When Nintendo teamed up with Square back in 1996 to create Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars for the Super NES, fans were surprised to see the famous plumber treading in territory that's normally reserved for armor-clad warriors, powerful magicians, or at the very least, a plucky young boy from a small village who turns out to be the only hope against a growing evil that is enveloping the world.

Despite the seemingly mismatched premise (placing a platforming hero into an RPG), the game turned out to be a blast, and immediately won over skeptical fans. The game must have been a success, because here we are with Mario's fifth RPG adventure, and although the RPG masters at Square only developed the SNES game, the RPGs since (the two Paper Mario titles and the two Mario & Luigis) have been just as outstanding.

Partners in Time is the sequel to the GBA's Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, and it doesn't stray far from that title's winning formula. If you come into the M&L games expecting a traditional RPG, you'll be severely disappointed. These are action RPGs that mix good ol' turn based battles with platforming puzzles that bring Mario back to his Goomba-hopping, brick-busting days.


Double the Brothers

The real gimmick this time around is that, thanks to a time traveling storyline, Mario and Luigi have teamed up with their infant selves to rescue Princess Peach from a band of evil alien mushrooms. Although most of the game is played on the DS's bottom screen (the top screen displays a map of your current region) with the brothers carrying their younger forms around piggyback style, you will frequently have to send the babies off on their own, which typically involves the types journeying into areas that the big boys can't fit into.