Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

 MARIO & LUIGI: DREAM TEAM

Today, we cover the fourth game in the Mario & Luigi, and sadly the first game without Fawful (he will be missed). It's still fun, so what can I say? Dream Team follows Mario and Luigi and their friends to the far off Pi'illo Island, where an ancient civilization of . . . um, pillow people were placed under a curse by an evil nightmarish demon.

Our main playable characters in this game are Mario and Luigi in a tag team once again. That is, outside of the dream world. Inside the dream world, which you enter through Luigi sleeping, Mario is paired up with Dreamy Luigi, a dream version of Luigi who can perform a number of abilities based on what he's dreaming about. The regular brothers can do a lot of their basics, like jumping and whacking with hammers, using fire flowers, burrowing underground and getting squashed, rolling into a ball, and spin jumping. They also gain the ability to drill sideways when spin jumping. In battle, they get a bunch of special moves again, like 3D Red and Green Shells, a cannon that launches them, a series of bombs, a jet-board, a helicopter hat, a slingshot to launch Luigi, a star rocket, and an egg to unleash a giant rainbow bird to attack.

Dreamy Luigi is a difficult one. He has a lot of unique moves, some that would apply well to a moveset, some that would apply better to a stage as they are more environmental effects. The environmental effects include flinging with a tree branch mustache, sneezing to create wind, spinning a drill, speed you up, switch between cold and hot temperatures, switch around gravity, possess a pinwheel to create wind, and remove gravity (I would honestly kill for a stage based on this game). His more battle-worthy mechanics are built around the Luiginoids, a bunch of Luigi clones who come together into different shapes, specifically a stack, a cone, and a ball. The stack can both ground pound and spring jump, the cone can spin and perform a spin jump like in the real world, and the ball can be swung around as a weapon and used like a hookshot. He can also become a giant for giant monster battles. If it weren't for the fact that Dreamy Luigi bears no distinct visual difference from the stylized Luigi of the game, I would totally include him. That said, at least we have a character who can justifiably use all the moves listed above.

Mario and Luigi are accompanied on their journey this time by two main companions. Starlow returns, having for some reason picked up a mean-spirited attitude toward Luigi, insulting him at every opportunity. While this does not do good things for her character, it at least gives some gameplay relevance, as her picking at Luigi's sleeping face causes most of the Dreamy Luigi environmental effects. More importantly though, we are joined by Prince Dreambert, prince of the ancient civilization and wielder of the most wholesome laugh you've ever heard. Being the prince of dreams, he can of course represent most the game's dream effects, including everything Dreamy Luigi-related, so that solves that problem. He also has a pillow form and can open portals to the dream world.

Other allies in the game include Princess Peach and Toadsworth, several Pi'illos like Eldream and the Bedsmith, the scientist Dr. Snoozemore, a dream bunny who can drill into the depths of the dream world, Seadring creatures that bounce, and a whole host of Monsieur Broque's species, include Broque and Broggy themselves, a handyman named Boss Brickle, and a construction foreman named Britta who supplies them with a machine called the drilldigger, all of this effectively and surprisingly confirming them a spot in the roster. Popple and Kylie Koopa both make a surprising return, probably to make up for the lack of recurring Fawful, with Popple being mostly up to his old cowardly thieving tricks, and Kylie collects pictures from you. Finally, we have the Massif Bros., a pair of BEEFy brothers who act as your tour guides up a mountain and effectively acting as a conglomerate of the pairs from the first game who taught you how to do certain moves. This effectively notches all of those onto their pallet, alongside your battles with them and their crew when you first meet them, with moves such as punching rocks, charging, stomping, bouncing around, stacking up, throwing blocks, and healing. (What's with all the oddballs getting . . . oh, right, Mario & Luigi series. That's why you love them).

Next up is our villains. Bowser and his minions Bowser Jr., Kamek, and the three that backstabbed him in the last game (awfully willing to forgive of Bowser, I guess), are all here, but they have formed an alliance with the being who cast the curse on Pi'illo Island, Antasma. Antasma fights mostly with his claws, can turn into a cloud and pillow form, split into a swarm of bats, create Dreamy Marios to attack Luigi in his dreams, shoot fire and smoke, create chasms, screech loudly, use dreambeats to make others fall asleep, power up, create duplicates, throw energy balls, create a circle of spikes around him, summon spidery minions, and cast a dark shield.

Bowser does a lot of the basics, stomping, breathing fire, rolling into a ball form, punching, sucking in, growing gigantic, charging, grabbing, body slamming, and spinning in his shell. Basically, the last game's Bowser. He also has a Dreamy version that acts as the final boss (because we have to end on a Bowser battle). In this form, he also breathes fire, can create duplicates of himself, slam with his fist, charge, create minions, make shockwaves, pull, and throw. Bowser Jr. floats around in his Koopa Klown Kar, as is the standard, and can throw spike balls and Bob-Ombs, breathes fire, and tickles with a paintbrush. Kamek does his standard flying around on a broom, casting spells, splitting into duplicates, and summoning enemies.

Our bosses include: Grobot, a malfunctioning robot that shoots water at you; Torkscrew, a burrowing drill creature that spins through the air and spits out mines; Mammoshka, a mammoth nesting doll that charges at you, throws snowballs and boulders, and sucks you in;and the Pi'illodium, an ancient statue that can act as a hammer, spawn smaller versions of itself to attack you, shoot lasers, fire missiles, and self-destruct. In Luigi's giant form, he fights a giant robot form of the drilldigger; Mount Pajamaja, a living volcano; Earthwake, basically a city come to life; and Zeekeeper, a rainbow bird that fires a wakebeam.

Returning enemies include Fly Guys, Goombas, Lakitus, Spinies, Piranha Plants, Viruses, Bandits, Wigglers, Beanies, Flibbees, Beehosses, Boomerang Bros., Fire Bros., Mechakoopas, Shy Guys, Chain Chomps, and Dry Bones. The rest are basically new, both real world and dream enemies. Real world enemies include Grombas, basically Goombas; Bloatulas, spider enemies; spiky Thorbs; sleepy Capnaps; sand-swimming Flounderflages; Sandoons made of sand; living cactuses called Caccacs; Hermite Crabs; rock-balancing Monolifts; living dumbbells called Grumbells; fire-breathing pterodactyls called Pi'illodactyls; clams called Durapurls; laser-shooting statues called Eyepi'illos; and flaming Antasmaton guards. In the dream world, we have fire-spitting Storches; dragonfly-like Propellions; bomb-throwing Lob-Ombs; living drills called Skipdrills; living coconuts called Cocoknights; living clocks called Ticksquawks; weight-throwing statues called Chizzles; icy and lava-made Iceads and Magmads; an urn that looks like a Blooper; a dark item block; a living trash can called Krubbish; poisonous flowers called Spritzblooms; egg-dropping birds called Pelicrumps; and magical servants of Antasma called Antasmans.

As for our locations, we start at Peach's Castle, but quickly move to Pi'illo Island and its central Pi'illo Castle, the castle grounds Mushrise Park, a desert called Dozing Sands, a city called Wakeport, a volcano called Mount Pajamaja, the beach Driftwood Beach, a forest called Somnom Woods, and a transformed Neo Bowser's Castle. Each of these have a Dreamy form, and last but not least we have the acid trip of a level called Dream's Deep, a deeper subconscious level of the dream world.

Items are very similar to the previous games, but we do have a few plot relevant items like the shattered Dream Stone and the Dream Egg that the Zeekeeper emerges from.

Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Paper Mario: run, jump, hammer, flowers, confetti bag, 1000-fold arms, pull, punch, boot car

Mario & Luigi: jump, hammer, fire and lightning, spin jump, high jump, mini Mario, Luigi dunk, dash, tickle, Swing Bros, Cyclone Bros, Bros. Ball, throw babies, spring helmet, yoo who cannon, super bouncer, mighty meteor, spin pipe, snack basket, magic window, falling star, kick shell, fill up with water, side drill, bomb rally, jet-board, dropchopper, starsling, star rocket, Zeekeeper egg.

Luigi: Mario Kart

Baby Mario & Baby Luigi: drill into ground, fill up with water, flatten, float, hammers, jump, ride shell

Dreamy Luigi OR Dreambert: Luiginoids, stack, cone, ball, ground pound, spring jump, spin, spin jump swing around as a weapon, hookshot, become giant, dream portal, pillow form, float, dream bunny, seadrings, Zeekeeper

Starlow: fly, star power, pick at Luigi's face

Princess Peach: explosive vocabulary, Baby Peach

Bowser: folded, breathe fire, grow giant, stomp, throw hammers, spit poison, spin in shell, shockwaves, punch, suck things in, pull and push, body slam, roll around as a spike ball, Goomba, Shy Guy, Koopa, Bob-Omb, and Magikoopa squad attacks, charge, grab, Dreamy Bowser, duplicates, create minions.

Baby Bowser: fire, hammer, Koopa Klown Kar

Bowser Jr.: Koopa Klown Kar, spike ball, Bob-Omb, breathe fire, paintbrush tickle

Kamek: spell, broomstick, multiples, summon enemies

Birdo: blow kiss

Olivia: all origami based moves, Vellumental transformation

King Olly: fold, Vellumental, grow giant, paper airplanes, hammer fists, sword arms

Prince Peasley: floating pillow, rose, hair, slash with rapier, turn into dragon (other bean-related stuff, easily best gimmick rep)

Popple: steal, dash, failed Bros. Attacks, throw items from bag, run away

Cackletta: lightning, transform, flying chair, lasers, curses, bat duplicates, possess, fireballs, shooting stars, suck you in, essence.

Fawful: flying hat, bean gas, laser blasts, suck up, antenna lightning, dome, laser ring, blorb mushroom, vacuum mushroom, flying machine, energy beam laser, giant hand, rockets, Dark Star, walls, float, shooting stars, energy balls, wormholes, fog, self-destruct, Fawfulcopters, Fawfulized minions, Fawful Mountain, Peach's Castle.

Princess Shroob/Elder Princess Shroob: hover throne, flying saucers, Shroobs, shield, fire lasers, beam from above, electric orbs, spider legs, teleport, ride flying saucers, stomp, charge, throw meteors, grow bigger, spew poison clouds, swing tentacles, possess Bowser.

Midbus: punch, roll up into a ball, belly flop, swing around a heavy ball, puff out his stomach, Blizzard form, snowballs, creating snowmen, climb up walls and divebomb, roll into snowball.

Dark Star: punch, fire breath, spiky shell, Dark Bowser, suck in, create fog, throw lightning, create minions, fire lasers, bounce around, dark hurricane, cage of darkness, giant rock

Antasma: claws, cloud, pillow form, swarm of bats, Dreamy Marios, fire and smoke, chasms, screech, dreambeats, power up, create duplicates, throw energy balls, circle of spikes, spidery minions, dark shield

Toad: a lot of basics, dig up coins, blorbs

Toadsworth: Bros. Ball, Spin Jump

E. Gadd: Stuffwell, time machine, water pump machine (time paradox)

Broque Monsieur: make blocks, Blitties, Broggy, Grobot, drilldigger, drill, fix

Massif Bros: punching rocks, charging, stomping, bouncing around, stacking up, throwing blocks, and healing, Mario & Luigi's moves

Koopalings: spin, stomp, multiples, breathe fire, shell spin, time bomb, pipes, rings, ping pong

Petey Piranha: eating, burrowing, stomping, flying, divebombing

Durmite/Wisdurm: charge, suck things up, eat enemies, spit webs, swing around on web, grow bigger,  heart-shaped crystal, magic wand, shoot stars, shrink you, remove blocks.

Shroobs: flying around in their flying saucers, shooting laser guns, firing a massive laser blast, calling in saucers to shoot lasers, swim around in sand, throw spike balls and fish, swing giant hammers, summon flames, throw Shroob-ombs, throw meteors, and send others into battle, throw fireballs and lightning, spin to throw a mace, trap you in crystals, spit up saucers, and throw lollipops

Koopa Troopa

Goombas

Shy Guys: spears, laser Snifits

Hammer Bro, Boomerang, Yo-yo, Chain Chomp, and Limbo versions

Spike

Dry Bones

Buzzy Beetle: laser beam

Monty Mole

Cheep Cheep

Thwomp: move, multiples, volcano, cough up rock

Chain Chomp

Ninji

Pokey

Boo

Piranha Plant

Mechakoopa

Blooper

Chargin' Chuck

Wiggler: stomp

Virus

Lakitu

Magikoopa

Bosses:

Earth Vellumental

Water Vellumental

Fire Vellumental

Ice Vellumental

Colored Pencils

Rubber Band

Hole Punch

Tape

Scissors

Stapler

Gooper Blooper

Handaconda

Tolstar

Hoohooros

Dragohoho

Chuckolator

Trunkle

Hermie III

Jojora

Yoob

Sunnycide

Sea Pipe Statue

Scutlet

Kretin

Chakron

Bowser's Castle

Tower of Yikk

Fawful Express and Fawful Mountain

Super Peach's Castle of Fury

Grobot

Torkscrew

Mammoshka

Pi'illodium

Robo-Drilldigger

Mount Pajamaja

Earthwake

Zeekeeper

Stages:

Peach's Castle

Overlook Mountain

Shogun Studios

Scorching Sandpaper Desert

The Great Sea

Shangri-Spa

Bowser's Castle

Hotfoot Crater

King Olly's Origami Castle

Beanbean Kingdom

Koopa Cruiser

Hoohoo Mountain

Beanbean Castle

Chucklehuck Woods

Woohoo Hooniversity

Oho Ocean

Teehee Valley

Winkle Realms

Joke's End

Hollijolli Village

Toadwood Forest

Yoshi's Island

Gritzy Desert

Thwomp Volcano

Shroob Mothership

Star Shrine

Dimble Wood

Plack Beach

Bumpsy Plain

Blubble Lake

Bowser's Insides

Pi'illo Castle

Mushrise Park

Dozing Sands

Wakeport

Mount Pajamaja

Driftwood Beach

Somnom Woods

Neo Bowser's Castle

Dreamy versions of each

Dream's Deep

Items:

Mushrooms

Flowers

Beans

Chuckola Cola

Peppers

Yoshi's Cookies

Star Cures

Dream Stone

Dream Egg

Various Incidental Items

Thanks for reading! Next up, we cover the crossover you've all been waiting for, Paper Jam!