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, is a role playing video game developed by AlphaDream for the Nintendo DS system. It is the sequel to Superstar Saga, and the fifth game in the Mario RPG series. Its graphics and general style greatly resemble those of its predecessor.

Gameplay

As Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time is the sequel to Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, its battle system and overworld movement system are similar to its prequel. In addition, Badges and Gear return.

Plot

In the introductory sequence, Baby Mario and Baby Luigi are on their way to a playdate with Baby Peach when they come upon Baby Bowser trying to kidnap the princess. However, after defeating the future Koopa King (who refers himself as Prince at this point of time) the castle becomes besieged by UFOs that are controlled by the Shroobs, an evil race of aliens from a far off planet. Back in the present, news has spread that E. Gadd has invented a time machine, powered by the Cobalt Star, and Princess Peach is using it to visit the past. But when the time machine returns, it is occupied not by the princess, but a green Shroob. Thankfully, the Mario Brothers were around to defeat the alien. After beating the alien, the brothers come upon a time hole, a rift in the time/space continuum connecting the present with the past. Both brothers end up in the past, along with the sentient suitcase Stuffwell, where they meet up with more of the alien forces, now attacking HolliJolli village. The brothers do well against the invaders, but a UFO overhead blasts the brothers with a giant energy orb, incapacitating them.

Meanwhile, the Koopa Cruiser is flying overhead, with the young Toadsworth, the baby princess, and baby Mario and Luigi. However, Shroob UFOs attack the ship, and the babies reach the bridge just before Baby Bowser defeats them. The Cruiser suddenly drops in altitude, and hovers over Hollijolli village. Baby Bowser is planning on returning to his castle for a snack, but baby Princess Peach's crying forces him to shoot a spiked ball to flatten the Shroobs menacing Mario and Luigi. The babies are sent to investigate, and defeat some remaining Shroobs, before taking Mario and Luigi aboard.

Young Toadsworth explains that after Baby Bowser's kidnapping attempt of Baby Peach, the Shroob UFOs arrived and devastated Toad Town as well. Baby Bowser, however, summoned Kamek and the Koopa Cruiser, destroying some of the UFOs and allowing Baby Bowser to escape with his captives. The Cruiser passes over Princess Peach's castle, now called Shroob Castle. Princess Shroob, the leader of the Shroobs, communicates with them in an unknown language, before firing a missile that shoots down the Koopa Cruiser, causing it to crash into Baby Bowser's castle.

Mario and Luigi come to find their younger counterparts and, on their way out, find a shard of the Cobalt Star. They meet with the young Toadsworth, and jump into the time hole, returning home. Young Toadsworth follows them, thinking they might endanger the young princess's playmates. Back at the castle, they find out about more time holes, including one to Toadwood Forest. The group enters the forest, and finds Toadiko, who was with Princess Peach in the time machine. She reveals that Princess Peach was kidnapped by the Shroobs, and that the aliens are harvesting vim from Toads to power their flying saucers in Vim Factory. A UFO turns her into a mushroom, and she tells Mario to gather the shards of the Cobalt Star.

The brothers enter the factory, but a strange contraption captures the adults, and the babies are forced to fight Shroob-controlled Hammer Brothers alone. Victory allows them to get hammers of their own, and they manage to free the adults. The four proceed into the heart of the factory, and fight Swiggler, a Shroob wiggler that powers the UFOs. They find another Cobalt Star shard, but Baby Bowser arrives, dizzies the four, steals the shards, and escapes.

The brothers return to the present, and learn of new time holes, and of commotion in the garden. The young Toadsworth, who is quite protective of the baby princess, is being chased by the elder Toadsworth, who believes that the time machine has transformed Peach into an infant. The two, however, reconcile their differences enough to entertain the Princess; their doing so provides new moves for the brothers at certain points in the game.

Mario, Luigi, and the babies make their way to Yoshi's Island, where the Yoshis hide from a monster known as a Yoob; a gargantuan Yoshi controlled by the Shroobs. Yoob proceeds to swallow the Yoshis whole. Kylie Koopa, a Koopa reporter, is on the scene, looking to cover the story. Kamek is also on the island, looking for cookies for Baby Bowser. The brothers pursue him to the top of the island, and after the babies eat all his cookies, the prince retreats while Kamek attacks the brothers. Kamek is defeated, and the brothers catch Baby Bowser, but he eats the shards. While the brothers attempt to force the shards out of Baby Bowser's stomach, Yoob climbs up the cliff, and a beam from a Shroob UFO causes him to further increase in size. He swallows Mario, Luigi, the babies, and Baby Bowser.

Inside Yoob's belly, the brothers advance by helping the Yoshis, who push Chomp Rocks out of their way. They find an amnesiac Toad named Toadbert, who was in the time machine with Peach. He possesses a drawing of a memory he has, which, while smudged with dirt, apparently shows Princess Peach fending off Princess Shroob with the Cobalt Star, which supposedly shattered as a result. He also points out a monster named Sunnycide, which guards the eggs. The brothers find Sunnycide, and see Baby Bowser in one of the eggs. Defeating Sunnycide, Yoob releases all the eggs and shuts down.

Baby Bowser plays hero to the Yoshis, and after devouring a pile of cookies to protect them from the babies, coughs up the shards. The shards knock him off the island, and the Yoshis recognize Mario and Luigi as their saviors.

Another time hole opens, this time to Gritzy Desert, which Mario and Luigi travel through after learning another move. Mario and Luigi attempt to enter the Koopaseum, but are spotted, and a Shroob patrol charges them. Kylie Koopa, however, informs them that Princess Shroob and Peach are inside, and that there is a secret entrance. The brothers activate statues throughout the desert to open the entrance, and reach the Koopaseum.

Inside the Koopaseum, Princess Shroob makes a brief speech to the Shroobs, and then a UFO drops Peach into Petey Piranha's mouth. Meanwhile, some Shroob guards capture Kylie (but, inexplicably, not the Mario brothers). The brothers enter the arena, and defeat the Shroobs that attack, including a large, lollipop-sucking Shroob called the Shrooboid Brat, but some hammer-wielding Shroobs pound a hole in the floor and drop them into the Gritzy Caves.

Inside the caves, the brothers witness Kylie being dropped into Petey Piranha's mouth, and pursue and defeat the Piranha. Kylie escapes, and shows the brothers a key to the Shroob Mother Ship that she found. She also reveals that Princess Peach was in the Piranha, but was spat out shortly after Kylie was swallowed. The brothers find a third Cobalt Star Shard, and Kylie becomes spooked while admiring the shards, seeing someone looking back at her. Mario and Luigi find Princess Peach locked deeper in the cave, but, to their horror, see what appears to be a Shroob parasite on her face.

Princess Peach is treated in her bedroom, but soon, Bowser arrives and kidnaps her, despite becoming temporarily ill after swallowing some Shroob slime from Peach's face. The gas he emits incapacitates everyone else in the room, and he runs out with the Princess. However, young Toadsworth charges him with the baby princess, and he jumps over the two, crashes through the walkway, and lands in a time hole. Mario and Luigi chase after him, to Thwomp Volcano.

On the summit of Thwomp Volcano, Mario and Luigi find Peach's crown, but the volcano erupts. They reach the young Professor E. Gadd's laboratory, and, after putting out a flaming Thwomp that crashes into the lab, change the older Professor E. Gadd's memories, and inspire him to create the Hydrogush 4000. He shoots water through the time hole, and cools down the volcano. This angers a Thwomp couple, who had been waiting for the eruption, and Mrs. Thwomp attacks the brothers. She is defeated, and her husband, who supports treating women well, allows Mario and Luigi to enter the volcano after hearing that they wish to rescue Peach.

Bowser contemplates using Thwomp Volcano as a second castle when Baby Bowser shows up and thinks of the same idea. The two insult each other for some time, but by the time the brothers have arrived, they have teamed up, and attack. They are defeated, and blown into the air by the eruption. They land on the Shroob mother ship, but Bowser falls off and goes into a time hole. The mother ship blows a hole in the mountain, and takes Princess Peach aboard. The Mario brothers follow her.

Inside the Shroob Mother Ship, Mario and Luigi find Peach, but are surrounded by Shroobs and learn a surprising secret. The Princess Peach they believed they rescued from Gritzy Caves was not Princess Peach, but Princess Shroob in disguise. Kylie Koopa, however, while disguised as a Shroob, frees them, and uses the key on the Mother Ship, but she and the brothers fall out. Baby Bowser bursts through the roof and hides inside the ship. Kylie lands on Toadbert's head and causes him to remember everything. The brothers land in Toad Town, and find out that Star Hill is nearby.

The brothers climb Star Hill, noticing that the shards are becoming agitated. They defeat a Shroob Commander, and learn from the Star Sprite inside the Cobalt Star that the Star is the key to defeating the Shroobs, and that Princess Shroob shattered it. A shard is hidden in the Shrine, and once five of the six are collected, the brothers can enter Shroob Castle. Baby Luigi, however, is frightened by the Star Sprite. They enter the Star Palace in search of more shards. After a humorous and touching scene in which Luigi must prove his courage to the gate by striking an Aurora Block (the star gate considers him unworthy, and, when asking him who helped him find the Block, gives him an impossible question to test his brother and the babies) and after Mario receives some dieting advice, the brothers find a shard. Toadbert and Kylie arrives, and Toadbert reveals that he possesses another, but says that with a restored Cobalt Star, the Shroobs will still be impossible to defeat. He runs ahead, and Kylie runs after him. Mario and Luigi find the two wounded deep inside the temple. Toadbert tells them to rub the dirt off his sketch, which reveals a small Shroob figure near the figure that is believed to be Princess Shroob. Before he can reveal what it is, an Elder Shrooboid turns him and Kylie into Shroobs. Mario and Luigi defeat him and claim the fifth Shard.

The brothers enter Shroob Castle and make their way to the third floor, where the Shroobs have constructed a giant statue of Princess Shroob. They learn that Princess Peach is being held near the top. Peach hears Mario's voice when the brothers see her, but the screen showing Peach cuts off. Unfortunately, they are initially unable to get there because of a Chain Chomp changing the direction of a pipeline, dropping them into the basement. They, however, defeat the Chain Chomp, escape the basement and reach the statue, climbing to the top. Near the top, however, the Cobalt Star leaves them.

Princess Peach, who is trapped behind a giant force field, greets them, and asks how they got inside. Mario and Luigi explain that they are gathering Cobalt Star shards, but Princess Peach is horrified. Before she can explain, the Shroob Mother Ship attacks the statue. Mario and Luigi use another saucer to attack the Mother Ship, shooting it down by shooting the other saucers that collide into it. Princess Shroob emerges from the crashed Mother Ship, and attacks Mario and Luigi, who defeat her.

The Cobalt Star returns, but Princess Peach runs away from it. She says that she has the central piece to complete the star, but she "cannot allow that to happen." Baby Bowser comes out of nowhere, steals Peach's shard, and reunites it with the Cobalt Star. Soon afterwards, the dying Princess Shroob calls upon her "sister", and the Cobalt Star turns Baby Bowser into a Shroob mushroom. Princess Peach reveals that another Shroob Princess, the elder twin sister of Princess Shroob, is inside. Peach reveals that the elder twin (the one inside the star) attacked her as soon as she arrived, but she sealed the Princess away with the star, and shattered it; restoring the original shape restored Princess Shroob's powers. However, the younger princess, who was previously believed to be the only princess, captured her. The elder Princess Shroob emerges from the Colbalt Star and attacks the brothers with two forms, before being defeated and turning into a mushroom herself.

Princess Peach is grateful to the Mario brothers, yet is concerned with how to rid the kingdom of the Shroobs. Baby Luigi bounces on Baby Bowser's Shroob mushroom when Baby Mario jumps on top of his head, causing him to cry. As it turns out, Baby Luigi's tears restore Baby Bowser to normal. Hearing this, Professor E. Gadd uses the Hydrogush's liquid, with the same chemical properties as baby tears, to wipe the Shroob mushrooms from the past Mushroom Kingdom. He then repairs the time machine, powering it with the time holes, and takes Princess Peach and the brothers home.

The castle celebrates, and Mario and Luigi enter the throne room, to find an unconscious Bowser. Bowser eats the elder Princess Shroob's mushroom, though, and turns into Shrowser. Seeming he feels better than ever, he challenges the brothers once again (attacking so fast so that the brothers cannot), yet the brothers defeat him. The ending then plays, with Young Toadsworth, Baby Peach, and the baby brothers returning to the past as Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach wave goodbye.

Characters

The only four playable characters in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time are the red-hatted plumber himself, his brother, and their younger selves, but other characters play major roles in the plot.

Playable characters

  • Mario - Mario's back with his entire family, friends, enemies, and new friends. After Mario hears Peach has been kidnapped back in time, he, Luigi, and their baby-selves must rescue her from the Shroobs
  • Luigi - Luigi is also back, and he is still timid and cowardly as ever. It seems that he still provides the comic relief in the game, but at least this time people remember his name (at least some).
  • Baby Mario - Even in infancy, Mario is still brave. He isn't afraid to tackle danger head on, even though he doesn't know what danger means.
  • Baby Luigi - Luigi's younger self. He tends to cry a lot, which explain's Luigi's cowardice (though adult Luigi cries more).

Major non-playable characters

  • Princess Peach
  • Toadsworth
  • Shroob
  • Toad
  • Young Toadsworth
  • Professor E. Gadd
  • Yoshi
  • Young Elvin Gadd
  • Bowser
  • Baby Bowser
  • Kylie Koopa
  • Toadbert - A blue Toad who loses his memory in the game, but has drawn a picture of the last thing he saw before losing his memory that proves to help with the plot. He has a tendency to say "by boogity" a lot.
  • Toadiko - A pink Toad who accompanies Princess Peach into the past, and is turned into a Shroob mushroom in Toadwood Forest.
  • Elder Princess Shroob - The elder sister of the Princess Shroob the Mario brothers originally defeat. She was imprisoned by the cobalt star by Princess Peach in the beginning of the game, and disguised herself as the mysterious 'star sprite' that the Mario brothers see at the gate to the star shrine. She is released after the younger Princess Shroob is defeated because Baby Bowser combined the star shards together, unaware that the shards would release the Shroob.
  • Yoob - A giant pink Shroob Yoshi whose insides make up an area of the game (Yoob's Belly).
  • Princess Shroob - The Shroob leader and arch-enemy to the Mario Brothers. The Mario Brothers come in close contact with Princess Shroob several times, but she is not defeated until close to the very end of the game.

Bosses

  • Junior Shrooboid - A young Shroob, he is the one that goes into the time machine and travels to the future after the capture of Peach. He is battled in peach's castle in the throne room.
  • L33t Hamm3r Broz. - A version of the Hammer bro's brain washed and controlled by the Shroobs to guard the Vim Factory. Before they are defeated, they speak only in 1337 sp34k.
  • Swiggler - Basically a Wiggler, he is the one that produces the Vim that powers up the Shroobs UFO. He is defeated when Mario and Luigi poison his Vim drinks. You get a Cobalt Star shard from him.
  • Kamek - Baby Bowsers' caretaker, he is ordered to stall and defeat the brothers while baby Bowser makes his escape with his cobalt star shards. He can create duplicates. He is fought on Yoshi's Island.
  • Sunnycide - A giant egg monster inside Yoob's belly. He tosses smaller eggs at Mario and Luigi, which have Yoshis inside of them.
  • Shrooboid Brat - Found in the dome of Gritzy Desert, he is the older version of the Junior Shrooboids and uses a lollipop to attack.
  • Petey Piranha - Apparently, the Shroobs feed prisoners to this giant Pirhana Plant. He is found in Gritzy Cave. You rescue from his belly Kylie Koopa and Peach (although the Peach has a shroob mushroom on her face). He also possesses a cobalt star shard.
  • Mrs. Thwomp - The female half of a Thwomp couple visiting Thwomp Volcano for the annual eruption. She can split in four in battle. She appears to have anger problems and her husband, Mr. Thwomp, lowers the Mario brothers into the volcano after the battle.
  • Bowser and Baby Bowser - After meeting in Thwomp Volcano, the pair team up to defeat their long time enemies, the Mario Brothers. Baby Bowser hides behind Bowser until Bowser is either defeated or temporarily knocked off the screen.
  • Commander Shroob - A Commander Shroob searching for cobalt star shards, he is quite cowardly and instead summons his minions to fight for him until he is knocked on screen. However, he frequently leaves whenever he can. The player receives another shard from him. He is fought at Star Hill.
  • Elder Shrooboid - The eldest version of the Shrooboids, he steals a cobalt star shard from Toadbert and must be beaten to reclaim it. However, before Toadbert can reveal a truth to Mario and Luigi, he is turned into a purple mushroom. He is found at the Star Shrine.
  • Princess Shroob - The younger twin, when her sister is trapped in the cobalt star, she apparently takes leadership of the Shoobs. She seems to be devoted to her sister, as she sends the Shroobs looking for the stars' shards. She wields purple energy balls, a three-legged machine, and a force-field. She is fought at her castle, which was originally Peach's castle in the past.
  • Elder Princess Shroob - The elder twin, she is the true ruler of the Shroobs. Commanding a UFO fleet, she is the most powerful boss of the game, posssesing brutal attacks and a massive recovery ability. In her second form, her arms and legs are replaced with tentacles, she grows much larger, and possese more powerful attacks. She can only be truly damaged when her crown is taken out (all other attacks, no matter how powerful, do only one damage out of 3000). She is eventually defeated and turns into a poisoned looking mushroom. She is battled in the sky on a flying platform containing nothing but a throne.
  • Shrowser - When an injured Bowser eats the remains of the elder Princess Shroob, he becomes Shrowser. In this form, he cannot be attacked; all of his attacks must be reflected or dodged so they hit Princess Shroob's spirit, which occupies the top screen. When defeated, the elder Princess Shroob is destroyed completey and Bowser returns to normal. He is fought in the throne room of Peach's Castle in the present.

Returning characters from Superstar Saga

  • Fawful- In hiding until he can find someone to help him do evil, Fawful now sells a nice variety of badges to the babies, not knowing they will grow up into his hated foes.

  • Prince Peasly- He appears on a poster behind the counter of the Castle Shop.

Development

Changes from Superstar Saga

  • Instead of players controlling two brothers and switching between them to use differing abilities, players control two pairs of brothers (adult and baby) and switch between them. Many additional changes result:
    • Players no longer swap which character leads - Mario or Baby Mario is always in front.
    • Switching between the pairs of brothers is a matter of pressing the corresponding brother's button - the Start button now opens up the suitcase, Stuffwell.
    • When an adult falls in battle (when the pairs are together), the baby version takes his place.
    • Solo moves (Jump and Hammer) can be enhanced by new action commands when the pairs are together.
    • Many Bros. Items, which take the place of Bros. Attacks and Points, can be used when the pairs are separated. Some require only two, others require all four.
  • Only the babies have Hammers.
  • The game takes place in the Mushroom Kingdom, not the Beanbean Kingdom.
  • Instead of one overworld and many different interconnected locations in it, like Superstar Saga, this game features an overworld (the present, in Peach's castle), which becomes a portal to the locations in the past through Time Holes.

Voices

Reception

On its first week of release in Japan, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time sold 132,726 units. * As of May 2006, 1.27 million copies of the game were sold worldwide, lower than its predecessor, which sold 1.8 million copies.

Awards

  • IGN: Editors' Choice Award

References

External links

2005 computer and video games | Mario role-playing games | Nintendo DS games | Time travel in fiction

Mario & Luigi : les Frères du Temps | マリオ&ルイージRPG2

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time".

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