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[Creamium]

Back in the day I played Superstar Saga and really loved it. I've tried getting into the Paper Mario games, but Mario & Luigi captivated me more and it's a standout game for me. I consider it a 'lightning in a bottle' experience and mostly ignored the sequels because I didn't think they could come close to the original. So to those who have played multiple or all: is that assumption true, or is each of them worth playing? I hear Bowser's Inside Story is recommended most after Superstar Saga.

So I'm looking for opinions on:

How would you rank them? Maybe there's one you like even more than Superstar Saga?

 

[ffdgh]

Honestly..
BIS>Saga=>DT>PIT

All are enjoyable overall though.

 

[ramparter]

Only played Partners in Time

It was very good at first but then got really repetitive and the bos fights felt neverending. I think I managed to get in the final boss before dropping it.

 

[Beelzebufo]

Superstar Saga's easily the best. Inside Story wasn't bad though.

 

[Nocturnowl]

I'm actually in agreement with your assumption, having played the sequels they all felt overly familiar working off Superstar Saga's base and the twists they tried to apply in each sequel while solid didn't add enough for me.
Still of the three follow ups Bowser's Inside Story is considered the best and rightfully so. Bowser himself is one of the more notable switchups in the series.
Dream Team Bros is waaaay too long for its own good but I'd put it over Partners in Time.

 

[Santiako]

They are all good but Bowser Inside Story is the best one.

 

[papercamm]

Superstar Saga > Bowser's Inside Story > Partners in Time > Dream Team. Dream team is still very enjoyable but it has a ton of annoying filler in it, Partners in Time isn't as strong because the areas aren't interconnected like in the others but instead connected via a hub. It's also pretty short and the humor is my least favorite in the series. Bowser's Inside Story is just hilarious and fun, I enjoyed it about as much as Superstar Saga. If you don't think the Paper Mario games are for you then you may want to consider trying Super Mario RPG at some point. Precursor to all of them and many still consider it the strongest Mario RPG.

 

[Mr-Joker]

I haven't played Superstars but Bower's inside story is the best.

 

[Oreiller]

I have played all of them except for Bowser Inside Story.

I was really disappointed by Partners in Time back then since the exploration aspect of the first game was cut out entirely. I have not even finished Dream Team since I really felt like the game was wasting my time on meaningless filler.

It's a shame as Superstar Saga is one of my favorite GBA games. I guess I should try Bowser Inside Story eventually.

 

[Franchuzas87]

Dream Team Bros for me.

Is basically the same formula than Bowser's Inside Story, but with nice 3D graphics and better design on the 2D dungeons. I also like the soundtrack a bit more.

 

[Creamium]

Dream team is still very enjoyable but it has a ton of annoying filler in it, Partners in Time isn't as strong because the areas aren't interconnected like in the others but instead connected via a hub. It's also pretty short and the humor is my least favorite in the series. Bowser's Inside Story is just hilarious and fun, I enjoyed it about as much as Superstar Saga. If you don't think the Paper Mario games are for you then you may want to consider trying Super Mario RPG at some point. Precursor to all of them and many still consider it the strongest Mario RPG.

I have played all of them except for Bowser Inside Story.

I was really disappointed by Partners in Time back then since the exploration aspect of the first game was cut out entirely. I have not even finished Dream Team since I really felt like the game was wasting my time on meaningless filler.

That's disappointing to hear. So it seems pretty clear cut that Inside Story is the standout from the bunch.

It's been a long time, but I have played Mario RPG back in the day and loved it. For some reason I quit playing both of the Paper Mario titles. The battle system felt slower compared to M&L and I quit hours into both. It's too bad, especially for TTYD, maybe someday I'll start it again.

 

[maxcriden]

I recommend you give at least the two original Paper Mario games a try again. I think they're about as similar to the M&L games as it gets. FWIW, though, I also think all four M&L games are superb and worth playing. I think it's tough to compare them and they all have their own merits and excellence. I will say I don't usually mind lengthy tutorials or when these games end up being super long, though.

I'll also say I think Super Paper Mario and Sticker Star are excellent in their own respective rights, and worth checking out if you want to change it up a bit, or once you've tried all of the above games.

Then again, you hate Kirby's Epic Yarn so I don't know if we have the same opinions about games.

 

[TheSlySoul]

Bowser's Inside Story I feel is the best because it was pretty much is like GTA III and refined what made the series good.
Dream Team is second because it expanded upon the good stuff and added many cool new mechanics and the fact that you get so many special moves is really neat.
For third, I have to give it to Superstar Saga because it was the original. Partners in Time is the worst because it pretty much dragged on, bosses were OP, and specials were now items and BP points were gone.

Pretty much Partners in Time is much like Sticker Star, but unlike Sticker Star at least it had interesting characters and cutscenes..

 

[Shufel]

I’d recommend picking up Bowser’s Inside Story. It’s a great game that I almost skipped completely thanks to Partners in Time. I also adored Superstar Saga, but when I ended up playing Partners in Time I was thoroughly disappointed with it. It wasn’t a bad game or anything, but it was definitely missing something that the original game had. I ignored Bowser's Inside Story for years after its release because of that disappointment and only picked it up eventually because everyone was saying it was a massive improvement.

But yeah, Bowser’s Inside Story is good fun. Go for it, OP.

 

[Kouriozan]

Bowser's Inside Story, no doubt about it.
Playing as Bowser and watching him dealing with stuff made him awesome, he needs his own game.

 

[Creamium]

Then again, you hate Kirby's Epic Yarn so I don't know if we have the same opinions about games.

Hah, I think Epic Yarn was the first and only time I fell asleep playing a game. Maybe I shouldn't judge it based on that alone, but I did not feel like returning to it after. It felt like I was just collecting stuff and not much else. I didn't feel engaged playing the actual levels.

However! I've played Triple Deluxe recently and enjoyed that, so I can't say Kirby games aren't for me.

And Woolly World, by the Epic Yarn team, is a great game and another fantastic addition to Nintendo's WiiU efforts.

/derail

It's good to see confirmation about Bowser. It's not a spoiler that you play as him right? That actually makes it really appealing tbh.

 

[Xamtheking]

I only played Dream Team
But it was good

 

[Defect]

I enjoyed Partners in Time the most.

 

[TheSlySoul]

It's good to see confirmation about Bowser. It's not a spoiler that you play as him right? That actually makes it really appealing tbh.

It happens within the first 30 minutes of the game, so no.
Just like Dream Team is about playing in Luigi's dreams, it is an important plot point and gameplay style.

 

[KevinCow]

Bowser's Inside Story is easily the best Mario & Luigi game because you get to play as Bowser.

 

[marmoka]

Only played Bowser's Inside Story. That game gives a lot of charm to Bowser, making him the most charismatic character of the Super Mario franchise.

Bowser deserves his own game!!

 

[Gentle Rodriguez]

I like Bowser's Inside Story slightly more than SS, but both are 10/10 in my book. I actually like PiT more than DT too, I couldn't even finish DT once while I've replayed the others at least 3 times each.

 

[Yoshi]

Honestly..
BIS>Saga=>DT>PIT

All are enjoyable overall though.

Complete agreement with the first poster.

 

[Real Hero]

The first three are so good. I think BIS is the best and DT the worst but I really enjoyed all 3. Hopefully the crossover with paper mario is good.

 

[Drilbit777]

Bowsers Inside Story, I really loved how you could play as both mario/luigi and Bowser simultaneously. Not to mention the puzzles incorporating the both of them and the final boss are great.

 

[Earthpainting]

Bowser's Inside Story is my favourite entry in the series. It's not perfect though, as its quite verbose, volume of mini-games can be a bit much at times, and I'm not a huge fan of the sidescrolling worlds. Everything else is ace though. The world and characterisation had me hooked. Playing as Bowser finally brought us the fleshed out perspective they've been dabbling with in Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario. The dynamic between Bowser and his crew was the most endearing part of the game.

Superstar Saga is the other one I consider a top tier game. It's a lot more "vanilla" than Bowser's Inside Story, and I don't like the Bean people, but it's a game that felt clever and complete. It's probably still the best one to play first in the series, but since you've played it, you've got that covered.

The other two are a bit iffier. Dream Team is a competent game, but it magnified all of Inside Story's problems. A wordy game became wordier. It keeps trying to freshen up the gameplay with new mechanics and mini-games and attacks, causing the tutorials to keep coming from start to finish. It also brought back the sidescrolling that I didn't care for. I still beat it, and liked most of it, but I looked up against picking it back up every day.

Partners in Time I never really cared for. A lot of the problems of the other ones are present, but also increased the complexity of the combat. I'm sure people more skilled than me cough manage the 4-button combat, but it was too much for me. Not being able to master it, really put me at a disadvantage in the combat, causing battles to take way too long. A boss battle could take up to an hour at the rate I was going. Also Baby Mario and Baby Luigi were there, and I generally do not like these characters and their sound effects.