Wow. I'm a first-timer to RPG's like this, but... wow. Best DS game of the year? I think so. It's a real shame then that not many people are taking much notice of it and passing it on as shovelware. =(

Overall, an amazing triumph in the Mario and Luigi series. The game has done an astounding job of keeping the series as fresh as possible without sacrificing quality. However, there are some things I have to harp on. The story is great at times, however I did not find it to be laugh out loud hilarious. It's very Sunday Morning Cartoon humor rather than funny, and often times, you9;re mood while playing effects how much you enjoy the actually story. Also I did find that the game was being pretty ridiculous at times for the purpose of adding length to the game. *Spoiler Alert Waiting an hour to let Bower's back heal was pointless and awkwardly placed towards the later end of the game. As for gameplay, the game achieves perfection. The special attacks in this game are ridiculously awesome to both execute and perform. I personally love the art and graphics in this game and appreciated all the little touches in the character and enemy animation. It's definitely a keeper and one of the best DS games of this year and one of the best RPGs.… Expand

I just finished this game a few days ago, and this is such a hilarious game. The first two hours and the final three hours (with some odd stuff in between) are by far the best moments in the game. Luigi just makes incredible amounts of nonsense (for example, he slaps himself to get out of a dizzy state), and his actions alone just ramps it up to ten. However, almost everything in between the intro and end is usually in this order: go someplace, solve puzzles (sometimes a bit literally), fight a boss who normally gets a funny intro, and press forward. In a nutshell, that's pretty much it to the game. Be prepared to get a bit bored. On the other hand, there's the minigames that are spot on on using both screens or normally using just one. Each minigame has simple controls and very fun gameplay. For example, in order to get Bowser alive for a giant boss fight, you need to shoot energy balls that come in two colors. It may seem a bit overused, but it's perfect for the situation.… Expand

A great, funny, and entertaining game. The specials feel awesome to pull off and each boss battle is a real treat.

This game is easily the best Mario RPG ever. Luigi is really funny, and so are Mario and Bowser surprisingly. Special moves are more like minigames and actually force you to do something so they are more powerful. Fighting as all 3 is really fun. The story is different from the usual save Peach story. Normal battles are never to easy or to hard. You never nail avoiding enemy moves all the time, which adds more challenge. Badges can actually help you in tough situations. If it wasnt for the unbalanced boss battles this game would be near perfect.… Expand

An almost perfect game in my opinion. The only bad thing is the pollen minigame.

Easily the most intentive Mario RPG since Paper Mario 2. The writing is witty and sharp. The graphics are charming. The combat is fun. The music is memorable and while its not reinventing the Mario & Luigi formula its still great fun.

Rock solid Mario RPG'ing. The game had a little bit of a been here, done that feeling but that didn't make it any less fun. Hopefully they introduce some new game play elements in the next Mario RPG.

The first Mario and Luigi RPG absolutely amazed me. After playing the 2nd, I was a bit disappointed, even though it was very good. After hearing about the release of a 3rd Mario and Luigi RPG I expected it to not live up to its predecessors, but I was wrong. Bowser's Inside Story may be the best game ever made for the Nintendo DS. A suberb and at times hilarious plot, exciting and intuitive battles, and fun puzzles that require you to utilize the abilities of all three charactors make Bowser's Inside Story soar over the first two Mario and Luigi RPGs and any other Nintendo game I have ever played.… Expand

This is a great RPG. I highly recommend it to fans of the series, newcomers alike and people who just like fun. Complete whit Mario & Luigi's fake Italian, a living French stereotype block, Navi who's in disguise as some star thing(lulz), only not as annoying, and many funny moments as well as being a blast to play, and I loved the touch screen controls. Best of all, YOU GET TO PLAY AS EFFING BOWSER!!!… Expand

Although the game's battle system, story, music and engine in general is amazing, this game still fails in my opinion to capture the truly epic feel of its prequel Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga for GBA. You can play as Mario and Luigi like the other two Mario & Luigi games in the series and as an added twist, Bowser as well which hasn't been done since Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars back on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. An interesting mechanic is while playing RPG battles as Bowser, you can sometimes use a special skill and then switch to battling the same enemies as the Mario & Luigi which can cause an interesting change in tactics. There are also special Godzilla-like special boss battles as Bowser also which make unique and interesting use of the microphone and touch screen. There are also boss challenges and minigames as well which are pretty fun as well.… Expand

I don't see what's so good about this game. If you want an addictive game for the DS, I would suggest either New Super Mario Bros. or Mario Kart DS.

I saw the reviews of this game and I saw they were excellent. Then I bought the game myself. It says on the back of the case "Most Hilarious Mario RPG" and I was a little nervous. But AlphaDream have handled the humour brilliantly. Although Fawful's gags may take a while to get used to, you'll soon get the gag and tune in. The gameplay is really good and it's so damn addictive. The graphics may make your eyes vomit a little, but it's still very cartoony and nice. The whole RPG experience feels great and it almost never gets boring. Well, except for the levels where you're Mario and Luigi where you have to scatter about the place looking for something and it does take ages. Not only that, the combat should've been better and it does get hard in a bad way. Aside from those flaws, it's still a very great game. Have a DS? Don't have the game? I mean, come on. What are you doing?… Expand

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story is a great game for the DS. The fact that it is an RPG that allows to create Mario, Luigi, and Bowser the way you feel like it makes it amazing.

Bowser's Inside Story, to put it quite simply, is an AMAZING game. The plot is great, the concept is great, and the battles are great. And don't forget about Fawful. Fawful and his "I HAVE FURY!" quote are just hilarious. But what I feel is best about Bowser's Inside Story is the ability to play as Bowser! Half of the game is dedicated to his side of the story, and Mario and Luigi can help Bowser accomplish his goals from inside his own body! Then...he grows HUGE. That is EPIC. Controls are better than ever too. I love this game, and recommend it to anyone and everyone.… Expand

Easily the best RPG I ever played (go cry, Final Fantasy! Not saying that it isn't good) I ever played, and the only game with a talking bean for an antagonist (alright, Superstar Saga had Fawful, too). This RPG has laugh-out-loud moments, a great story, excellent controls, and one of the best and most beautiful final boss themes ever.

This is not like any Mario game you have ever played. There is a bit of platforming, but that is turned into a puzzle. It is almost like a Pokemon game, but you only have three characters: Mario, Luigi, and Bowser! The plot is actually semi developed in this game, and Bowser doesn't kidnap Peach this time. Instead he is tricked into inhaling her, as well as Mario + Luigi and the rest of the mushroom kingdom, by Fawlful, the new bad guy, not really worth remembering him though. Inside Bowser's body the two Legendary plumbers try to find and rescue the princess, somewhere in Bowser's 2D innards. Meanwhile Bowser, wandering the Mushroom Kingdom, tries to take back his castle, which has been taken over by Fawful. You enter battle scenes as the plumbers or the Koopa King, and this is where it is similar to Pokemon. You will see the similarities almost immediately. A great game, but a little bit easy. Still,you won't beat every boss on your first time, and if you want to collect all the bonuses there will be plenty of replay after you beat the main story. Fantastic.… Expand

I got it with mixed expectations but soon then, I got hooked, I've had it for 3 weeks and I can't stop playing it. The game is just awesome, my favorite DS game....ever..

I signed up for Metacritic just so I could give a negative review for this game. It is not an RPG. It is a series of touch-based minigames that increase in difficulty and soon become ridiculous.