Mario & Luigi: Brothership

Gameplay

Brothership is a role-playing game that follows a similar gameplay formula to previous Mario & Luigi titles. Players simultaneously control Mario and Luigi, as they explore and reconnect the islands of Concordia whilst battling against enemies. Both brothers have their own buttons assigned to them for exploring the overworld and for combat. Exploration includes talking to non-player characters, completing quests and solving puzzles. The game features a central hub called Shipshape Island, which acts like a ship. Players can explore Concordia's seas in order to find islands and other points of interest. On islands, the main focus is to find and reconnect it to Shipshape Island via a giant plug. Once accomplished, the islands are connected to the ship and more NPCs become available. Brothership features a unique game mechanic called "Luigi Logic", which allows Luigi to act autonomously, often to collect items or to help solve some of the game's puzzles, and to come up with new moves that can help defeat bosses. Alongside the main story, the player can also explore small islets for extra rewards, and undertake sidequests. Mario and Luigi can also perform special "Bros. Moves", including moves for traversal and navigation as well as the ability to throw fireballs. Combat in Brothership follows the usual Mario & Luigi formula; players can attack via a jump or a hammer, use items to heal damage, or flee from battle. Timed button-presses give the opportunity to boost attacks, dodge enemy attacks or perform a counter-attack. The brothers can assist each other when performing basic attacks for extra damage. Progressing through the game opens up Bros. Attacks, which feature a mixture of new and returning moves as well as "Battle Plugs": special upgrades which confer a bonus in battle, including making counterattacks easier, recovering health points, and enhancing attack power. These can be switched around at the start of a character's turn, but each plug has a set number of charges that drain out when used and which must be recharged once drained.