Fly on.

After the Mushroom Kingdom‘s citizens begin to fall victim to the mysterious “Metakoro Disease,” Princess Peach calls a meeting, which is attended by Mario and Luigi. A new character, Yellow Star, has discovered the cause of the disease. As Peach is giving a meeting on its effects, Bowser breaks into the meeting. He is quickly defeated by Mario. Peach and Yellow Star use their powers to send him to Ekubon’s Forest, and the meeting continues. Meanwhile, Bowser gets an item called a “Lucky Mushroom. In realty though, it is actually a “Vacuum Mushroom“, which is a trap set by Fawful. It allows him to control Bowser’s actions^[3], and gives Bowser the ability to inhale everything. Bowser goes to Peach’s meeting and inhales everyone there. While gloating about his victory, he mysteriously falls unconscious, and Fawful appears.

Mario reawakens alone inside Bowser’s Body. Nearby, he finds Luigi and Yellow Star. The three of them set out to reawaken Bowser. They come across an exposed nerve, and attack it, which rouses Bowser. He discovers that he has somehow come to Gepū Cape. He sets out north, towards his castle. As he is leaving Gepū Cape for Musshība Beach, he is confronted by a mysterious voice explaining the concept of Chakras to him. A Chakra is a portal that allows him to quickly traverse the Mushroom Kingdom.

At Musshība Beach, Bowser hears a voice calling to him from a small island. He sees the famous block collector, Brirock. Initially reluctant to help, Bowser is convinced when Brirock offers him the Vacuum Block, an object that gives its user the capacity to use a powerful suction attack. After rescuing Brirock, Bowser must fight his missing pet, Blodog. At the north end of the Beach, Bowser comes across theMarine Pipe’s Statue. Because it is dedicated to an ancient hero, Bowser begins to vandalize it. Unbeknown to to Bowser, Fawful’s cronies have imbued it with the power of self defense, and it attacks him. After Bowser deactivates it, a stream of water flows from the statue. Drinking from it, Bowser inadvertently opens a path allowing the Mario Brothers to reactivate his fire breath, which is being blocked by the parasite Betarīno. He uses this rediscovered skill to continue northward, back to Ekubon’s Forest.

In the forest, Bowser runs across some of his old troops. Fawful has trapped an army of still loyalGoombas in a cage. When Bowser frees them, they accompany him for the remainder of his time as a leader-in-exile, allowing him to use the attack Bokosuka Goomba. He also meets up with Heifā, Patabon, and Kurikkī, three former troops from his army. They are attempting to retake the castle using a Banzai Billcanon, but they don’t have any ammunition. Bowser heads to a garden maintained by a Wiggler clan. Bowser finds a huge carrot, which he thinks may make a suitable replacement, but a local wiggler is infuriated when he removes it. The wiggler demands that he eat the carrot and battle him. Afterwards, it turns out that the wiggler happened to have a Banzai Bill at home. Bowser takes this and returns to the clearing where his troops are setting up the cannon. On the way, he is stricken with a horrible pain. The Mario Bros discover that the source of this pain is the hornworm-like Imounu, who is running rampant inside Bowser. After Imounu is defeated, she shrinks down to the size of Mario’s foot and scuttles off. Exploring their current location, the Marios find Toadbert and unlock the Sliding Punch.

Bowser returns to the Banzai Bill cannon and fires his newly acquired ammo at his castle. Metaboss, a minion of Fawful who has been put in charge of the castle, is none too pleased with this. He lifts the entire castle up on rockets and flies it to Ekubon’s Forest. He sets it down directly on top of Bowser, who is thoroughly unprepared for having a castle land on his head. The Marios travel to his Adrenal glands, and there cause a spike in Bowser’s hormones. This causes Bowser to grow to almost the size of the castle itself. He engages it in battle, and is able to damage it significantly enough to force Metaboss into retreat. Bowser then returns to his normal size, and discovers that a path has been cleared through the forest during the fight. He continues north to the castle.

At the castle, he discovers that his subjects have been brainwashed by Fawful, who is hosting some kind of theater event in the castle later that day. When he arrives at the theater, he’s informed that there is a special reserved seat for him. As the event goes on Fawful announces that they have a very special guest. Bowser’s chair suddenly goes flying towards the stage, where he lands in a heap. Fawful tells the crowd that there’s going to be a fight to the death between Bowser and Metaboss. A cage lowers, and they begin battling. After Bowser wins, a group of Boos escorts him to the winner’s feast. Here, at the insistence of the boos, Bowser eats so much that he breaks through the floor with his weight.

While attempting to find a solution, the Mario Bros. discover Princess Peach. However, she is kidnapped almost immediately by Arukaroten. The Marios chase it to a dead end and rescue Peach. Peach informs them of Fawful’s plan to steal the Dark Star, an ancient artifact held beneath Toad Town. However, Fawful uses an unknown machine to kidnap Peach. After using a treadmill and (literally) burning off some calories, Bowser sees a Bob-omb. He attacks it with his fire, but it quickly walks over to a much larger group of Bob-ombs and expodes, setting off a chain reaction that catapults Bowser to an Underground Tunnel beneath Gepū Cape.

Here, Bowser meets a clan of Monty Moles, who are digging a connecting tunnel to the Toast Town underground. When Bowser arrives there, however, he activates a trap and is knocked unconscious. The shock of the trap has knocked something loose inside Bowser, and the Mario Bros. discover a warp pipe out of their ally. They end up somewhere in the Toad Town underground, and begin looking for the Dark Star in hopes of securing it against Fawful. However, they are too late. Fawful takes it and heads for Peach’s castle. Chasing after him, they are stopped at the castle gates by the Dark Star’s power. They go to the local clinic to see how Doctor Kokino‘s research on the Metakoro Disease is going. However, while talking in Kokino’s office, Bowser barges in and engages the Marios. After Bowser is defeated, Kokino tells the Marios that the three Star Vaccines are the cure for the Metakoro Disease. He explains that the first is held by Imounu, of Ekubon’s Forest. However, Mario remembers that Imounu is no longer at Ekubon’s Forest, so the heros set off in search of Imounu.

As soon as the Marios re-enter Bowser, they spot Imounu and begin to chase her. However, they are stopped when she runs behind a mysterious wall of green Boo Blocks. Meanwhile, Bowser is headed to Imounu’s last known location, Ekubon’s Forest. On the way, however, a large mechanized tower attacks Bowser. As earlier, Bowser grows to the size of the tower to fight it. After defeating it, Bowser enters the now-docile tower and climbs to its summit. Here he meets the ghost of Ibikki, the deceased owner of the tower. Ibikki explains the Boo Light Machine, a device he designed that can have various effects on Boos. By shining this light at Bowser’s body, the Mario Bros are able to resume their chase of Imounu. When the catch up to her, she engages them in battle, revealing her true form as Sage Imounu. After her defeat, she gives the second Star Vaccine to the Marios.

Bowser meets up with Kurikkī, who reminds him that there’s something like a Star Vaccine in the Bowser’s Castle vaults. Heading there, Bowser is shocked to find that a railroad has been installed in the vault, and that Fawful’s Gera Express is removing all the treasure within the vault. In an attempt to stop this, Bowser is crushed by the train. Thinking quickly, the Marios once again journey to Bowser’s adrenal glands. The now-giant Koopa King quickly takes revenge on the train that stole all his treasure. Returning to the vaults, he discovers the safe that the Star Vaccine is stored in. However, he can’t remember the combination for the safe. The Marios journey to his memory to search for the missing information. There, a strange creature scans the Mario Bros and creates doubles to battle them. After the Marios defeat their counterparts, the blue creature reveals that it is the guardian of the second Star Vaccine. It shows the Marios that the memory of the safe’s combination has been damaged. After the Marios repair it, Bowser abruptly remembers the combination as a short poem. When he opens the safe, however, Kurikkī, Heifā, and Patabon shove him inside and lock the safe, stating that Bowser’s reign is over, and that Fawful has placed a price on his head. Chippy advises Bowser to swallow the Star Vaccine, which he does. The Marios take it from his stomach and escape through the pipe to Toad Town.

Doctor Kokino tells the Marios that the third Star Vaccine is hidden somewhere at Musshība Beach. Journeying there, they discover a new area of the beach that they had never visited before. There they meet Chakran, the owner of the Chakras that Bowser uses to travel. He tells them that he is the third Star Vaccine’s guardian, and that if they can defeat him, they can have it. They engage him in battle, but they can’t do any damage. Running away, they go to Ekubon’s Forest, where they search for theAttack Parts for Sweet Basket. After they find six of them, Mario is kidnapped by a Shokuchu. Luigi gives chase, and in a scene reminiscent of Super Mario Bros 3, Luigi is trapped inside a Shokuchu and must use it to traverse a field of thorns to rescue Mario. In the process, Luigi collects the remaining Attack Parts and completes Sweets Basket. Heading back to Chakran, the Marios use this new move to knock him over, and receive the third Star Vaccine for their efforts.

Mario and Luigi return to Doctor Kokino at the clinic. Taking the three star vaccines in hand, the doctor creates the Miracle Vaccine, the cure for the Metakoro Disease. It instantly takes on a life of its own, flying around the city and curing all those who are ill. Once it is finished, Mario and Luigi take it to the gates of Peach’s Castle, where it destroys the barriers put up by the Dark Star.

After wandering the castle gardens for a while, the heroes come upon a huge mound of garbage. As Yellow Star wonders why it was left there, Metaboss comes in and activates a switch, causing the garbage to come to life and form the robotic Garakuta Monster. After being dealt enough damage by the Mario Bros, it begins to malfunction, running around wildly and freeing Bowser in the process. However, Bowser’s long stay in the safe has caused him to fall unconscious, so the Marios set about waking him up. Heading through a nearby pipe, the Marios find themselves once more within the Koopa King. After a bit of searching, they come across Toadsworth inside Bowser’s shell. He explains that from the shell, another latent ability of Bowser’s can be activated. The shock of this is enough to rouse Bowser from his stupor, and he sets off in search of Fawful and the Dark Star.

Bowser finds Fawful and Metaboss watching a machine in which Peach and the Dark Star have been restrained. Fawful quickly grants Metaboss an ice-based powerup, sending him to attack Bowser. Metaboss’ defeat causes his entire body to freeze, with cold air slowly being exhaled through his nose. Fawful absorbs the power of the Dark Star and escapes, while the Dark Star itself invades Bowser’s Body. Mario and Luigi head to the only remaining unexplored sector of the body to find Dark Star. They catch up to it several times to find it absorbing Bowser’s DNA. When it finally reaches a dead end, it confronts the Marios in battle. Although they win, the Dark Star reveals that the DNA it absorbed has allowed it to recreate Bowser’s body and power for itself. It escapes from Bowser and from the room he’s trapped in, which also gives the real Bowser the opportunity to escape.

Bowser finds Fawful in the conference room where he fought Mario earlier. The shadow power absorbed from Dark Star has caused Fawful to transform into Dark Fawful. Bowser fights Dark Fawful and destroys his body, but he survives as a ball of shadow energy. Dark Fawful escapes, but is absorbed by Dark Star. With Fawful’s power, Dark Star becomes Dark Bowser and escapes through a hidden door.

Bowser finds Dark Bowser on a platform high above Peach’s Castle, a knocked out princess at his side. Dark Bowser states his intent to rule the Mushroom Kingdom with an age of darkness, but Bowser replies that the Mushroom Kingdom is his country, and that Dark Bowser can’t have it. They begin battling, and Bowser defeats Dark Bowser with ease. However, Dark Fawful revives Dark Bowser, fully healing him and powering him up. Bowser attacks Dark Bowser’s Stomach, causing Dark Fawful to be ejected. Bowser quickly inhales Dark Fawful, and a battle begins in his stomach. In a battle somewhat reminiscent of that that they had with his old mistress, the Marios are forced to defeat the individual parts of Fawful’s body before attacking his weak point, the Dark Star Core. After a difficult battle, Fawful is defeated, causing Dark Bowser to become unstable. Mocking him all the while, Bowser punches Dark Bowser until he can’t take it any more and explodes, freeing the Mushroom Kingdom from the Dark Star’s influence forever.

Within Bowser’s belly, Fawful speaks to the Mario Bros. and Yellow Star. The Marios are shocked that he has somehow survived, but without a body or the power of Dark Star to sustain him, Fawful soon is no more, exploding in a cloud of black smoke. Without Fawful, however, the Vacuum Mushroom also ceases to be, meaning the inside of Bowser ceases to be the ridiculously cavernous space that it has been for most of the game. Almost immediately, all the various things Bowser had inhaled throughout the adventure come flying out, including Mario and Luigi. The now-conscious Peach, along with various toads, move to congratulate the Marios on a job well done. Bowser is angered to receive no credit for his part in the adventure, and begins raging at Mario. As they begin what promises to be another epic battle, the credits roll.

Afterwords, Bowser is seen lying in bed at his castle, nursing injuries apparently given to him by Mario and Luigi. Kurikkī, Heifā, and Patabon are there, apologizing for their treason and asking to rejoin the Koopa Troop. Before Bowser can answer, a messenger from Peach’s Castle comes in, delivering a wrapped gift. Out pops Chippy, who flies off to help out with repairs. Seeing that the three former members of his army are still there, Bowser angrily asks why they aren’t helping as well. The three are almost speechless, as this means they’re back in the Koopa Troop. They run off, shouting their thanks back to their king. Looking inside Peach’s present, Bowser finds it to be a cake with himself, Mario, Luigi, and Peach on it.

Thanks Mario Wiki, you rock! You can also click on the blue words to see what the Mario Wiki has to say about it.

Here is gameplay:

The game switches between three playable characters. Mario & Luigi are found together inside Bowser for the first part of the game, exploring a 2D environment, much like a platformer. Bowser explores the Mushroom Kingdom in a 3/4 overhead view world, much like previous Mario & Luigi games. After a point in the game, Mario & Luigi can go out of Bowser to explore the overworld. They can use a pipe to return inside Bowser.

Mario and Luigi can both jump, spin jump and use hammers in the over world. The bros can also use hammers and jump during a battle. Jumping in battles have been altered so the Bros can now execute a double jump on an enemy. As in the previous games, the “A” button controls Mario while the “B” button controls Luigi.

Bowser uses both the “X” and “Y” buttons. “Y” is used for fire breath and “X” is used for punching. Later in the game, you can get a sliding punch and a ground pound. The battle system has been altered for Bowser. Punching replaces jump and the hammer is replaced with fire breath. There is also the Vacuum system wherein you can make Bowser suck certain things from the enemies or even the enemies themselves. Whenever you suck the enemies though, you then control Mario and Luigi to defeat these enemies.

Bros. Points (BP) have been brought back from the first game in the series, only this time, it is now called Skill Points (SP) because of Bowser’s playability. Items also make a comeback. Items can be acquired by collecting 10 “Attack Parts”. Upon collecting all 10, you can use the item. Using items uses up skill points as opposed to “Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time” wherein items have to be bought. Some examples of Mario and Luigi special attacks are the Green Shell (The shell is repeatedly kicked up to a certain amount), the Sweets Basket(Luigi eats falling sweets, causing him to bloat. Mario in turn will throw him up, causing a massive shock wave), and the Here and There Window (The brothers are hidden in the window. Pressing the corresponding button will help lengthen the attack). Bowser can also get special attacks by freeing his armies, or collecting cat-like blocks. Bowser’s attack uses the touch screen. Example of these attacks is the Goomba army (touching the Goombas send them flying up, causing higher damage than when they hit the enemies), and the Bob-Omb Army (Use the touch screen to place the Bob-Omb to go in front of the enemies, in which they’ll damage the enemies by exploding).

There are also new features in the third game, such as the ranking system, which lets players earn rank as they level up. Earning ranks will allow Mario, Luigi, or Bowser to equip more items, or buy more equipments.

The badge system has also changed. Instead of badges that gives certain skills, badges are now used to get incentives whenever you get a “good”, a “great”, or an “excellent” in your attacks. Such incentives include Health or Skill points recovery, or attack increase.

Minigames have also been used for the main story, unlike in the second game wherein there is only one available minigame. Some minigames include the “arm power-up” (Mario and Luigi hit spark-like things to strengthen Bowsers arms), the “leg power-up” (Mario and Luigi stomp on leg muscle to strengthen Bowser’s legs), and the stomach digestion (Mario and Luigi digest the food that Bowser eats).

A certain minigame let’s you increase Bowser’s size up to a giant. This would let you enter a new battle system wherein the DS is held like a book. You attack using the stylus and the microphone (blowing through the microphone lets you breathe out fire).

Here is the Development info:

Nintendo revealed Mario Luigi RPG 3 at a press conference in Japan ^[6]. Nintendo of Japan revealed details of the game relating to the plot and gameplay, as well as the fact that it would have intensive use of the touch screen . AlphaDream, developers of Superstar Saga andPartners In Time, developed this game, with experienced contibutors to the Mario series such as Yoko Shimomura and Charles Martinet working on music and voice acting, respectively.

Here is the Plot:

A mysterious plague is taking over the Mushroom Kingdom. The only symptom that this disease results in is the inflating of the Toads many times their normal size, causing them to grow big and roll around without any control; the disease is known as the “Metakoro”. A council is called to discuss what might have to be done, and Mario and Luigi are both called to further discuss what could be done with this disease that is spreading. At this time, Bowser enters Peach’s castle and tries to kidnap her by force. Mario then fights Bowser to protect the princess. After his inevitable defeat, Bowser wakes up in a forest and a mysterious figure offers a “lucky mushroom” to Bowser, who eats it. He unknowingly gains the ability to inhale things and becomes brain-washed by Fawful, a villain from the previous installments. Fawful sends Bowser to Peach’s Castle, where he swallows all the Mushroom Kingdom council members. With Peach and Bowser preoccupied, Fawful then takes control over both of their castles. When he awakes, Bowser proceeds to chase Fawful. Meanwhile, Mario & Luigi must attempt to find a way out of Bowser’s stomach. 

And here is the JAPAN box art:

the box art JAPANESE!!!

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I was going to call it smasher12 but it was taken.

Check it!

Check out this little animation I call “Super Bouncy Ball Bros.”!