A great game, but far too short!!!
Graphics (B+)
The graphics may be 2d cel shaded, but they still suit the comical feel of the game well. Although they are nothing special, they are quite good netherless.
Sound- (C)
This is where ML2 fails. I personally hate the sound and music in this game. Unless you have a tolerance for babies crying, a boring battle theme and annoying voices, you will always want to turn the volume control on your ds right down
Gameplay- (B+)
Hmm, this is the major strength of ML2. The battle system is excellent, because like Paper Mario, it is interactive and you always need to be on your toes, instead of just pressing attack and letting the game do the rest. Stufff like, pressing a certain button at a certain time to do optimal damage to the enemy, 4 way co-op attacks and more meaning that battles never get boring. Outside of battle, you solve puzzles co-operatively using Mario, luigi and their younger siblings and you learn a wider variety of moves as the game goes on.
Story- (C+)
The story has cliche elements, including alien attacks and time travel. It is also quite predictable and doesnt stray too far from the story formula of previous Mario games.
Lastability (C-)
This is where ML2 really takes a big hit. First of all, it is far too short, and even if you take your time, at most this game will only last 30 hours. Second of all, beyond training all your characters to level 100, there are NO extra side quests to indulge in, nada,nothing zero, and it hurts even more because the game is so short. And last and not least, there is no unlockables, so you cant complete the game again in hard mode or anything like that so this is an area where ML2 fails miserably.
Summary
Graphics- B+
Sound - C
Gameplay- B+
Lastability C-
Story C+
Overall ( B)
Buy or rent- Since this game is so short, I would probably rent it or borrow it, because it is not worth a fully priced NDS cartridge to play. However I suggest that you at least try this game out because it is enjoyable while it lasts.