Every Bros. Attack In Mario & Luigi: Brothership

One of the coolest things about the Mario & Luigi games is the battle system. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars started the active turn-based combat system wherein players could time their attacks and blocks for bonuses. It was, and still is a cool idea for a turn-based battle system.

That was condensed in the first entry in this sub-series, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, wherein Mario and Luigi were controlled by one button apiece. Cooler yet, they had specials called Mario Bros. Attacks and that system returns in Mario & Luigi: Brothership. The first set of attacks involves using Koopa Shells to attack enemies in unique ways. Among the many players who can learn in the game, these are the best.

10 Too Who Cannon

A Barrel Full Of Plumbers

Too Who Cannon is one of the hardest moves to execute in the game. Once activated, a clone army of Marios and Luigis will enter a bunch of barrels onscreen as they have just entered Donkey Kong Country. When one tilts forward like a cannon, players have to remember if Mario or Luigi is inside to hit the right button: A or B. It is a strong attack but like many randomized button presses in Mario & Luigi: Brothership, the risk is not worth the high failure rate. Practice will indeed make perfect and some players will be better at memorization.

9 Red Shell

Kick That Koopa Like A Soccer Ball

The Red Shell is one of the first techniques that players will learn in the game. Players will have to pass the red Koopa shell back and forth between Mario and Luigi. On the last pass, Mario will wind up like he is kicking a soccer ball in one of his sports spinoffs. The attack will only hit one target and it’s effective against bosses especially when they get into dazed states. That said, most battles will not involve bosses in the game which leaves this technique not as well rounded in combat which typically involves many enemies.

8 Green Shell

Hurts Less But Hits More

The Green Shell uses a Koopa shell like the Red Shell ability but it will hit all enemies. Luigi and Mario will pass it back and forth until Luigi strikes it across the screen. Who the shell hits in-between the final strike is random unless there is only one enemy. It should be known that this attack only works against grounded enemies which is a pain as there are many flying villains in the game. That said, this will be a godsend once it unlocks in the game which will improve the speed of the turn-based battles.

7 Bomb Derby

Get Ready For This Explosive Pitch

The Bomb Derby is an attack for Mario wherein Luigi will hold a giant tray of bombs to chuck at Mario. It looks like a baseball machine at batting cages except a bit more deadly. It may be hard to get used to the pitches at first, but after a few tries players will be able to hit a home run with these bombs for sure.

The damage will be high and the enemies targeted will be randomized just like with the Green Shell technique. All of these Bros. Attacks really demonstrate how skilled Mario truly is with sports.

6 Max-Mix Vortex

Create A Storm Of Fire And Ice

Max-Mix Vortex is Luigi’s final Bros. Attack involving Mario and Luigi’s fire and ice powers. Luigi will launch balls of ice while Mario will launch balls of fire into a collective tornado. Once filled, the tornado will tear through the combat arena and hit enemies in its path. It’s only good against big groups of enemies because the tornado does not have a strict path. For a boss, the tornado could miss hitting it, making the whole turn a waste in other words. It’s strong but only in the best of circumstances.

5 Hatch Me If You Can

Yoshi Makes A Surprise Cameo

The Hatch Me if You Can move has a secret cameo waiting in every performance. This is a tricky move to pull off as it can begin with Mario or Luigi trying to knock this egg in the air like a volleyball. This can throw players off in the beginning without any good tells, making it hard to get a good rating. After a few bumps, players can smash this egg into the ground, creating a meteoric strike that will hit all enemies in the vicinity. This crash will also hatch the classic green Yoshi who will then go in for one more strike. Where does this Yoshi go after the attack is over? No one will ever know.

4 Zapperator

It’s Shockingly Easy To Summon Lightning

The Zapperator is one of the best moves players can perform in the game and it hits all enemies for multiple strikes. Luigi will pop out a machine that will build a rain cloud above the battlefield. Players will have to alternate tapping A and B to build this cloud full of lightning and then tap X before the machine explodes.

It’s like a homemade way to summon Ramuh from the Final Fantasy series. Unless players are bad at alternating their button presses, or forget to hit X at the final moment, this skill for Luigi is one of the easiest in the game that they will assuredly go back to again and again.

3 Jump Helmet

It’s Straight Out Of Double Dare

This move truly looks like it was copied from Double Dare, one of the most popular game shows for kids in the 90s. There were basket helmets that contestants would wear in that show to catch things and this hat Mario wears for the Jump Helmet skill is reminiscent of that. Players will need to bounce Luigi off of Mario’s head and then follow him down the runway. The attack that lands will be against one enemy, so it’s not great for normal battles. However, it will hit hard as an upgraded experience to the Red Shell and again, is great for boss battles.

2 Clockout Blow

Partners In Time

This attack is not the first time Mario and Luigi have experimented with time travel in a video game. The second entry in this series, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, features the two brothers hanging out with their younger past. Clockout Blow is a nice callback to it as it will freeze time in place. Players will have to have split-second timing as they mash either A or B to strike hammer blows on every enemy on the battlefield. The targets will be randomized which is not ideal and the unpredictability makes it hard to pull off too but it is easier against bosses.

1 Conductor Connector

Bonding Up With Space

Conductor Connector will be the last Bros. Attack players will learn in the game. It’s the strongest and the most complicated to perform, involving the Great Conductor. Players will be launched into orbit and have to connect plugs to circuits. If done correctly, it will overcharge the Great Conductor by 120% and then that energy will hit all enemies. It has a high chance of making critical hits, so it’s easy to see why it was saved for the last spot. However, it is debatable whether or not the pressure of going through the motions is worth it. With auto-complete, it’s worth it in the end though.