Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam - review round-up

TheSixthAxis
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. sadly falls flat on its face at the final hurdle, but is a light-hearted and hugely enjoyable romp up until that point. There are great nods to both Mario & Luigi RPG and Paper Mario franchises, and the three protagonists make a great team in this 3DS RPG. Questionable decisions around the use of Amiibo and the mini-game side-quests can’t be ignored, but the charm of Paper Jam Bros. can’t be understated.

Nintendo World Report
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. was enjoyable, but it suffers from some severe pacing problems. The missions became a little too much to endure and became sort of mean as I inched closer to the end. The story didn't blow me away either, but the writing itself was cute and interaction between characters was fantastic. The environments mostly touch on known ground, but it is well put together and accompanied by some great tunes to boot. What made me finish the game were the puzzles and combat, which are as grand as ever. While I don't want to spoil any bosses, you are ensured that they will give you a smile. Sometimes that smile is enough to keep going.

God is a Geek
This game is in no way a revolution of what’s come before, but that doesn’t matter one bit - the mechanics are still as solid as they always were, the humour still makes my face ache from smiling, and not once did it ever outstay its welcome.

Nintendo Insider
With unwavering charm, this resoundingly action-packed quest for the superstar trio succeeds on all fronts. There's little to criticise in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros., an epic collision that results in a Mushroom Kingdom mash-up of near perfection.

NintendoLife
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. totally succeeds as an accessible, entertaining and lengthy crossover for fans and newcomers alike. It introduces a solid list of worthy new mechanics, particularly building upon the battle system in some exciting new ways, and breaking exploration up with random quests. It's more of a mini RPG than ever, but doesn't quite nail it when it comes to environmental design and storytelling. In the end it's Paper Jam's simplicity that makes it a great starting point and an easy recommendation, but also holds it back from taking full advantage of more dimensions than ever before.


My Nintendo News
With an incredibly charming and beautifully witty storyline twinned with some great musical numbers, Paper Jam Bros. is a delight to play. Though the game has some minor setbacks, its core mechanics feel refined while the addition of Paper Mario fits like a dream. It’s paper almost at its finest.


GamesRadar
With Paper Jam Bros being the fifth entry in the series, perhaps it could have done more to shake up the formula, but when the status quo is this inventive, it’s hard to hold a grudge. Delivering another excellent and original entry into a consistently brilliant, and heartbreakingly overlooked franchise, might just make this the highlight of Nintendo’s Christmas line-up.