Mario & Luigi – Bowser’s Inside Story & Bowser Jr.’s Journey

Mario & Luigi – Bowser’s Inside Story & Bowser Jr.’s Journey (known as Mario & Luigi RPG3 DX in Japan) is an enhanced remake of the 2009 Nintendo DS game, Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan in December 2018 and worldwide in January 2019. The remake also features another story where Bowser Jr. takes action on an adventure, similar to Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser, with two important differences: a slot for an additional first officer who will have its own actions just like Bowser Jr. as well as formations for the troops.

The game is the second enhanced remake of the Mario & Luigi series, the fourth game in the series to be released for the Nintendo 3DS, and the seventh game in the series overall, as well as the thirty-first and final Mario game to be released for the 3DS. It is also the final Mario & Luigi game released by AlphaDream before filing for bankruptcy, although they would assist Sega on the development of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 before going bankrupt overall. The story begins in Bowser’s throne room in his castle.

Bowser Jr. is seen rolling into the room on what appears to be a Goomba afflicted by the blorbs. Kamek explains the disease to Bowser, telling him there seems to be no cure as of yet. Their discussion is interrupted by Birdley, who appears to tell Bowser that a conference for blorb prevention is going on at Peach’s Castle. Bowser, angry he was not invited, storms off to the castle with Kamek to crash the meeting. Unbenownst to Bowser, Fawful and Midbus are watching close by, ready to take over the castle (and also implied to have played a role in Bowser’s not being invited to the meeting, specifically to lure him out of the castle).

Fawful orders the Best Fitness Friends, Kaley, Dieter, and Beef, to infiltrate the castle while he goes to capture Bowser at Peach’s Castle. Bowser Jr. assumes control in his father’s absence, and is seen fighting Captain Goomba and his Goomba squad multiple times. Nearby, Wendy and Roy discuss what to do about the blorbs, when the Best Fitness Friends appear to sell them their products. Although Roy shoos them away initially, they soon realize that their formula, Skeletone Formula:D, is able to cure the blorbs.

Roy receives the recipe to make more Skeletone, which requires a Giga-carrot, an Omega Onion, and Ever Ice to create. Ludwig discusses a plan with the rest of the Koopalings to find the ingredients and cure the blorbs, while Bowser Jr, overhearing and thinking himself superior, sets off to find the cure himself. Ludwig decides to train Junior by teaching him the ropes of battle, using Captain Goomba, Boo, Shy Guy, and Koopa Troopa as examples.