fully 3D remake that incorporates evolutions of Brothership’s gameplay ideas could take until 2027. If nothing else, it would be nice to see a native version of Superstar Saga, and possibly Bowser’s Inside Story, on a console for the first time. Nintendo could even package this remake with Super Mario RPG and TTYD to create an “Ultimate Mario RPG Switch Bundle.”

The Best Thing Mario and Luigi Can Do Now Is Continue

Of course, the obvious next step forward is to keep making original Mario RPGs, which will hopefully take precedence if Mario and Luigi: Brothership does well. Whether the opportunity this game created will help the series’ past stay relevant or pave the way for its future, it should succeed in keeping Mario and Luigi relevant and popular on the Switch, just like The Origami King once did with Paper Mario. With any luck, M&L fans have plenty more entries to look forward to after Mario and Luigi: Brothership launches later in 2024.

Franchise

Mario & Luigi

Platform(s)

Switch

Released

November 7, 2024

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Genre(s)

RPG