Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story cover

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

Critic score5 critics
First release
Feb 11, 2009
Developer
AlphaDream
Publisher
Nintendo
Genres
Role-playing (RPG), Adventure · Action, Fantasy, Comedy
Platforms
Nintendo DS

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story is the third game in the Mario & Luigi series of games. Players control Mario and Luigi simultaneously in the side-scrolling platform environment of Bowser's body, while also controlling the Koopa King himself in the top-down world of the Mushroom Kingdom. Similar to games like Earthbound, enemy encounters are seen as actual enemies that players can avoid or attempt to strike early. The actual battles are a combination of turn-based menu attacks, and timed reactions to enemies during battle. By watching the way an enemy reacts, you can anticipate their attack and avoid it or counterattack.

Also known as Mario et Luigi : Voyage au centre de Bowser, Mario & Luigi RPG 3!!!, 마루알 3

Attributes

No Attributes added.

Details

Storyline, release dates, time to beat, age ratings, modes, links, keywords

Storyline
A dreadful disease dubbed “the blorbs” has begun to spread throughout the peaceful Mushroom Kingdom, causing the citizens to balloon up and roll around helplessly. With even the Star Sprites at a loss for what to do, Mario and Luigi set out on an adventure to find the cure! And then there’s everyone’s favorite brute, Bowser, who, as always, tries to abduct Princess Peach, only to be thwarted once again by Mario. Angry at his defeat, he meets a shady merchant deep in the woods who gives him a “Lucky Shroom,” with the promise that it will make him really strong. “Strong enough to beat Mario?! Really?!” Bowser swallows the mushroom in one gulp…and instantly starts inhaling anything and everything around him! Somehow he arrives at Peach’s Castle in this state and ends up inhaling the Mario Bros. because of the mushroom’s power. What’ll happen to the Mario Bros. inside Bowser’s body? And what about the fate of the Mushroom Kingdom?Read more

A dreadful disease dubbed “the blorbs” has begun to spread throughout the peaceful Mushroom Kingdom, causing the citizens to balloon up and roll around helplessly. With even the Star Sprites at a loss for what to do, Mario and Luigi set out on an adventure to find the cure! And then there’s everyone’s favorite brute, Bowser, who, as always, tries to abduct Princess Peach, only to be thwarted once again by Mario. Angry at his defeat, he meets a shady merchant deep in the woods who gives him a “Lucky Shroom,” with the promise that it will make him really strong. “Strong enough to beat Mario?! Really?!” Bowser swallows the mushroom in one gulp…and instantly starts inhaling anything and everything around him! Somehow he arrives at Peach’s Castle in this state and ends up inhaling the Mario Bros. because of the mushroom’s power. What’ll happen to the Mario Bros. inside Bowser’s body? And what about the fate of the Mushroom Kingdom?

Release dates
Nintendo DS
Feb 11, 2009
Nintendo DS
Sep 14, 2009
Nintendo DS
Oct 09, 2009
All 5 release dates
Nintendo DS
Oct 22, 2009
Nintendo DS
Jul 21, 2011
Game modes
Single player
Perspective
Side view, Bird view / Isometric
Keywords
ghosts, exploration, minigames, turn-based, death
… All 57, multiple protagonists, backtracking, time limit, princess, blocks, revenge, sequel, giant insects, high score, swimming, hide and seek, boss fight, single-player only, anthropomorphism, countdown timer, platform exclusive, leveling up, protagonist's name in the title, ranking system, mind control, human, collectibles, save point, underwater gameplay, betrayal, shielded enemies, subtitled silence, liberation, rpg elements, violent plants, crab, conveyor belt, real-time waiting, anti-hero, been here before, vore, boss assistance, recurring character, donut block, food-themed stage, italian accent, wiggler, status effects, gibberish, fury, ds microphone use, whac-a-mole, interactive battle system, pax 2009, gamescom 2009, multiple playable characters, nintendo ds rumble pak

At a Glance

Critic Score
96

How it plays

Languages

  • Englishinterface, audio
  • Deutschinterface
IGDB · recorded 1 Nov 2026
Also in 3 other languages

Language data: IGDB · recorded 1 Nov 2026