Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

Mario & Luigi RPG 3 (tentative title, Japanese Mario & Luigi RPG 3!!!) is the upcoming third title in the Mario & Luigi series, for the Nintendo DS. It was confirmed on October 2 at the Fall 2008 Nintendo Conference, and was released on February 11, 2009 in Japan. Unlike Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time for the Nintendo DS, this third sequel does make greater use of the DS's touch controls and microphone.

Plot
After the Mushroom Kingdom's adult citizens begin to fall victim to the mysterious "Metakoro Disease," Princess Peach calls a meeting, which is attended by Mario and Luigi. A new character, Yellow Star, has discovered the cause of the disease. Meanwhile, Bowser gets an item called the "Vacuum Mushroom", which is actually a trap set by Fawful. It allows Fawful to control Bowser's actions, and gives Bowser the ability to inhale everything. Bowser goes to Peach's meeting and inhales everyone there. From this point, players can control both Bowser and the Marios, who are inside his body. While Bowser and Peach are preoccupied, Fawful takes control of both their castles.

Overworld
While Mario and Luigi adventure through Bowser's Body, Bowser is walking around the overworld. Mario and Luigi can have influence on Bowser. They can pinch nerves to make Bowser panic. They can also touch Bowser's muscles to give him a power-up. Equally, Bowser can change the course of the Marios' adventure. For example, he can flood them by drinking from a fountain.

Overworld icons have slightly changed. They now display the health of the character. Bowser uses two buttons in the overworld, X to punch, and Y for firebreath. Mario uses A to jump, use his hammer or do a Spin Jump. Luigi uses B to jump, use the hammer or hiting Mario with his hammer, making Mario flat and little. While Bowser explores a 3-D overworld, Mario and Luigi explore a 2-D world inside Bowser's body, much like a traditional platformer.

Mario and Luigi Battle System
The battle system with Mario & Luigi is similar to the battles from previous titles. There are now six categories of attack during battle, as opposed to Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time ' s five, or Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga ' s four. These are Jump, Hammer, Attack Parts (Bros. Items), Bros. Badges and Escape. The Bros can defend with their jump and their hammers. The Jump makes Mario and/or Luigi jump to dodge an attack or to counter-attack. The Hammer is used to counter-attack. The music played while battling is the same as the music played during the debut trailer, as seen in the Japanese site.

A new element has been added to battles, a gauge at the bottom of the screen with Mario and Luigi's heads on either end. When Mario or Luigi pulls off an action command, that brother's end of the bar fills slightly. When they meet in the middle, it's possible to use a Bros. Badge move. The effect varies with the equipped badge. The normal effect is to restore 20% of both brothers' HP. Badges can be bought in one of the shops in Toad Town. Some of the badges require that the action commands be pulled off perfectly (EXCELLENT is displayed), and some only need GOOD!. An extra block that appears in the battles can be used to swap the badges that brothers use.

Bowser's Battle System
Bowser has almost the same battle system as Mario and Luigi's, but with a few differences. He has different options: Punch replaces Jump, Fire Breath replaces Hammer and Enemy Attack replaces Attacks Parts. He doesn't have Bros. Badges. Instead, Bowser will get the vacuum ability only after the player advances further through the game. He can then swallow enemies to make Mario and Luigi fight them in his belly, or sometimes he can swallow parts of enemies that can restore his HP, raise defense or attack power, or rescue a Blocat. Bowser's defenses are the Punch and the Shell. Bowser's Punch can counter-attack an enemy. His spiky Shell can hit enemies that try to jump on his head.

Enemy Attacks are special attacks that use members of Bowser' army, like Goombas, Bob-Ombs, Koopas, or Magikoopas. These use the stylus. These characters need to be liberated to unlock these attacks.

Bowser will also have his very own battle system when he fights alone against equally-sized enemies. During these battles, the player holds the DS sideways like a book, and can perform moves with the touch screen and microphone. Sweeping the touch pen across the touch screen will make Bowser execute a Mega Punch against his enemy, while breathing into the microphone will make him breath fire. These battles are turn-based battles.

Playable

 * Mario
 * Luigi
 * Bowser

Friends

 * Princess Peach
 * Toadsworth
 * Toadbert
 * Yellow Star (Chippy)
 * Kamek
 * Toads
 * Brirock, a human like creature who seems to be made from ? Blocks. He is fought by Bowser.
 * Blodog, Brirock's pet.
 * Brirose, another human like creature made out of ? Blocks. She is seen fighting Bowser in one point of the game.
 * Blocats
 * Three assistants to Bowser:
 * A green Shy Guy with a bag on his back, with a gray pipe and a Magikoopa's wand inside
 * A red Paratroopa with a red bucket on its head, and green shoes.
 * A Goomba that wears blue clothes and seems to look sad.

Enemies

 * Goombas (Enemies to Mario and Luigi. Bowser uses them in battle).
 * Koopas (Enemies to the Mario Bros. They obey Bowser).
 * Saibō, a new Goomba-like species that is clear with black eyes and houses an orange object inside itself (in Bowser's Stomach). It appears to be based off a cell.
 * Tanba-Kun (「タンバくん」), a round dumpy creature that looks like a Flurry and holds a club (in Bowser's Stomach). It grows whenever Mario and Luigi attack it. It comes in a tan and a blue variety.
 * A Treasure Chest with Banjo-Kazooie like eyes. It also has a dark version.
 * Two different types of trees with eyes.
 * Togēba, Spinies with a normal spiky shell but goop-like body with blue-green color (in Bowser's Stomach).
 * A grasshopper-like creature that resembles Fawful.
 * A Monty Mole-like creature with a resemblance to Fawful. It also has a dark version.
 * Jūshī, A living piece of meat (in Bowser's Stomach).
 * Blooper's Statue (｢ゲッソーのぞう｣), a blue Blooper that gets red when attacked. It　rides a well called "Marinba".
 * Kurishinbō, a obese red-brown Goomba with a lollipop.
 * Thwomp-like bones (in Bowser's Stomach), it appears to be more of an obstacle rather than an enemy.
 * A Wiggler, as a boss.
 * A Birdo-Wiggler mix.
 * Getagetā, a dinosaur with Fawful's face. Bowser can suck out its teeth in battle.
 * Geranko, a Fawful-like ant with a drill for an abdomen.
 * A gigantic insect.
 * Katabō, a Buzzy Beetle-like creature that is purple with black eyes and houses a yellow object inside. They also have black shells instead of blue and appear in Bowser's Stomach.
 * Snifit sunflowers.
 * Gerawanwan, A parasitic green Sworm with Fawful's face possessing a Chain-Chomp.
 * Brirock is fought at one point.
 * A Thwomp with some kind of cold (it is shown with a runny nose and an ice pack on it's head).
 * Small, fried-egg-like monsters that appear in Bowser's belly.
 * A Goomba in a cage with a cannon and shield for arms.
 * Fawful
 * Metaboss, an anthropomorphic pig under the orders of Fawful. It robotized and guards Bowser's castle.
 * Bowser's own castle.
 * Mineral Gessō, floating, stuffed, balloon-like Bloopers.
 * A chimney Goomba.
 * Hagasanbon, a Pokey made entirely out of teeth.
 * A Kingly Lakitu.
 * Gera Bot, A UFO resembling Fawful that summons enemies.
 * Karorin, A Flame Monster holding two small logs.
 * Bugs made out of coal.
 * A Fly Guy with a seed for a propeller.
 * A round, tan, bird-like creature with mustache-like wings.
 * A Walking Honeycomb/tree mix enemy that releases honey and bees.
 * A Piranha Plant that resembles a vein (in Bowser's Stomach).
 * A purple bush-like creature with yellow flowers and red lips that shoots poison.
 * A Shy Guy with an orange robe and a Fawful mask. It also have a dark version.
 * Fawful Magikoopas.
 * A giant dark Bob-Omb that bears a similarity with the Shroob-omb from Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time and is filled with black stars.
 * A clocked Bob-Omb.
 * Some type of Bumpty with a drill instead of a beak.
 * A pig Golem that is found sleeping, and once awoke, they can spit brick blocks.
 * A dark purple Fly Guy with a blue Fawful mask.
 * Shroobs

Bosses

 * Fawful
 * Dark Fawful
 * Brirock
 * Blodog
 * Bowser
 * Betarīno, a Bug-like creature that doesn't allow Bowser to breath fire
 * Bowser's Castle
 * Metaboss (two times)
 * A honey-comb like monster with red and green circles inside it
 * Fawful Train
 * Giant-Robot
 * Blooper's Statue
 * Imounu (a Birdo-Wiggler Mix)
 * Bifīzu Person, three creatures that assist Imōnu.
 * Straw, a heart-shaped device that Imōnu uses to steal Bowser's HP.
 * Wiggler
 * Swiggler -like creature
 * Arukaroten & Betakaroten, who kidnap Peach.
 * Bowser's Memory ML
 * Brirose
 * Shadow Bowser
 * Shroobs (optional)

Shadow Bosses
The game also contains a Battle Colosseum that gives you an option to fight 7 optional bosses. They're shadow versions of bosses that Mario and Luigi already fought, just a lot more powerful. This mode also requires brothers to finish the enemy in less than set number of turns. These bosses are:


 * Imōnu X
 * Arukaroten X
 * Sage Imounu X
 * Magical Rod
 * Bowser's Memory ML　X
 * Garakuta Monster X
 * Garakuta Kobun X
 * Dark Star X
 * Dark Satellite X
 * All　other bosses from Challenge Hall in a row + Bowser X

Solo Pictures
NOTE: Solo artwork for this game which is not shown here was previously used in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.

Trivia

 * Mario & Luigi RPG 3 is the first game where Princess Peach has the power to levitate other people. Apparently, this is because she must prey in conjunction with Yellow Star's powers to do so.
 * This is the first time in the role playing games that a sequel has been released on the same system as its predecessor.
 * This is the first Mario & Luigi game that does not have a female main villain, it is also the first to have optional bosses.

Other Links

 * Japanese Site of Mario & Luigi RPG 3!!!