A Blight On My Part-ners in Time

With Spring Break quickly approaching, I’m doing my best to surround myself with worthwhile games. And in all honesty, no new games have been noteworthy. I have yet to play Codename: S.T.E.A.M…. But we don’t talk about that.

I haven’t discovered any good new games, so I’ve been replaying old ones. I’m revisiting the Metroid Prime series, I’m replaying Chrono Trigger, but I’m also playing another game – one that I barely remember.

I first played Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time long, long ago. It was so long ago, in fact, that I was still at the age at which selling games was an acceptable means of income. I’ve long since outgrown that phase, but sadly, I’d sold my copy of Partners in Time. Thanks to a friend, I finally got my hands back on a game that I had overlooked.

I’m actually a huge fan of the Mario & Luigi series. I mean, it spawned from Super Mario RPG, so, by law, I have to like it. Why did I sell it, again? AHH.

It’s honestly an incredible game. It has all of the quirkiness of Superstar Saga (the first installation of the series), however, it’s more innovative. Rather than just the Super Mario Bros., you get to play as four characters simultaneously: Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, and Baby Luigi. All at the same time. Obviously, this is going to lead to some Grade-A tomfoolery.

And indeed, it does. The writing is outrageous and at the rare moments when the writing goes dry, the ridiculous voices of the foursome had me in tears (because I was laughing, duh).

But above all else, Partners in Time is just plain, easygoing fun. The overworld, the playstyle customization, even the battles are fun. You know that you’re playing a good game when you go out of your way to battle random enemies. It’s just so involved. The battle techniques aren’t so complex that you get lost, but it’s not simple enough to be boring. This game found the perfect formula for making a fun game. Whether you’re counterattacking with your hammer or combo-blasting your green shells, battling is always super fun.

Sure, the game has a serious story line, but the humorous nature of the game keeps the atmosphere light. So even though the story is a bit dark, the pure joy surrounding Partners in Time keeps the tone bright enough to keep me smiling.

I don’t know why I ever got rid of this game because I can’t find anything bad about it. It’s funny, innovative, and memorable. And it’s also a vital component of the Mario & Luigi series. Mario & Luigi: Dream Team is next on my list.

As for now, I’m going to enjoy the hilarity that is Partners in Time. And then maybe I’ll get around to picking up Codename: S.T.E.A.M..