An interview revealed that Mario and Luigi: Brothership could have had a different art style, taking inspiration from Acquire and Square Enix's HD-2D games like Octopath Traveler. Mario and Luigi: Brothership is a grand return to the fan-favorite Nintendo RPG series, and the first brand-new entry in the series in almost nine years. Unlike the previous entries in the 21-year-long series' history, Brothership isn't developed by AlphaDream, as the studio closed its doors in 2019.
Instead of AlphaDream, Mario and Luigi: Brothership was co-developed by Acquire, a well-known Japanese studio. Most RPG fans will likely know Acquire from its work on Square Enix's Octopath Traveler duology. Both Octopath Traveler games were praised for their intricate sprites and pixel art, blending both 2D and 3D environments to create a timeless RPG experience. The presentation of these titles was replicated for Square Enix's Triangle Strategy and Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake. The developers have revealed that Mario and Luigi: Brothership could have potentially followed in the same footsteps.
Although many fans loved Mario & Luigi: Brothership, a recent interview shows that the 21-year-old series was almost canceled before this release....
