Lift your hat and twirl your beard: Nintendo is continuing the Superstar saga! The second part of the handheld role-playing game in the plumber’s cosmos has been optimally adapted to the dual screen capabilities of the DS by the developers Alphadream. Mario and Luigi receive visitors from the past and are allowed to embark on their latest adventure with the active support of themselves when they were babies. Baby Mario and Baby Luigi come from the Mushroom Kingdom of the past, infested with purple alien mushrooms. Also from the infantile story game: Princess Peach, who always needs rescuing, and Howler Toad Bowser along with a miniature appendix.
The core of the motley comic spectacle are once again cleverly devised round battles with a good deal of skill. The four plumber clan hops around on the heads of their adversaries or punishes goad-worthy villains with juicy blows from the hammer. As in the predecessor, you always control Mario with the A button, Luigi with the B button and the baby brothers with the corresponding X and Y buttons. With standard attacks it is enough to press the right key at the right moment. Defensive actions are also dependent on timing. It becomes more complex when using the so-called ‘brothers’ items. With green and red tanks, cannons and chain dogs you cause massive damage, but you also have to prove nimble button competence. This is how your bearded butze men kick in an egg Mario Smash Football-style into the opponent’s field of vision, tumble over two screens by trampoline jump or throw fire flowers under wild button hammering.
