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 is currently slated for release February 11, 2009 in Japan.

Plot
It is currently thought that the story takes Mario and Luigi across the Mushroom Kingdom to solve the mystery of and find the cure for the Metakoro disease, which causes its victims to swell to huge sizes. At one point, Bowser also tries to kidnap Princess Peach, but he fails. In a second attempt, he uses something called a "Lucky Mushroom", which gives him the ability to inhale everything. Fawful used the Mushroom to control Bowser. Bowser uses this ability to eat Peach, along with Mario, Luigi, Toadbert, and various other villains and enemies. Bowser is not aware of all the people he has swallowed. As seen in a screenshot, Mario and Luigi play throughout the game inside his body although it is unknown if they are in his body for the whole game. It seems that Bowser can be controlled as the same time as the Bros., so that when Bowser does something (like drinking in a fountain), there will be an effect inside his body (for example, when Bowser drinks, his body is flooded). In the meantime, Fawful has taken over Princess Peach's and Bowser's castle, and Bowser gets very mad about this.

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. 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. It also seems that 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
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. The battle system with both Bowser and 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, Bros. Items, Items, Attacks Parts and Escape. Their defense ways are Jump and Hammer. The Jump make Mario and/or Luigi jumping 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 it. When Mario or Luigi's symbols meet together in the middle of the gauge when they do perfect attacks, the Attacks Parts can be used. These must be find in two parts and can be put together to new special abilities like "Sweet Basket". Sweet Basket will make Luigi eating much candy, which will fill him up. Mario can then toss the puffed up Luigi at enemies.

Bowser's Battle System
Bowser have almsot the same battle system as Mario and Luigi's one, but with a few differences. He have different options: Punch replace Jump, Fire Breath replace Hammer and Ennemy Attack replace Attacks Parts. There aren't Bros. Items. Bowser's defense ways are the Punch and the Shell. Bowser's Punch can counter-attack an ennemy. His spiky Shell can hit ennemeis that try to jump on Bowser's head.

Ennemy Attacks are special attacks that use memebers of Bowser' army, like Goombas, Bob-Ombs or Koopas. They need to use the stylus. These characters first need to be liberate 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. It is unknown whether these battles are turn-based or real-time.

Playable

 * Mario
 * Luigi
 * Bowser

NPCs

 * Princess Peach
 * Toadsworth
 * Toadbert
 * Yellow Star (Chippy)
 * Kamek
 * Toads
 * Fawful
 * Brirock, a human like creature who seems to be made from ? Blocks. He is fought by Bowser, which leaves him thinking he's an enemy.
 * Blodog A dog-like creature in the same style as Brirock.

Enemies

 * Goombas (An enemy to Mario and Luigi. Bowser uses them in battle)
 * Koopas (An enemy to the Mario Bros. They obey Bowser)
 * A new Goomba-like species that is pink-orange with black eyes (in Bowser's Stomach)
 * A round dumpy creature that looks like a Flurry and holds a club (in Bowser's Stomach)
 * A Treasure Chest with Banjo-Kazooie like eyes
 * Two different types of trees with eyes.
 * Spinies with normal spiky shell but goop-like body with blue-green color (in Bowser's Stomach)
 * An insect creature that resembles Fawful.
 * A Monty Mole-like creature with a resemblance to Fawful.
 * A living piece of meat (In Bowser's Stomach).
 * A blue Blooper.
 * A Giant Goomba with a lollipop.
 * A bone-like Thwomp (in Bowser's Stomach)
 * Some kind of giant bean
 * A mad Wiggler
 * A Birdo-Squiggler mix
 * A Fawful T-Rex
 * Snifit Sunflowers
 * A magmatic Giant Goomba.
 * A green Sworm with Fawful's eyes in a Chain-Chomp with Fawful's face.

Unknown

 * A new type of Shy Guy
 * A new type of Paratroopa with a bucket on head.
 * A new type of Goomba that wears clothes.
 * An anthropomorphic pig.

Solo Pictures
NOTE: Other solo artworks for this game which are not shown here were previously seen for Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.

Other Links

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