Mario and Luigi: Dream Team Bros. slam their way onto the Nintendo 3DS as these brothers embark on another fun filled adventure as they attempt to (again) rescue Princess Peach from the nefarious King of Bats, the dreaded Antasma. Kidnapped (thankfully not by Bowser) from the colourful and wonderful resort of Pi'iilo, Peach is taken to the Dream World where the two brothers must work in unison to bring her back in classic Mario Bros fashion.

One great twist to the story is that the two brothers must look for dream pillows so when Luigi goes to sleep on them, it allows Mario to access dream portals in order to resume their search for Peach. However while Luigi is sleeping, Mario is joined with a metaphysical aspect of Luigi to assist in the hunt. It's almost like The Matrix or Inception meets Super Mario Bros.

Interestingly enough this game is an action RPG that has parallels to a variety of Super Mario games, especially Paper Mario with its colourful graphics and exotic locations. Given that, the gaming environment of Mario and Luigi: Dream Team Bros. is quite varied and interactive as you explore a plethora of strange places with puzzles, enemies and other challenges that could only be found in a Super Mario game.

Given that, Mario & Luigi Dream Team Bros. is not your average Mario game as its considerably more focused on RPG elements such as the turn based combat and timing mechanics. Fortunately there is a tutorial mode to help newcomers of the series master the gaming mechanics as you begin your journey in the Mushroom Kingdom in classic Super Mario Bros fashion. Welcome to wonder world!

Apart from saving the lovely Princess Peach, our favourite plumbers must also rescue the citizens of Pi'iilo who look like little block people who have been trapped. Although there are certain platform areas and puzzles that must be solved, the majority of the game apart from exploring is combat. Combat mirrors the arcade games as you jump on the heads of enemies and use classic shells to dispense your foes for example. You do have the ability to dodge attacks and also perform special movies which really highlight the entertaining combat system of this title.

Another interesting element is that when you are in the dream world and you're attacking as Mario, you can call upon the power of Dreamy Luigi to battle your enemies by unleashing a hoard of Luigis or Luiginoids as they are called in the game. These create some bizarre attacks that must be seen to be believed. It's also great that the developers have left the safe zone of the Super Mario games and created something truly unique in terms of its originality.

Apart from Mario and Dreamy Luigi (heh... I'll never tire of that), the sleeping face of Luigi can also interact with the dream world. How so I hear you ask? Well my dear gamer, by moving certain elements of Luigi's face with the stylus, it effects the dream world such as making him sneeze or perform some other strange action. My favourite feature is to twirl Luigi's moustache in order to make Mario jump higher in the gaming environment. This is probably the highlight of the game as it doesn't feel like a traditional RPG title but rather, it's a combination of arcade meets RPG that creates a very addictive experience from start to finish.

In terms of completion, Mario and Luigi: Dream Team Bros. will take most seasoned gamers in excess of around 35 hours to successfully complete and that's dependent on how lost you want to become in this enhancing gaming world. Best of all, there was not one moment in the game where I got bored with the gameplay as the developers continue throwing something unique at the player. It's this that kept me glued to the screen.

Graphics/Audio

Graphically, Mario and Luigi: Dream Team Bros. is a visual delight on the 3DS and the 3D does work well with the gameplay. The environments are extremely colourful and although simplistic, they lend themselves well to the Super Mario Bros. mythos. There's also some great special effects employed in the game, especially all those little Luigi's in the dream world.

The musical score is also brilliant and pays homage to the Nintendo games of yesteryear as do the sound effects and the classic Mario and Luigi one-liners that never and I'll say it again, never get repetitive. The only drawback is that at times, you do need to turn off the 3D but for the majority it works like a treat. Controls also work hand in hand with the graphics and gameplay, especially the stylus that doesn't feel tacked on but is actually needed to successfully play the game.

Final Level

Nintendo have another winner on their hand and if you're looking for a game that will keep you busy for hours upon hours than Mario and Luigi: Dream Team Bros. is that game. The gameplay is quite unique on the 3DS and successfully merges two gaming genres, RPG and Arcade to create this interesting hybrid with a whole lot of fun at the same time. Add in a clever combat system and a variety of whacky super moves and you, Mario and Luigi will be working successfully together to rescue the beautiful Princess Peach.