The Mario & Luigi series has always been somewhat of an unknown to the general masses. The first, Superstar Saga, came late in the GameBoy Advances life cycle whereas Partners In Time failed to capture the magic of the original – the DS population was left stale to why it had garnered such critical acclaim. As if to prove its own worth, Alpha Dream's third entry could be the best yet.

The biggest problem with the last iteration was the developer's need to make the most of the DS as possible. Faced with an extra screen, baby Mario and Luigi were drafted in to ensure it felt like the series had progressed. Instead, moves were overly complicated and the easy to learn hard to master addictive gameplay was harmed. Bowser's Inside Story changes all that.

As the title suggest, the biggest addition is Mario's nemesis as a playable character. After a freak incident, the heroic brothers are sucked into the mammoth's stomach and the two become unsuspecting allies. It's here where the use of the console comes into its own. Using Bowser's inhaling power, enemies can be gulped from the top screen to the bottom where the Italians can take matters into their own hands. At the same time, action still occurs with the King creating an interesting and engaging dynamic that extends the franchise's strategic elements. They're not as intense as more core RPGs, but are easily far more accessible and, arguably, entertaining. Every attack can be understood within minutes but to genuinely take advantage, a sound, tactical approach is required. Throw in how diverse they all are and it's appealing from the start.
As well as the excellent fundamentals, Mario & Luigi's absolutely bizarre sense of humour has been increased no end, creating an experience which is, on occasion, from a different planet.

It certainly won't be to everyone's tastes, but those that enjoy the downright ridiculous will be in constant fits of laughter. It's as much as a reason to continue forward as the challenge itself if not the main reason why to venture on long after deciding to take a break.