The recent release of Mario & Luigi: Brothership on Nintendo Switch marked the end of a nine-year hiatus for the beloved RPG series. While fans rejoiced at the return, a recent interview revealed that even Nintendo had considered abandoning the franchise. An Ask the Developer post on Nintendo’s official website shed light on the internal struggles to revive the series following 2015’s Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.
Producer Akira Otani admitted that discussions about the series’ future had been ongoing since Paper Jam‘s release. The challenge, he explained, was finding a balance between adapting to advancements in hardware and preserving the core elements that made the Mario & Luigi games so popular. “It wasn’t easy to achieve both at the same time,” Otani stated. “We kept trying various things, but there was a time when we thought it might not be possible to make any more games in the series and considered giving up.”
Mario & Luigi: Brothership brings the classic RPG action to the Nintendo Switch.
A major obstacle was the closure of AlphaDream, the studio behind every previous Mario & Luigi title since Superstar Saga. Their bankruptcy in 2019 left Nintendo searching for a new development partner. Otani explained that they “eventually decided to reach out to Acquire,” citing their experience with both action and RPG games like Tenchu and Octopath Traveler as key factors in the decision.
Acquire’s Enthusiasm and Nintendo’s Guidance
Director Haruyuki Ohashi expressed Acquire’s excitement about collaborating with Nintendo. “We felt that working with Nintendo would give us the chance to learn all kinds of things, from technical aspects to game creation,” he shared. To ensure the new game retained the classic Mario & Luigi feel, Nintendo brought in developers who had worked on previous entries in the series.
The Uncertain Future of Mario & Luigi
While Brothership signals a renewed commitment to the series, its future remains uncertain. Financial success could pave the way for more frequent releases, but Acquire’s potential acquisition by Kadokawa Corporation, a company Sony has expressed interest in, complicates matters. This could jeopardize future collaborations between Nintendo and Acquire, leaving the fate of the Mario & Luigi franchise hanging in the balance.
What do you think?
The revival of the Mario & Luigi series is a testament to the enduring appeal of these quirky RPG adventures. Brothership offers a welcome return to the Mushroom Kingdom, but whether we’ll see more adventures from the dynamic duo depends on a variety of factors.
Are you excited about the return of Mario & Luigi? What are your hopes for the future of the series? Let us know your thoughts!
