Exterminieren
Banned
As the game's coming out in a week and a half in Europe (!!!) and we've got the first review courtesy of Official Nintendo Magazine UK, I thought it was probably time for this thread. It'll be updated as we get more reviews in.
Official Nintendo Magazine UK said:It's easy for a Dream Team Bros. review to become a list of neat stuff. It's a game that introduces a new idea, mechanic or boss fight every half an hour for around 35 hours- and that's without investing in side content: excavating stat-boosting beans, waking scattered Pi'illos, reassembling CCTV footage (don't ask), an extra tough boss rush mode... It's absolutely rammed and gets better the less you know, so we'll draw a line under it there.
So it is that 3DS's incredible first-party run continues. In the year that has given us the definitive Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing it only makes sense that AlphaDream should step up and deliver the best Mario and Luigi game yet.
VERDICT
+ A near constant drip-feed of barmy invention
+ Smart twist on traditional turn-based brawls
+ One of 3DS's funniest games
A game set in Luigi's wildest dreams turns out to be the game of our wildest dreams. What are the odds of that, eh? This is tirelessly inventive fun.
92%
IGN review: 8
http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/07/1...am-team-review
The Verdict
Mario and Luigi Dream Team has great moments, but theyre almost always confined to its psychedelic dream sections, which teem with imagination and invention. Consequently I always found myself enjoying these sections far more than its overworld exploration, turn-based combat, and more traditional RPG elements. It's an uneven experience, but occasionally it grasps greatness, making it a worthy addition to an already distinguished series.
8.0
Great
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team is packed with charm and imagination, but its very best ideas are unevenly spread
+Constantly changing
+Standout dream sections
+Full of humour and charm
Sluggish opening
Overworld seems bland after dreams
Less successful are the game's visuals which, particularly on Pi'Illo Island, have a Donkey Kong Country-style waxy jaggedness. As a result, this is an uglier game than the previous and handsome DS title, even if the all-new 3D effect is folded lightly but usefully into gameplay during battles. The script, too, fails to live up to previous Mario & Luigi titles for whim and wit. While the usual Nintendo weight and sheen is present in the dialogue, the humour has an unexpected thinness, especially in the first half of the game before antagonist Antasma - a bat-king who shares Bowser's fondness for pointless and rather artless princess kidnapping - forms an alliance with the lizard.
This is an enjoyable but rarely essential entry to the Mario & Luigi suite, then. AlphaDream is to be commended for its willingness to build each new game around a different kernel of an idea, but, perhaps inevitably, some of those ideas will be smaller than others.
7/10
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-07-12-mario-and-luigi-dream-team-bros-review
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros. continues the streak of grand titles on the Nintendo 3DS and completes the trifecta in the Year of Luigi quite well. The experience is rock solid, except for the slow burn in the first few hours and a sometimes-disappointing 3D effect. For the rest, you will find great enjoyment in the various gameplay elements, abilities and clever ways the game progresses. It is a fun filled adventure through and through, which should keep you occupied for a long time. Best entry in the series yet? Without a doubt. But it also appeals to newcomers, making it an easy recommendation for anyone.
Summary
Pros
35 hours and counting
Beautiful visuals and soundtrack
Cleverly written game
Fun gameplay elements
Plenty of variety
Cons
3D could have been better
Slow burn in first hours
9/10
https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/34891
Conclusion
In the hands of Mario & Luigi enthusiasts and those up for an epic but light-hearted quest, this is an indispensable must-have for the 3DS. In a universe apart from any other series starring the famous brothers, this once again shows the merits of a studio investing itself whole-heartedly not just in one game, but a whole franchise. It can be a glorious contradiction at times; simple but complex, accessible but lengthy, varied but familiar. The enthusiasm and unrelenting creativity behind Dream Team means that it flirts with going too far, truly being an adventure for those willing to stick it out over the long haul, which perhaps dents its ability to appeal to all 3DS owners.
Yet such is the obvious talent and commitment in the project, and its unique style in the current games market, that it's an adventure worth embarking upon.
9/10
http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/3ds/mario_and_luigi_dream_team
Some other reviews I found while us Americans are still waiting for Dream Team:
Gamespot gave it an 8/10, saying it was a polished, if very familiar Mario and Luigi experience
Gamesradar had a similar grade, 4/5 stars, and similar impressions, praising the game's quality production values and refined mechanics, but found the experience very familiar, and surprisingly linear.
CVG handed out an 8/10 as well, singing the praises of the creativity on display in such a charming, witty fashion, and the active battle system that keeps the player invested in even the most minor of scuffles, and really liked what 3D added to the game, mentioning how red shells are easier to kick back when you can see the depth of the screen. They weren't so crazy about the Dream world puzzles, finding them very simplistic, and while there's lot of things to collect and gear up with, the stat changes aren't as robust as they'd liked.
Edge 7/10 review went up online, and I have no idea what review that other guy read; they don't even mention Bowser complaints until the end. They take issue with the 2+ hour onslaught of tutorials that treat you like you never played a video game before, the 3D overworld is a bit ugly(a little antialiasing would got a long way here), and noting the spritework doesn't look as good the DS games. They don't think it's as funny either, stating how boring the Pi'illos characters dialog is, and how the new badguy Antasma doesn't hold a candle to Fawful. Despite all that, they felt the game delivers what M&L always does: an irreverent take of the Mushroom Kingdom, and an absorbing, addictive, active battle system. They also praise how you can cancel out of 3D mode for special attacks with the R button, a nice thought by AlphaDream.