A Parent’s Guide to Mario & Luigi: Brothership

Mario & Luigi: Brothership is an adventure platformer/role-playing game in the long running Mario & Luigi (Everyone to Everyone 10+) series. In Brothership, players control the titular brothers, Mario and Luigi, through an adventure set across colorful islands. But is Brothership appropriate for your family? Read on for some useful tips to help you decide.

Is Mario & Luigi: Brothership Appropriate for Kids?

Mario & Luigi: Brothership is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB (meaning it’s generally suitable for all ages), with a Content Descriptor for Mild Fantasy Violence. Brothership does not have any Interactive Elements assigned, meaning there are no user-to-user interactions or in-game purchases.

According to the Rating Summary, “combat is turn-based, with players selecting moves before watching characters take turns attacking/defending. Characters mostly use mallets, oversized bombs, and turtle shells to attack, while also jumping on enemies’ heads.”

Where Can I Play Mario & Luigi: Brothership and How Much Does It Cost?

Mario & Luigi: Brothership is available on Nintendo Switch. Both the digital download and the physical versions cost $59.99.

What is Mario & Luigi: Brothership About?

Mario & Luigi: Brothership is the sixth game in the series of fraternal adventures, dating back to 2003. The series sees the two brothers travel to exotic places to battle a varied array of enemies with a silly and comedic tone.

In Brothership, Mario and Luigi find themselves in the magical realm of Concordia as a cataclysmic event shatters the continent into a series of individual islands. From Shipshape Island – the duo’s mobile homebase – they’ll sail from the island to island in an effort to reunite the land. The islands range from rainforests, to bustling cities, to deserts, and beyond.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership is rated E for Everyone.

Along the way, Mario and Luigi meet familiar friends and foes from the Mushroom Kingdom, including Peach and Bowser, who lend a helping hand, or try to foil their overall mission. The brothers will also receive help from new allies and friends to defeat a trio of baddies inspired by the theme of electricity.

How Does Mario & Luigi: Brothership Play?

On their travels through magical lands, Mario and Luigi solve physical puzzles, such as climbing up moving platforms or working together to navigate obstacles and jumps. Puzzles are solved using various dedicated button presses (A for Mario, B for Luigi) which allow them to use skills that are specific to each character. For example, when hiding from enemies Luigi can jump into a barrel, thereby hiding himself while providing cover for Mario to avoid detection.

Battle is another big part of Brothership. Players will guide Mario and Luigi through variety of foes who must be defeated in turn-based battles (meaning Mario and Luigi will act, after which their opponents will act). Using specific, timed buttons prompts similar to those use in puzzle-solving, the brothers will cooperate to attack enemies using hammers and jump attacks. Nailing the timing and prompts will maximize damage, and augment attacks. These timed prompts also extend into defense, as the brothers can mitigate damage dealt by enemies by defending at the right time.

Players can use special (but limited) “Brother Attacks” that unleash extra damage. With practice, players learn the most efficient path to victory, by perfecting their timing, the order of their moves, and the best use of bonus attacks.

Manage Your Kids’ Mario & Luigi: Brothership Experience

There are plenty of tools and resources to help you set reasonable parameters for your kids’ video game experiences as they prepare to enter the next arena.

Of course, it’s always a good idea to check the ESRB-assigned rating information, including a game’s Rating Summary when available, to make sure it’s appropriate for your children. If possible, the best way to learn about a game is to try it out before giving your kids permission to play. You can also learn more about a game with some online research, especially online streams, trailers, and gameplay videos.

As mentioned, it’s also important for you to familiarize yourself with the robust set of parental controls on the Nintendo Switch that allow you to manage what your kids play (based on the ESRB-assigned rating information), when and for how long, with whom, and whether they can spend money on new games or in-game purchases. You can find step-by-step parental control guides at ParentalTools.org.

If you’re looking for more tips about video games and online safety, visit ESRB’s Family Gaming Guide.

Colin Campbell is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in The Economist, The Guardian, Polygon, IGN, Gamesindustry.biz and more.