Alpha Dream's Mario And Luigi series did turn-based combat better than most RPGs before or after. Though this spinoff of their most famous IP has been abandoned by Nintendo and Alpha Dream shut down in 2019, the games remain fondly ed by fans for their zany humor, lovable aesthetic, and of course, its well-oiled machine of a combat system. The Mario And Luigi games' approach to combat should be implemented to some extent in any turn-based RPG going forward.
The Mario And Luigi games focus on the titular duo as they travel the Mushroom kingdom and beyond, fighting longtime series villain Bowser, as well as other colorful and interesting villains. This includes the insane and devious Fawful, his sinister master Cackletta, and many more. While knowing when to raise the stakes to keep players invested, the Mario And Luigi games are primarily screwball comedies.
Even with their comedic tone, however, the combat system remains the best thing about the games, and the part most fans go back to. Their focus on player agency and engagement made every fight unique and interesting. Because of this, Mario And Luigi should be considered the gold standard for turn-based RPGs.
Mario And Luigi Combat Succeeded By Always Keeping The Player Engaged
While more traditional turn-based RPGs such as Final Fantasy 6 give the player a menu of options they can take in combat while otherwise separating them from truly controlling their characters, Mario And Luigi went in a very different direction. When an enemy attacks in a Mario And Luigi game, the player is given a button prompt where, if they press at the right time, Mario and/or Luigi will either dodge or counter the attack, taking no damage and sometimes dealing some extra damage to the opponent.
This design philosophy is in every inch of the combat. Timing button presses when attacking results in multiple strikes in one turn, and special attacks are only effective if the player can keep up with pressing A and B at the right time. This was done in earlier games like Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario games, but Mario and Luigi expanded upon it. By incorporating traditional platforming into its combat, Mario and Luigi avoids an often-mocked trope of RPGs. As long as the player pays attention and gets the button presses down, it's possible to go through these several hour RPGs without taking one hit of damage.
It's a shame that Mario And Luigi's turn-based combat has mostly gone ignored by the larger RPG genre. Granted, turn-based combat is nowhere near as prevalent as it once was in RPGs, but those that do appear seem to mostly stick to the most traditional forms of this combat system. The Mario And Luigi games showed a clear way for turn-based combat to evolve with the times, hopefully more RPGs in the future will finally start taking notes.
