Nintendo eyes pacing and performance fixes for Mario and Luigi Brothership

An editorial look at the 2024 game that weighs its visuals and ambition against pacing and performance flaws and explores possible fixes.

Nintendo eyes pacing and performance fixes for Mario and Luigi Brothership

November 2024 marked the return of the Mario and Luigi RPG series after a long break. The game is praised for its expressive art and solid core gameplay, and the story shows ambition. Yet the title is hampered by pacing and a notable amount of filler content between major plot beats. The runtime sits around 40 hours even when you rush, a length that can feel excessive given how little happens on many islands early on. Side quests pile up quickly and some islands like Bulbfish and Merrygo feel repetitive, making 100 percent completion a tiring chase.

Performance also complicates the experience. The game targets 30 frames per second and dips occur, especially in crowded overworld areas and in timing challenges like Hammer Rally. A late game red fog introduces lag that can drag the frame rate below 20 for long stretches, and the fog persists until the end of the save file. Luigi is playable but not always in sync with player expectations, and some players would welcome a setting to adjust attack inputs. Despite these issues, the game still shows how strong the art and battles can feel when the pacing improves.

At its core Brothership tests a familiar tension between nostalgia and structure. The best moments arrive late, which makes the early hours feel stretched and repetitive. A remake would require more than cosmetic fixes; it would demand reworking plot beats to spread standout ideas more evenly. A future patch or Switch 2 edition could fix performance and input quirks while preserving the game design and art style. The challenge is to balance fan expectations with tighter pacing without erasing what makes the game feel unique to Nintendo.

Taken as a sign of how Nintendo handles fan feedback, the case for Brothership could shape how the company treats the Mario and Luigi line. If Nintendo leans toward refined pacing, it could extend the life of the series and set a positive template for remasters. If the company ignores calls for pacing improvements, fans may drift away even if sales stay steady. The broader takeaway is simple: polish matters as much as novelty.

Highlights

A stronger pacing plan could boost the series without losing its voice.