Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story 3DS Review Roundup

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey is a remake of sorts of the 2009 DS game, this time for the Nintendo 3DS. It’s out now in North America, though its release date in Europe isn’t until January 25 (January 26 in Australia). The important question, though, is whether the remake is any good.

Critical consensus has been positive, with many praising the new mode, Bowser Jr.’s Journey. “The extra mode certainly sweetens the pot for those who owned Bowser’s Inside Story on DS, but fundamentally, it’s the same game,” wrote Justin Clark in GameSpot’s Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story review. For more opinions on the 3DS version, take a look below or check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

• Game: Mario + Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey
• Developer / Publisher: AlphaDream, Arzest / Nintendo
• Platform: Nintendo 3DS
• Release date: Out now (North America), January 25 (Europe), January 26 (North America)
• Price: US $40 / £35 / AU $60

GameSpot — 8/10

“The extra mode certainly sweetens the pot for those who owned Bowser’s Inside Story on DS, but fundamentally, it’s the same game. If anything, the real drawback is the game coming off as an unnecessary surprise on the 3DS–which can already play the original game via backward compatibility. But the game itself remains one of Mario’s RPG best, and it’s a cheerful, inventive journey.” — Justin Clark [Full review]

Game Informer — 8.5/10

“The updated visuals are attractive and the new mode is interesting–especially if you want to spend more time in that world–but if you played the 2009 original and consider yourself satisfied with that experience, then the incentive to return is small. If you’ve never played Bowser’s Inside Story, this is a fantastic way to experience what is probably the best of the Mario & Luigi games. As a remake, it doesn’t drastically change the experience or improve on it in a big way, but that’s a testament to the original’s quality more than it is a knock against this version.” — Kyle Hilliard [Full review]

Nintendo Life — 9/10

“Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey stands as a well-made remake of a game that was excellent to begin with, polishing up the original in small ways and adding some extra content that meaningfully establishes its own identity. If you’ve ever been a fan of the Mario & Luigi series (or are looking for a reason to dust off the old 3DS), do yourself a favour and pick this game up. Although Bowser Jr.’s Journey is just an ‘okay’ addition, the inventive battles, great writing and creative gameplay of the main game make this one an easy recommendation.” — Mitch Vogel [Full review]

Kotaku — No score

“I’d love to have gotten a brand new Mario & Luigi game this year, or even a remake that was on Switch instead of the 3DS. Still, a remake of Bowser’s Inside Story, one of the best games in the series, is better than none at all. I’m enjoying reliving the high points of the story with the beautiful, upgraded graphics and have found a surprising amount of fun in guiding Bowser Jr. through absurdist misadventures with the rest of Bowser’s minions. The Mario universe has become so much bigger in the years since Inside Story was originally released. It’s nice to be able to spend time with some of the under-explored characters on a smaller scale.” — Ethan Gach [Full review]