Can I Play the Legendary Mario RPG Bowser‘s Inside Story on Nintendo Switch?
You bet your warp pipes you can! One of the most beloved and creative entries in the Mario & Luigi RPG series has gotten a full HD remake tailored for the Switch. Released in 2019, Mario & Luigi: Bowser‘s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.‘s Journey brings this DS classic kicking and screaming onto Nintendo‘s red hot console. And with visual upgrades plus hours of new content, it‘s never been a better time to experience this fan-favorite Mario adventure. Let‘s-a-go deeper on why gamers adore the original, what awesome newness awaits in the remake, and why Bowser‘s Inside Story is a crucial play for any Switch owner.
Why Fans and Critics Love the Original Bowser‘s Inside Story
Released back in 2009 for the Nintendo DS, Bowser‘s Inside Story broke the mold and innovated what a Mario RPG could be. Unlike previous Mario RPGs, this game has you alternating between controlling both the Mario Bros characters and Bowser in unique ways.
When playing as Mario and Luigi, you journey inside Bowser‘s body Fantastic Voyage style, exploring his innards and taking part in creative minigames and puzzles. Meanwhile, Bowser gameplay has you rampaging through the Mushroom Kingdom Godzilla style to humorous effect. Sprinkling these interconnecting stories together combined with Bowser literally inhaling the Bros into his belly sets up wonderfully bizarre dynamics and gameplay opportunities:
• Mario & Luigi puzzles utilizing Bowser body parts like making him breathe fire or pump his muscles
• 2D sidescrolling levels inside Bowser tackling platforming challenges
• Hilarious Bowser rampages and giant boss battles
• Innovative `Giant Battles` against Mario & Bowser simultaneouslyCritics praised the humour and witty writing, with Bowser‘s puffed-up bravado playing perfectly against Mario‘s silent heroism. Sprinkle in the fan-favorite villain Fawful with his gleefully overblown speeches, and Bowser‘s Inside Story stands out among Mario games for its stellar script. Gameplay also shines via accessible battling, the body exploration allowing for varied level design, and the snappy pacing keeping things fresh.
Overall review scores at a stellar 91% critics average and user score of 9.3/10 showcase the universal acclaim and fan devotion the original still holds today. For taking the Mario series in a bold new direction, Bowser‘s Inside Story earns its reputation as one of Mario‘s finest RPG adventures.
What Newness Awaits in the Nintendo Switch Remake?
Released January 11th, 2019
While keeping the entire original Bowser‘s Inside Story game intact, this Switch remake expands things substantially with updated graphics and a brand new dedicated campaign focused on Bowser Jr.
Enhanced Visuals & Gameplay Refinement
Developer AlphaDream went all out enhancing Bowser‘s Inside Story for modern HD screens. Beyond boosted resolution, all characters and environments look richer with more detail and vibrancy. Battle animations especially pop with smoother effects and facial expressions on the Bros and enemies. Extra polish like coloured lighting, unlockable character skins and free rotating camera all help the 13 year old source material shine. Reviewers praised the visual overhaul, and it earned the remake a great 88% average critics score.
Some quality of life tweaks also modernize the DS original for Switch players:
• Instant quick saving avoids lost progress
• Button-only controls bypass touch elements
• Menus toggle between touch or buttons
• Hint Video gallery explains mechanicsBowser Jr.‘s Journey: A Full New Campaign
The biggest addition comes from the parallel storyline called Bowser Jr.‘s Journey. With a massive new map triple the size of the original game, Bowser Jr heads out across 6 unique regions to build up an army and take vengeance on Fawful.
Bowser Jr‘s mode shifts the gameplay entirely into a turn-based RPG featuring tactical squad combat. As you progress, you recruit up to 8 loyal minions like Shy Guys, Koopas and Magikoopas to fight in squad formations. Special attacks and souped up "Secret Society Deck" cards liven up the grid-based battles. Between fights, you manage training your troops RPG style to unlock new jobs and weapons.
Reviewers enjoyed the fresh take, with GameInformer calling Jr‘s mode adding "considerable replay value on top of an already stuffed adventure." Adding a 10+ hour campaign with new gameplay systems and a miniature kingdom to manage ensures Bowser‘s Inside Story feels wholly expanded into a modern, value-packed edition.
Answering Other Burning Questions
Just how well do Mario games sell anyway?
As one of gaming‘s most iconic and evergreen franchises for over 30 years, Mario games continue breaking records:
- 662+ million total games sold and counting
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch) – 43+ million copies sold
- New Super Mario Bros. (DS) – 31 million copies lifetime
- Super Mario Odyssey (Switch) – 23 million copies as Mario‘s best 3D seller
Suffice to say Mario prints money, still moves units after 3 decades, and almost guarantees big sales on any Nintendo platform.
Can we play all the classic Mario games on Nintendo Switch?
Absolutely! The Nintendo Switch Online retro library subscription gives players access to tons of iconic NES and SNES Mario games like Super Mario Bros 1-3, Super Mario Kart, Mario RPG and Mario World. Nintendo even sells remastered collections like Super Mario 3D All-Stars bundling Mario 64, Sunshine and Galaxy.
Between re-releases and backwards compatible digital titles, Nintendo has ensured Switch owners can enjoy almost all of Mario gaming history one way or another. We can expect even more classic Mario games to get touched up or bundled as the Switch library expands.
Will Nintendo port more Mario & Luigi RPGs to Switch?
While no concrete news yet, rumors persist of more Mario RPG remasters down the pipeline. The massive success of Bowser‘s Inside Story + Browser Jr.‘s Journey in both sales and critical praise shows clear audience appetite for the Mario & Luigi franchise on Nintendo‘s hot platform.
With 2022 marking the Year of Luigi for his 35th birthday, many fans speculate Nintendo could shadow drop Gamecube remaster of the OG Mario RPG, Paper Mario or other Luigi-centric adventures to celebrate. We may hear shock news in upcoming 2023 Directs! For now, we‘ll have to replay Inside Story and keep dreaming…
What‘s On the Horizon for Mario and Switch?
Nintendo could announce anything from more remasters, a new 3D sandbox Mario like Odyssey or even dip back into more experimental genres like RPGs. We can expect Mario to keep anchoring Nintendo‘s biggest game releases each year.
After the explosive success of Super Mario Odyssey, rumors swirled of a followup game codenamed "Bonneton" returning to New Donk City. Nintendo job postings also have fans excited for F-Zero making a comeback or peripherals like VR support. And with 2023 marking 40 years of Mario, anything could happen!
The plumber shows no signs of slowing down. And as Switch stays white hot selling over 114+ million systems to date, Mario will surely stamp his mark all over year 5 and beyond.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser‘s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.‘s Journey makes the ideal Mario RPG even better – and best of all, enjoys pride of place on the Switch gaming library. Whether you missed Inside Story the first time on DS or want to relive the magic, the remake‘s visual glow-up, quality tweaks and massive new campaign make it the definitive version. Add the portability and big screen play of Switch, and this instant classic cements itself as essential for Mario fans young and old.
So stretch those legs and practice your jump technique, friends. Because Bowser‘s Inside Story deserves first billing in any Switch gamer‘s playlist. Let us know which Mario classics or remasters you want ported next!
