Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is a surprisingly fun game. At its core it’s a role-playing game. But you wouldn’t tell because of the amount of platforming, the quantity and quality of small puzzles and -most of all- the funny self-deprecating dialogue.

As the player you control Mario and Luigi simultaneously and that takes some time to master. As you learn techniques along the way, each character get special abilities allowing you to solve new puzzles and advance on your journey. It’s not a shot game for a handheld, taking around 20-30 hours to finish at the minimum.

The 3DS 2017 remake of 2017 (Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions) did keep most of the game as it is, just updating the graphics and music for the more powerful handheld. That’s says a lot about the original whose 2D SNES/GBA graphics don’t feel outdated today, but hip and cute pixel-art.

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Dr. Mario is often bundled with its more famous predecessor Tetris. The puzzle game is certainly a worthy successor. While there are versions of this game on more recent consoles, the straightforwardness of the Game Boy is something the more recent ports lack. The game is fast, the music fantastic. Simple and a lot of addictive fun.

Have a look at “How to play retrogames?” if you don’t know how to play retrogames.

This game is the first Nintendo game for a handheld console. No pressure. It’s probably the most quirky Mario game, but in a good way. Mostly line art and 2 Gradius-like flying levels. It’s a short game and rather difficult at the end, but a lot of fun. A worthy adaptation of the Super Mario Bros. formula for the weaker handheld.

Have a look at “How to play retrogames?” if you don’t know how to play retrogames.

This is the game that started the almost 40-years franchise that expanded to animated TV-series and movies. It’s fun, it’s challenging and the soundtrack is recognizable everywhere. The original version is still the best version. Later versions on other consoles often crop the image in order to adapt it to different screen geometries, e.g. the NES Classics release on the Game Boy Advanced. Still the king!

Have a look at “How to play retrogames?” if you don’t know how to play retrogames.