Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam Bros reviewed: Stuck between two worlds

Let's be honest: Mario and Luigi are idiots. If there's a problem to be solved, they'll solve it in the most convoluted way imaginable. Frankly, it's something of a miracle they achieve anything at all.

So it is with Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam Bros, a quirky role-playing game filled with the same familiar mechanics and coffee-break moments as pretty much every other RPG outing for the portly plumbers. But this isn't necessarily a bad thing. The charm of Paper Jam Bros lies in the gaps between its otherwise shallow story, the plot sidelined in favour of quirky conversations and self-referential chit-chat between its acid trip cast. At the very least, you get to hear Mario talk about something other than saving the Princess. Again.

It's a shame, then, that Paper Jam Bros features such few detours of this kind—unlike its predecessors, they're wedged into the core story arc instead of existing in parallel to it. This is a game that plays it safe, its by-the-book plot just about managing to push you through to its predictable finish. Like paper, it's all a bit one-dimensional.

The plot revolves around the Mushroom Kingdom being invaded by the residents of Paper Mario World thanks to a characteristic blunder from Luigi, his mother's second favourite son. If you're looking for a prime example of the Deus Ex Machina narrative concept, you need look no further than the opening five minutes. Indeed, the opening cutscene serves as a succinct example of how the "wacky" bits are forced into the plot—the need to drive events forward blocking the chance to better explore the fusion of the game's two disparate worlds.

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