Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is a 2003 handheld action-RPG developed by AlphaDream for the Game Boy Advance, the first entry in the Mario & Luigi series. The brothers travel to the neighboring Beanbean Kingdom to recover Princess Peach's stolen voice and thwart the scheming witch Cackletta and her henchman Fawful.

The game paired turn-based battles with real-time action timing, letting players dodge or counter enemy attacks and pull off flashy cooperative Bros. Attacks by pressing buttons in the correct sequence at the right moments. Controlling both brothers simultaneously, each mapped to a separate button, was central to both combat and overworld puzzles that required coordinating their unique moves, all delivered with sharp, comedic writing and lively animation.

Superstar Saga launched a beloved RPG series that combined humor, timing-based action and inventive brotherly cooperation across many entries. It later received a full remake on a newer handheld, and remains a standout in Mario's role-playing lineage.