Mario & Luigi: Brothership arrives on November 7, and preorders are now open for the upcoming RPG. It’s reveal was a big surprise during the latest Nintendo Direct, especially considering the series’ original developer, AlphaDream, went bankrupt in 2019. But on the heels of modernized versions of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Super Mario RPG, Nintendo is resurrecting the Mario & Luigi series with a brand-new entry. Mario & Luigi: Brothership preorders are starting to go live ahead of its release this holiday. Brothership marks not only return of the Mario Bros. role-playing series, it’s also the first entry in the series for a home console–though you could play it entirely on a portable device, of course.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership Preorder Bonuses
No preorder bonuses have been announced for Mario & Luigi: Brothership, though that could change in the coming weeks and months. Nintendo games rarely have official bonuses, but major retailers often offer exclusive collectibles while supplies last.
Aside from two 3DS remakes, the last entirely new entry in the Mario & Luigi series, Paper Jam, arrived in 2015. That means fans have waited nearly 10 years for more turn-based, platforming action–and Brothership’s reveal trailer makes it clear that Nintendo is embracing the legacy of the Mario & Luigi RPG series. It has cool graphics that retain the aesthetic and perspective of previous entries, a turn-based combat system with Action Commands (timing-based maneuvers) and new Bros. Attacks, and an emphasis on platforming and puzzles outside of battles.
We also met a few new characters, including the Extension Corps, Snoutlet, and Connie. Of course, Bowser also makes an appearance, though aside from guiding Mario and Luigi across a series of unique islands, it’s unclear how the story will unravel. Expect to learn more as we close in on its November release date.
If you haven’t played Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Super Mario RPG yet, these recently released Switch games will give you a pretty good idea of the combat system in traditional RPGs set in the Mushroom Kingdom. You can save on Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door at Walmart, while Super Mario RPG is cheap at Amazon and Walmart ($33).
Mario & Luigi: Brothership isn’t the only Nintendo-published Switch game from the Nintendo Direct that’s available to preorder now. You can also preorder the new Zelda game, the latest Mario Party, and the remastered version of Donkey Kong Country Returns. Here’s a handy list of where to preorder these highly anticipated Nintendo games as well as links to two cool Nintendo Switch Lite bundles that are exclusive to Walmart and Target. If one or more of these games now puts you in the market for a Switch either for yourself or as a gift, those bundles are definitely worth considering.
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom — $60
- Mario & Luigi: Brothership — $60
- Super Mario Party Jamboree — $60
- Donkey Kong Country Returns HD — $60
Read the full preorder guides: