Nintendo's Mario franchise has received a variety of spinoffs, from platformers to kart racers to RPGs. One of example of the latter is the well-known Paper Mario series, but there was also another Mario-themed JRPG series. Mario & Luigi began back on the Game Boy Advance, and it's consistently been on every Nintendo handheld.

The Mario & Luigi series has been dormant since the heyday of the Nintendo 3DS, but the success of the Nintendo Switch is the perfect opportunity to bring it back. Here's a look back at the games and why a new one would be right at home on Nintendo's current console, especially amid the direction of other spinoffs.

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Mario & Luigi RPGs

The Mario & Luigi series began in 2003 with the release of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, which was developed by AlphaDream. Combining elements of the Paper Mario series and Super Mario RPG with the platforming elements of the mainline Mario games, Superstar Saga had players control both Mario and Luigi simultaneously as they traversed the Beanbean Kingdom and engaged enemies in turn-based battles.

Helping them along the way were special Bros. Attacks/Powers, which granted them special movies in battle and also gave them unique abilities to reach new locations throughout the various game regions. These were bolstered throughout the series with versions of the franchise's famous power-ups, such as reviving 1-Up mushrooms and pyrokinetic Fire Flowers.

The series received four more entries, with original game and third game also getting remakes on the 3DS that featured additional storylines. Likewise, 2015's Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, the latest game in the series, was a crossover with fellow Mario RPG Paper Mario. The games have all been lauded for their humor, storytelling and interesting twists on both franchise and genre conventions. They have also been noted for retaining their turn-based battle system, as well as advancing the cast and stories beyond the typical characters seen in the main Mario games. This contrasts the direction of Paper Mario, which has become increasingly criticized for doing the opposite.

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Why the Switch Needs a New Mario & Luigi Game

Nintendo Mario Luigi Paper Jam Chargin Chuck Horde

While Paper Mario has lost popularity due to some controversial changes to each game, Mario & Luigi titles have consistently been highly rated. They also have more thematic differences from the main games, helping to keep them comparatively fresh and unique compared to the more mainstream platformers, racing games, party games and sports spinoffs.

The fact that the series has always been on handheld heretofore theoretically wouldn't be broken considering that the Switch is a hybrid console. This would allow gamers to easily take a new Mario & Luigi game with them wherever they go, just like in the GBA and DS days. A new gimmick could also be concocted that would apply to the game's premise while taking advantage of the Switch's design and button layout. Given how many successful JRPGs are currently on the system, a first-party Nintendo RPG would fit right in.

The biggest hurdle in making this happen is the fate of the series' iconic developer. AlphaDream declared bankruptcy back in 2019 and subsequently closed down. Nintendo has since filed a trademark for the Mario & Luigi series name in Argentina, but there aren't any publicly revealed plans for a new game as of yet. Still, given Nintendo's lack of much buzz with other JRPG franchises, now might be the best time to put the two plumber brothers back into the turn-based action.

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