DS Review - Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

Probably one of the most anticipated games of last year for DS. Sorry that the review is kinda late but I still think it should be done =) There may be SPOILERS in the review.

Story: The Mushroom Kingdom has been diagnosed with a seemingly uncureable disease called The Blorbs. Mario and Luigi are called by Peach to come to a meeting about the disease. Suddenly Bowser bursts claiming he will kidnap Peach and take over the kingdom yadayadayada. Mario quickly beats Bowser and Bowser is sent off. Bowser then comes across an odd stall and is sold a Lucky Shroom by a mysterious figure. However it is not a Lucky Shroom but a trap set by the mysterious figure (who reveals him self to be the chortle having Fawful) which causes Bowser to inhale everyone in Peach's Castle. Fawful then proceeds to take over Bowser Castle and Bowser has to take it back, not knowing that Mario, Luigi, Peach and the Toads are inside his body. As you progress through the story you'll find that it is quite ingenius (especially compared to other Mario games) and that the script is well written and genuinely hilarious. From the foul mouthing Bowser gives to just about everyone, to the jibberish Italian Mario and Luigi speak in; it's all really funny.
9/10

Graphics: Visually it is very good especially for the DS. The sprites are well animated, the backgrounds are clear and everything is colourful and quite cheery. Wondering around as Mario and Luigi in 2D feels great and is a pleasure to look at. My only problem was when I was wondering around in 3D as Bowser (sometimes Mario and Luigi). Since it is more of a cross between top-down view and 3D (think LOZ the Minish Cap) the perspective tricks you at times and you may misinterpret a jump.
8/10

Sound: An awesome soundtrack. It wonders away from the usual classic Mario themes but every piece in the game is very good. From the battle themes, to the character themes, to the level themes everything is well done and catchy. Not only that but the final boss theme is probably one of the most epic things you will ever hear in a Mario game.
9/10

Gameplay: Being an RPG the gameplay is split into two main sections for both sets of characters: exploration and battling. The exploration works well. Since there is an easily accessible map you should rarely find yourself getting lost and there are no randomly generated battles. The enemies you fight you always see wandering about the world and you have to actually make contact with them to engage in a battle. The battle system works fantastically. The battles are turn based and involve selecting a command to do and dodging/countering your opponent's attacks. However the thing that really makes this is the fact that the battles are never stale. If you want your moves to be effective you have to time your buttong presses or (in Bowser's case when using special moves) time when and how to use the stylus. It adds another dimension to the gameplay and makes the experience very fun.
10/10

Lasting Appeal: The main storyline itself lasts between 15-25 hours (of course since it is an RPG game) and there is are a load of mini games to play that are fun and quite challenging to get a high score since they require full mastery of the game's controls. Not to mention once you beat the storyline you have gain access to one more rank for each of the characters and they gain special rewards once they reach these ranks.
10/10

Overall: The game is a fantastic and varied experience. The story and cutscenes are funny, the soundtrack is cheery and the gameplay is polished. Absolutely essential for all DS owners out there.
9.5/10

i really enjoyed this game best in the series

I really had fun with this game. I would give it a 9.7