GameTimeline

Release & story order

Mario & Luigi timeline

Every main Mario & Luigi RPG in US release order—from Superstar Saga on Game Boy Advance through Brothership on Switch (2024). Story order follows the bros' loose saga and skips the Paper Mario crossover. AlphaDream's original DS trilogy, the 3DS remake, and FAQ links to Paper Mario and Super Mario platformers.

Updated July 2026

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Release order Story order

Release order

When AlphaDream and successors shipped each Mario & Luigi RPG in the US—GBA (2003) through Switch (2024). The 2019 Bowser's Inside Story remake is a separate release-order title; Paper Jam is a Paper Mario crossover.

  • Full saga → Superstar Saga through Brothership in release order
  • Newcomers → Bowser's Inside Story (DS or 3DS remake) or Brothership on Switch
  • Paper Mario fans → Paper Jam is optional crossover—not required for M&L story
  • Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario → separate timelines on this site
Story order tips

Loose bros saga in release order: Beanbean adventure → time-travel past → Bowser body hijinks → Pi'illo Island dreams → Concord Kingdom voyage. Paper Jam and the BIS remake stay off story-order titles—FAQ explains why.

  • Core five: Superstar Saga → Partners in Time → Bowser's Inside Story → Dream Team → Brothership
  • Partners in Time visits baby Mario and Luigi—callbacks help after Superstar Saga
  • Skip Paper Jam on Story unless you want the Paper Mario team-up
  • Each game works standalone—order matters most for jokes and recurring characters

Timeline

When each game was released. Click a game for platforms, dates, and where it fits in your playthrough.

Release order

  1. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

    Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

    GBARPGMainline

    The Mario & Luigi RPG line opens in the Beanbean Kingdom, where timed button attacks and dual-bro puzzles define AlphaDream's comedy style. Cackletta's plot and Fawful's cameos set jokes the sequels keep recycling.

    Overview
    Turn-based battles with action commands for both brothers at once—jump timing, hammer swings, and Bros.
    In-game setting
    Beanbean Kingdom, Stardust Fields, and Woohoo Hooniversity establish the series template: light plot, heavy banter, and co-op button choreography.
    Should you play it?
    Natural series start. Play before Partners in Time if you want baby-bros callbacks; otherwise each entry still works alone.
    Release date
    US Game Boy Advance launch November 17, 2003 (Japan July 2003). Prefer current digital editions when the original release is awkward to run.
  2. Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time

    Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time

    Nintendo DSRPGMainline

    Adult Mario and Luigi team with their baby selves through time holes as Shroobs invade the past Mushroom Kingdom. Darker tone and four-character formations make this the odd sibling after Superstar Saga.

    Overview
    Dual-screen DS design lets adult and baby pairs swap formations mid-battle—four jump/hammer timings and layered Bros. Attacks instead of a simple duo.
    In-game setting
    Past Mushroom Kingdom under Shroob occupation; Thwomps, Yoob, and Princess Peach's castle siege drive the time-travel chapters.
    Should you play it?
    Best after Superstar Saga for baby jokes, but not mandatory. Skip if you only want Bowser's Inside Story or Brothership on modern hardware.
    Release date
    US Nintendo DS launch November 28, 2005. Prefer current digital editions when the original release is awkward to run.
  3. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

    Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

    Nintendo DSRPGMainline

    Bowser becomes a playable giant while Mario and Luigi explore his insides during a kingdom-wide blorbs outbreak. Fans still call this AlphaDream's peak—Fawful and the Dark Star steal every scene.

    Overview
    Two campaigns on one cart: Bowser's overworld stomps and giant boss fights vs micro dungeon crawls inside his.
    In-game setting
    Blorbs plague, Fawful's takeover, and the Dark Star climax; Bowser Jr. and Midbus fill the comedy bench.
    Should you play it?
    Essential entry—start here if you want the series at its best. Prefer the 2019 3DS remake (next release-order titles) for extras; Story order still anchors on this 2009 plot.
    Release date
    US Nintendo DS launch September 15, 2009. Prefer current digital editions when the original release is awkward to run.
  4. Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

    Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

    Nintendo 3DSRPGMainline

    On Pi'illo Island, Luigi's dreams power giant Dreamy Luigi attacks while Antasma threatens the real world. Lighter after Bowser's Inside Story, with rhythm-heavy Bros. moves tuned for 3DS screens.

    Overview
    Dream World platforming plus Dream Points that grow Dreamy Luigi into screen-filling combo finishers—3D depth gimmicks are optional but flashy.
    In-game setting
    Pi'illo folk, Prince Dreambert, and Antasma's nightmare plot; giant boss battles against Dreamy Luigi set pieces.
    Should you play it?
    Play after Bowser's Inside Story for peak-to-lighter contrast. Helpful (not required) before Brothership if you like recurring dream/island comedy beats.
    Release date
    US Nintendo 3DS launch August 11, 2013. Prefer current digital editions when the original release is awkward to run.
  5. Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

    Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

    Nintendo 3DSRPGCrossover

    Paper Mario folds into the bros' world for tri-team battles—fun crossover, thin canon. Treat it as a side comic, not a required chapter between Dream Team and Brothership.

    Overview
    Three heroes in one battle party (Mario, Luigi, paper Mario) with Trio Attacks that remix Paper Mario stickers-meets-action-command timing.
    In-game setting
    Standalone crossover with paper doppelgängers and Royal Stickers energy—not a sequel to either series' main plots.
    Should you play it?
    Optional on Release; skipped on Story. Paper Mario fans may want it; pure M&L saga runners can skip without missing Brothership setup.
    Release date
    US Nintendo 3DS launch November 13, 2015. Prefer current digital editions when the original release is awkward to run.
  6. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr's Journey

    Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr's Journey

    Nintendo 3DSRPGRemake

    Arzest's 3DS remaster rebuilds Bowser's Inside Story with sharper sprites and adds Bowser Jr's Journey, a strategy side campaign. Same main plot as 2009—buy this instead of hunting a DS cart.

    Overview
    Full remaster plus Bowser Jr's Journey mini-strategy chapters after AlphaDream closed—new mode, not a new mainline saga entry.
    In-game setting
    Same blorbs/Fawful/Dark Star arc with refreshed audio-visuals; Bowser Jr's Journey is optional extra campaign content.
    Should you play it?
    Preferred purchase over original DS for newcomers. Story tab still lists the 2009 entry as the canon chapter; remake is the playable edition.
    Release date
    US Nintendo 3DS launch January 11, 2019. Prefer current digital editions when the original release is awkward to run.
  7. Mario & Luigi: Brothership

    Mario & Luigi: Brothership

    SwitchRPGMainline

    After a long hiatus, Acquire returns the bros to a Connect Wars voyage across the Concord Kingdom's islands. Modern Switch presentation, familiar timed attacks, and the biggest exploration map the series has tried.

    Overview
    Open-ish island hopping with Link Bros. co-op style attacks and ship-hub travel—closest the line gets to a light adventure structure while keeping action-command RPG battles.
    In-game setting
    Concord Kingdom islands, Snout-Sees, and Extension Corps antics cap the Release tab as of 2026.
    Should you play it?
    Current entry point on Switch if you skip older handhelds. Dream Team is tonal precedent, not a hard prerequisite; Paper Jam remains optional.
    Release date
    US Nintendo Switch launch November 7, 2024. Prefer current digital editions when the original release is awkward to run.

FAQ

Release vs story order, Paper Jam crossover, Bowser's Inside Story remake, and links to other Mario RPG pages.

Play order

See the Mario games timeline for side-scrolling and 3D platformers. This page covers AlphaDream-style Mario & Luigi RPGs only—no platforming mainline entries here.

Story & canon

Release order lists every US launch—including Paper Jam (2015 crossover) and the 2019 Bowser's Inside Story remake. Story order keeps the five main saga chapters only: Superstar Saga through Brothership, using the 2009 Bowser's Inside Story as the story anchor (play the remake instead of hunting DS carts). Nintendo never published a strict M&L chronology—Story order follows fan saga consensus.

Paper Jam (2015) teams the bros with paper Mario—a crossover, not a sequel to Dream Team or a chapter of the Paper Mario timeline. It appears on Release order only. Skip it on Story order unless you want the trio gimmick.

Remakes & ports

Same main story. The 2009 DS original is the story-order titles anchor; Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr's Journey (2019, 3DS) remasters visuals and adds a Bowser Jr. side campaign. New players should buy the remake—only one story-order titles appears so you do not play both for plot.

Optional & related

More timelines

Other release-order and story-order guides on this site.