Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time is a 2005 role-playing video game developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It is the second game in the Mario & Luigi series, following Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (2003). The story follows Mario, Baby Mario, Luigi, and Baby Luigi as they search for Princess Peach, who has been abducted by an alien species known as the Shroobs. Gameplay centers on cooperation between the quartet, who must use their specific qualities and skills to solve puzzles to progress. The game features multiple role-playing game elements and a turn-based battle system focused on timing accuracy.
Nintendo revealed Partners in Time at E3 2005. Key staff who worked on Superstar Saga returned, including producers Shigeru Miyamoto and Tetsuo Mizuno as well as composer Yoko Shimomura. The game narratively serves as a sequel to Superstar Saga, but the plot is unrelated to that of its predecessor, with more emphasis on the time-traveling theme, which involves the protagonists traveling in between the past and present of the Mushroom Kingdom.
Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time received generally favorable reviews. Critics praised its characterization and comical writing, as well as its use of the DS's dual screen and the rumble feature, although the use of the bottom screen in the overworld and battles received mixed opinions. The game was followed by Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story in 2009. Partners in Time was re-released for the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2015.
Gameplay
thumb|A screenshot of Partners in Time. The Baby Mario Brothers are being controlled on the top screen, while the older ones are shown on the bottom.
The gameplay of Partners in Time, with an emphasis on role-playing game elements and co-operative puzzle-solving, is similar to that of its predecessor, although gameplay differences exist between the games. For the majority of Partners in Time, the overworld of the game is presented on the DS's touchscreen, while a map is present on the top screen, showing relevant information such as the location of each character and save albums. Additionally, the perspective changes when battling or accessing the inventory, and when the quartet is separated into two pairs, in which a pair is visible on each screen. These actions, such as the "Toadsworth Twist" (more commonly known as the "Spin Jump") that allows the older brothers to twirl through the air, are required to advance through the game and solve the various puzzles.
The game retains many of the RPG aspects present in its predecessor, including the interaction with non-player characters, which is required to advance the plot and gameplay. Each character's progress is measured by experience points, which are needed to "level up", a process by which battle-related statistical fields such as speed and power are boosted. As in Superstar Saga, there is a currency used to purchase items and status-enhancing equipment known as badges and clothes.
Battle
The battle system is similar to its predecessor's, with the effectiveness of an attack dependent on the timing accuracy of separate actions. The battles still consist of turn-based attacks executed by Mario and Luigi, although these are compounded by the babies' actions during an attack. The elimination of babies will also affect battle as some Bros. Items will become disabled, and the party will not be able to defend itself with hammers, which are wielded exclusively by the babies.
Plot
Unlike Superstar Saga, Partners in Time is not set in the Beanbean Kingdom, but the traditional Mushroom Kingdom featured in most games of the Mario series. The Mushroom Kingdom of the past was conquered by the Shroobs, with Peach being kidnapped and held hostage at a Shroob-modified version of her castle called Shroob Castle. After defeating the monster, a time hole opens, leaving a passageway into the past. While searching for Peach, Mario and Luigi locate their younger selves, and team up to locate the Cobalt Star shards, which was shattered during Peach's journey. Mario's team collects all of the shards, while being pestered by Baby Bowser, who believes it is actually a valuable treasure. At the end, they restore the Cobalt Star only to unleash the Elder Princess Shroob, who was trapped inside the Cobalt Star by Peach and serves as the game's final boss character. Mario's team defeats the Elder Shroob, but her spirit was inhaled by Bowser upon their return to the present. They defeat the possessed Bowser, and then Mario, Luigi and Peach say goodbye to their baby counterparts who are sent back to the past, now that the Shroob threat had been eliminated.
Characters
Partners in Time features both new and existing characters. Professor E. Gadd provides the player with advice throughout the game, while Toadsworth teaches the player new moves and skills to progress through the adventure. Although the older Peach is kidnapped, Baby Peach is retrieved from the past into the present by Toadsworth, where she is nurtured by both the old and young renditions of him. Baby Bowser appeared near the beginning of the game in the past to kidnap Baby Peach, although his plans were halted by an encounter with the Mario brothers and a subsequent attack from the Shroobs. Baby Bowser harasses the quartet frequently during their journey by stealing their Cobalt Star shards, and later attacking the group with his older self. Kamek the Magikoopa, Petey Piranha and Fawful, an antagonist from Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, appear in the game as well.
The Shroobs, introduced in Partners in Time, are fungal like creatures who are the main antagonists of the game. The name "Shroob" is a deliberate corruption of the word "shroom", short for "mushroom." The Shroobs derive from the "Shroob planet" and are ruled by Princess Shroob, who is the main antagonist. After invading the Mushroom Kingdom, both she and her twin sister, Elder Princess Shroob, are defeated. Different species of Shroobs (with designs based on existing Mario franchise characters and enemies) are present throughout the game as both minor enemies and boss characters. AlphaDream also introduced Stuffwell, a talking briefcase created by E. Gadd who gives the player and brothers advice regarding items and accessories, which he stores.
Development
Nintendo revealed Partners in Time at E3 2005, where a playable demonstration of the game was available. The demos consisted of three levels, each accompanied with a tutorial to guide the player. Each level had a different objective and represented the characters' abilities in the game, such as the use of the hammer. Between the game's unveiling at E3 and its release, Nintendo of America revealed details of the game relating to Partners in Times plot and gameplay, as well as the fact that it would be compatible with the "Rumble Pak" feature. AlphaDream, developers of Superstar Saga, developed this game, with experienced contributors to the Mario series such as Koji Kondo and Charles Martinet working on sound support and voice acting, respectively. The music was composed by Yoko Shimomura, who also scored Superstar Saga. Partners in Time was first released in North America on November 28, 2005.
The game was re-released for the Wii U as a Virtual Console title in 2015, available for purchase from the Nintendo eShop.
Reception
Partners in Time received "generally favorable reviews", according to review aggregator Metacritic. While appreciating Partners in Times use of humour, RPGamers Derek Cavin criticised the game's plot, describing it as "a basic story that doesn't develop as much as it could have". The game's characterisation in particular was well received, with Eurogamer commending Stuffwell, who was compared to Fawful, a character in Superstar Saga. Partners in Time sold 1.73 million copies worldwide as of 2020. In addition, the game has received the Editors' Choice Award from IGN. The game was ranked 50th in Official Nintendo Magazines "100 Greatest Nintendo Games" feature. During the 9th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Partners in Time for "Handheld Game of the Year", which was ultimately awarded to Nintendogs.