Charming, humourous and accessible for newcomers to RPGs, Bowser's Inside Story is a must have for any DS owner.
The game really shines because of one thing it does very, very well. It's a RPG game that is actually very accessible to the average person. Instead of narrowing out new comers to the genre, it makes things easy for them along with making things fun and interesting for long time RPG players.
The gameplay works by assigning Mario as the A button and Luigi as the B button. You take turns assigning what moves you want to commit to. You can attack, use an item, or use a special attack. Though the game is unique in the sense that everything is based on timing. Hit the button at the right time before Mario lands on an enemy for extra attack damage, for example. This system also allows the player to counter, by using the same button. As well as playing as Mario and Luigi, you can play as bowser by using the X and Y buttons and switching to the top of the screen. It works very well, its interesting and best of all its accessible, to anyone. No one will feel overwhelmed by the game, especially people who don't typically play role playing games.
There are also specific parts of the game where you'll be required to flip the DS book style (a la Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword and the Brain Age titles) and have to play as Bowser in an almost 'Mini-Game' styled battle. It's well done and uses the touch screen and microphone combo in ways that should be implemented more often by developers. Its an interesting take on the RPG formula, it's interactive and best of all its fun shooting a fury of fireballs at the enemy using the stylus controls.
The storyline in the game is fantastic, its humourous and it's honestly one of the best uses of dialogue, sound and emotions in a game I've seen recently. Very well done and there will be a lot of moments where you'll get a good chuckle from something that happens in the game. There is never a dull moment in the game - It has very good pacing.
What more can I say about the game? It plays well, its accessible to the masses, it has a good story with humour and lasts around 20 hour's plus along with some challenges to do after completion. If you are a fan of RPGs, or someone who wants to start getting into the genre or a general Mario fan, this title is strongly recommended. As stated before, its easy to play, funny, charming and most importantly, its damn fun.