Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time

The alien Shroobs have attacked the Mushroom Kingdom of the past, and unfortunately it’s at the same time* that Professor E. Gadd has unveiled his new time machine and the Princess has gone exploring in that past. Good thing that Mario and Luigi are around, and they’re baby selves from the past can give them a helping hand!

( Solid game in a continuing series. )

Overall: If you like rpgs that use action commands and cute, not-too-serious plotlines, you will like this game (and the other two in this series).

* Yeah, yeah, time-travel terminology and simultaneous events. The past is another country with younger versions of the same people and only a couple of paradoxes. Don’t think about it too hard.

Dungeons & Dragons: Castle Ravenloft Board Game

Remember HeroQuest? That was the 80s board game based loosely on D&D rules. This is the version of it for 4th Edition D&D. It makes play more exciting with things like Power Cards and a randomly-assembled board; and you don’t need a DM, because every player has a “villain phase” that moves some of the monsters.

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Overall: This is totally fun, though I think owning one box set (there are several, with different quests and monsters and interchangeable heroes) is plenty. I’ll probably update when we’ve played more and have a better sense of the nuance to it.