Standard Edition
StandardIn the box
- Nintendo DS game card
- Case with cover art
- Instruction booklet
Nintendo DS
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story is a 2009 role-playing video game developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It is the third game in the Mario & Luigi series, following Partners in Time (2005).
Role-playing (RPG)Adventure
- Update patch
- No patch
- Time to beat
- about 22.3 hours
- Plays offline
- Yes
Overview
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story is a 2009 role-playing video game developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It is the third game in the Mario & Luigi series, following Partners in Time (2005). It uses the interactive screens of the DS in some of its gameplay mechanics while also introducing several elements that would be used in the series' future gameplay.
The game's plot involves Mario and Luigi being inhaled into the body of their long-time nemesis, Bowser. The Mario brothers learn to help Bowser, who is unaware of their presence inside his body, to combat their mutual enemy Fawful, who has taken over the Mushroom Kingdom. The gameplay focuses on the trio's cooperation, with specific abilities to solve puzzles and fight enemies. Similarly to its predecessors, its role-playing style emphasizes a turn-based battle system focused on timing accuracy, and it is almost entirely comedic in nature.
The game was both critically and commercially successful, with many fans and critics considering it to be the best game in the series and praising its story, humour and Bowser's role as protagonist. It is also the best-selling Mario role-playing game of all time, with 4.56 million copies sold worldwide as of 2020.
Official trailer
Trailer. Watch on YouTube
Gameplay
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story 🎮 Full Game Walkthrough | No Commentary | NDS Longplay, Phendra. Watch on YouTube
Screenshots
Game details
- Genres
- Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
- Developer
- AlphaDream
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Series
- Mario & Luigi
- Platforms
- Nintendo DS
- Age rating
- ESRB E
- Modes
- Single player
- Yes
- Local multiplayer
- No
- Online multiplayer
- No
- Co op
- No
- Age ratings
- ACB
- G
- PEGI
- 3
- ESRB
- E
- CLASS IND
- L
- CERO
- A
- GRAC
- ALL
- USK
- 6
Release dates
| Platform | Region | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo DS | Japan | 2009-02-11 |
| Nintendo DS | North America | 2009-09-15 |
| Nintendo DS | Europe / PAL | 2009-10-09 |
| Nintendo DS | Australia | 2009-10-22 |
| Nintendo DS | South Korea | 2011-07-21 |
Editions
White Nintendo DSi bundle
US$169.99 at launch
In the box
- White Nintendo DSi
- Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Space and patches
Update patchNo patch
Playable today
Playable offline todayYes
The whole game still plays on any DS.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Ever released on disc | Yes, on Nintendo DS game card |
| Ever released in the store | No The DS version was never sold digitally. The 2018 3DS remake is a separate release. |
| In the store to buy today | No Never sold digitally. |
| Can be downloaded again if you already bought it | Does not exist Never sold digitally. |
| Disc runs with no patch | Yes |
| Disc runs with the final patch | Does not exist No patch was ever released. |
| Playable offline today: campaign | Yes |
| Playable offline today: local multiplayer | Does not exist Single-player. |
| Playable offline today: online multiplayer | Does not exist Single-player. |
Online
Plays offlineYes
Reception
- Aggregates
Outlet Platform Score Scale Metacritic DS 90 100 - Critics
Outlet Score Scale Destructoid 9 10 Edge 9 10 Eurogamer 9 10 Famitsu 35 40 Game Informer 8.75 10 GamePro 4.5 5 GameSpot 9 10 GameSpy 4.5 5 GamesRadar 4.5 5 GamesTM 9 10 GameTrailers 8.9 10 GameZone 8.8 10 Giant Bomb 5 5 IGN 9.5 10 Jeuxvideo.com 18 20 Nintendo Gamer 9 10 Nintendo Life 10 10 Nintendo Power 9.5 10 Nintendo World Report 9 10 Official Nintendo Magazine 92 100 PALGN 9 10 Pocket Gamer 4.5 5 VideoGamer.com 8 10 X-Play 5 5
Staff and cast
- Staff
Role Name Developer AlphaDream Publisher Nintendo Director Hiroyuki Kubota Producers Toshiharu Izuno, Akira Otani, Yoshihiko Maekawa Programmer Makoto Aioi Artist Kouichi Fukazawa Composer Yoko Shimomura
Notes for collectors
- Mario and Luigi adventure inside Bowser's body while Bowser fights his own way across the Mushroom Kingdom.
- Fawful is the main villain.
- A copy came in a US$169.99 white Nintendo DSi bundle from 25 April 2010.
- Remade for the 3DS as Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, out in North America on 11 January 2019.
- 4.56 million copies sold by 2020, the best-selling Mario role-playing game.
Credits
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Developer
- AlphaDream
- Director
- Hiroyuki Kubota
- Released
- 2009-09-15
- Age rating
- ESRB E
- Region
- US
- Time to beat
- about 22.3 hours
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