The original game was a subtle blend of turn-based and real-time role-playing that worked wonderfully well. That said, it only managed to sell about 6 copies in PAL regions, so we're slightly surprised to see that this follow-up will be making the trip over here. Pleasantly surprised, we should add. The game is being handled by the same chaps who worked on the original, the Nintendo second-party devco Alphadream, and it's looking very nice, as you can see from the fifteen screenshots we've received to date.
In a dramatic and highly original turn of events, the story sees Mario and Luigi setting out to rescue Princess Peach (!), only there's a catch: they have to travel back in time to recover the eternally missing damsel. The result? Our heroes spend much of the game coming face-to-face with baby versions of themselves, the Princess and Bowser. Cue the chance for players to control younger versions of Mario and Luigi (with X and Y), as well as the adult versions (with A and B, as in the original). Jolly good.
The DS' unique capabilities are being fully deployed, with enemies now often spread across both screens. When not in battle, the top screen displays a handy map, something we could have done with in the original. As for the battle system, things have remained largely unchanged from the original, with the same counter and dodging options available.
Alas, the only thing we're missing is a solid release date, with Nintendo refusing to be more specific than 'Q4 2005' for all territories. But so long as that doesn't slip, PALGN may just have found the first entry for it's Christmas list this year.
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