Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

M​ario & Luigi: Dream Team (​or M​ario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros. i​n Europe versions) is a role-playing adventure video game developed and published by Nintendo on July 12, 2013. It has only been released for the Nintendo 3DS. This is the fourth entry in the Mario & Luigi game series, with the others being Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. The game involves Mario and Luigi travelling across Pi'illo Island, a vacational island where Princess Peach has been kidnapped by Bowser and the bat king, Antasma. The game also involves travelling through two different areas, the real world and the dream world, in which Mario is able to enter Luigi's dreams when he sleeps on the petrified Pi'illos, the original inhabitors of the island, and are aided by Prince Dreambert, the prince of the Pi'illo Kingdom.

Gameplay
Dream Team plays in a way similar to the other Mario & Luigi games, in which the player controls Mario and Luigi in a 3D environment instead of a 2D one, however the dream world is seen in a 2D perspective. You are also able to battle enemies in an RPG fashion, where you can jump on them, hit them with a hammer or flee. Unlike the other games, the bros are able to save their game at anytime. Badges from previous games also return, which give you boosts in which you can use in battle. The main game takes place on a 3D Pi'illo Island, where Mario and Luigi can move around and explore different areas. They can also use skills that they learn as they proceed through the game. However, one of the main aims of the game is to rescue the Pi'illos, ancient inhabiters of the original and old Pi'illo Island. They can only be rescued on their petrified selves, in the form of pillow-shaped rocks. Luigi can sleep on the rocks, which allows a dream portal to open and Mario can enter Luigi's dreams, which turn into a 2D perspective. In the dream world, Mario is accompanied by 'Dreamy Luigi', a dream version of Luigi. In the dream world, Dreamy Luigi can use 'Luiginary Works', dream objects that connect between the real and dream worlds. The Luiginary Works can be used if Starlow, a floating yellow ball friend, does something to Luigi (e.g. pulling his moustache). Also, battles work differently in the dream world, as Dreamy Luigi merges into Mario, strengthening him, and also causing Dreamy Luigi clones to emerge from Mario and do extra damage from an attack. There are also several boss battles, and there are also several giant boss battles that only occur in the dream world, in which Dreamy Luigi merges with his clones to become a giant and battle a giant foe with the help of Mario.

Plot
Princess Peach is invited to spend a relaxing vacation on Pi'illo Island, an ancient resort. Peach takes along Toadsworth, several Toad assisstants, and also Mario and Luigi for protection. The group is taken to the island by an airship commandeered by Broggy, and they get a welcoming video from Dr. Snoozemore, the proprietor of Pi'illo Island, who is being constantly 'researched' by sleep, as he dozes off very often. Just after, a purple monster appears on the ship, and Mario defeats it. However, the monster bursts the airship's balloon, making it crash land on Pi'illo Island. However, the past incidents were all revealed to be in Luigi's nightmare, as he was dreaming and the others made it fine. Luigi gets scared and knocks himself out, so Mario, Peach and the Toads continue forward, meeting Broque Monsieur and Starlow at Pi'illo Castle, and Luigi meets them there. They get another video presentation from Dr. Snoozemore, who tells them about the unknown treasures from the Pi'illo era, and now the Pi'illos are thought to be extinct. When Peach and Toadsworth look around, they are taken into the depths of the castle via a rocket panel. Mario and Luigi pursue them, find them and also find a strange pillow-shaped rock. They exit the ruins and find the collection room, where the excavated items from the Pi'illo era are kept. Broque Monsieur meets them and is stunned to see that they found the 'treasure'. Luigi checks out a bed that belonged to the prince of the Pi'illo Kingdom, and puts the rock on the bed and uses it as a pillow, which creates a portal above Luigi's head. Princess Peach gets sucked into the portal, and Mario chases after her. Mario enters Luigi's dream world where he meets 'Dreamy Luigi', Luigi's dream version of himself. Mario and Dreamy Luigi pursue Peach who is being taken by a purple cloud. When the bros almost retrieve Peach, the purple cloud escapes underground and takes Peach with it. Mario then sees a spirit and shows him a purple fragment, named a 'nightmare chunk'. Mario breaks it, and a Pi'illo pops out, calling himself 'Prince Dreambert', the prince of the Pi'illo Kingdom. Mario exits the dream world, and the rock turns into Prince Dreambert.

Prince Dreambert introduces himself to the others, and Broque Monsieur is shocked to find out that the treasure was the prince himself and the rumours of the Pi'illo Kingdom were false. Dreambert then remembers the rest of his tribe and goes out to find and help the other Pi'illos, and Mario and Luigi pursue him. They accidentally fall into a large cavern where they rescue several petrified Pi'illos. When they rescue them, the Pi'illos tell Mario and Luigi that Eldream, the Pi'illo Elder, might know where Peach was taken to. They state that the petrified Eldream is located in Mushrise Park. Dreambert also reveals how his kind was petrified; the Pi'illos were instructed to guard two stones, the Dream and the Dark Stones, which were both able to grant wishes. However, the bat king, Antasma, stole the Dark Stone. The Pi'illos sealed him away in the dream world, but before they did, Antasma shattered the Dark Stone. Its fragments hit the Pi'illos and caused them all to become petrified. The group ascend from the cave and head into Mushrise Park, where they meet Brickle, the chief worker of Mushrise Park. He has Eldream's pillow, however he runs away and Mario and Luigi chase him. When they save Brickle from being stuck in a fountain, he gives them Eldream's pillow, and Mario goes into the dream world. Mario and Dreamy Luigi chase a bunny who has Eldream's nightmare chunk, eventually catch it and break the chunk, making Eldream pop out. Eldream thanks them and uses the bunny (who is actually his pet and named 'Dreambunny') to make an entrance to Dream's Deep, the depths of the dream world. Meanwhile, the Elite Trio (elite guards of Bowser consisting of a Goomba, Paratroopa and Shy Guy) arrive on the island and Bowser also arrives, and is mad as someone else kidnapped Peach. He enters the dream world when he smells Peach's perfume and also goes into Dream's Deep. Mario and Dreamy Luigi find Peach, and it is revealed that Antasma kidnapped her. Bowser then arrives and the two villains team up when Antasma notices Bowser's strength and gives him power. The two escape, leaving Peach, and Dreambert realizes that the two will try to steal the Dream Stone, which is located in the Dozing Sands desert. The group make it to the temple where the Dream Stone is kept, but Bowser and Antasma had made it there first and already stole the Dream Stone. Dreambert gets Mario to go into Luigi's dream to find the Dream Stone Soul and make it tell them where the Dream Stone is. However, they anger the Dream Stone Soul by waking it up, and it transforms into a large robot. However, Dreamy Luigi merges with his clones and becomes a giant, and defeats the robot. The Dream Stone Soul is impressed by Dreamy Luigi's skills and tells them that the Dream Stone is on the top of Mount Pajamaja. They start to head to the mountain when someone tells them that they must go to Wakeport and sign up for a Mount Pajamaja climbing tour in order to climb the mountain.

The tour is run by two muscular brothers, named Big Massif and Lil' Massif. However, Big Massif is missing, and Lil' Massif says that he cannot begin the tour until his brother returns. Mario and Luigi find Big Massif in a deep sleep, and make Luigi sleep next to him so their dreams connect so Mario and Dreamy Luigi can wake Big Massif from his dream. They are successful and Big Massif awakens and joins his brother, who then head to Mount Pajamaja. The group follow them and they learn some new skills as they ascend the mountain. However, when they get to the top and find Bowser, Antasma and the Dream Stone, Antasma unleashes the Dreambeats, music that puts people to sleep easily, and puts all the people on Pi'illo Island into a deep sleep so the duo can unleash their plans. However, Mario fights it and Dreambert tells Mario to hide in Luigi's dream to stay awake. However, the Dreambeats make Luigi sleep too deeply, and the dream portal closes, trapping Mario inside the dream world. Mario gets an idea to make the dreamy Mount Pajamaja erupt so it might cause Luigi to sleep more smoothly, making the dream portal reopen. They are successful, however the Mount Pajamaja is actually alive, and tries to kill Mario. Dreamy Luigi turns into a giant again and defeats Mount Pajamaja.

The group returns to Pi'illo Castle. Meanwhile, Bowser and Antasma use the Dream Stone to create a large floating castle protected by a crystal barrier. The island goes into panic and Starlow asks Mario and Luigi to find Peach. A Toad tells the group that Peach and Toadsworth went to Driftwood Shore to hide from Bowser. The group find Peach, and Broque Madame, the owner of a beach shop, suggests to hide Peach in the dream world. They enter the dream world and find Seadric, a dreamy seahorse, and he gets the group to find three Dream Eggs from his siblings so he can expand the dream world to hide Peach. They successfully do so, but at the end of the dream world they find out that Peach was actually Kamek in disguise and that Bowser used the Dream Stone to kidnap the real Peach. Kamek leaves the dream world, and the group returns to Pi'illo Castle upon learning that Dr. Snoozemore has returned from his travels. Dr. Snoozemore is shocked to find Dreambert and realizes that the Pi'illos aren't extinct. The group explains the situation to Dr. Snoozemore, and he suggests to find the Zeekeeper, a large mythical bird who once protected Pi'illo Island. Dreambert remembers a Zeekeeper statue in the dream world, and Mario and Luigi find it. The statue displays a message which reveals that the group must craft the Ultibed, a bed which will take the dreamer to the dream world that the Zeekeeper is in. It also tells them to find five Zee Parts which are used to make the Ultibed, and to then bring them to a Bedsmith on Wake Isle (now Wakeport) to craft it. The group then set out in search of the Zee Parts.

When the group successfully finds all five, they try and find the Bedsmith in Wakeport. They hear of a Pi'illo collector who might have the petrified Bedsmith, and they find him and he shows them the pillow of Bedsmith. Luigi sleeps on it and Mario enters the dream world in search of the nightmare chunk consuming Bedsmith. They find it, however Mario and Dreamy Luigi awaken a guard protecting the chunk, which turns into a large monster made out of buildings. Dreamy Luigi turns into a giant again and defeats the monster. They break the chunk and Bedsmith emerges, and they return to the real world. They tell Bedsmith of their predicament, and Bedsmith tells them to head to his workshop in Somnom Woods, a vast mythical forest. The group head there and Bedsmith crafts the Ultibed. However, Dreambert says they cannot use the Ultibed right there, but must find a place where dreamy vibes flow. Dreambert suggests the Pi'illo Temple, and the group travels through the woods and reach the temple. Luigi sleeps in the Ultibed, and Mario enters the dream world and travels up a large tree to find the Zeekeeper. They find his egg, and they smash it, releasing the Zeekeeper. However the Zeekeeper is mad that they disturbed his rest, and he tries to battle them. Dreamy Luigi turns into a giant once again to calm and take down the Zeekeeper. When the battle is over it is revealed that the Zeekeeper is actually more radical than mythical. The group tells the Zeekeeper their situation, and Zeekeeper says he'll do it if Mario gives him every coin he owns as payment. Mario agrees (but won't actually give him any). The Zeekeeper takes Mario and Dreambert out of the dream world and shatters the barrier around Bowser's castle (named Neo Bowser Castle) with his eye laser, causing the castle to fall from the sky and land on Pi'illo Island. The Zeekeeper gets tired out, and the group enters Neo Bowser Castle to find Peach.

Inside Neo Bowser Castle, Antasma puts Bowser to sleep so he can use his dream energy to power the castle. Meanwhile, the group go through the castle, and defeat Kamek, who keeps trying to block their path. They find the asleep Bowser, but can't attack him as a barrier is around him. Dreambert suggests that he fuses himself with the energy vines powering the castle so they can enter Bowser's dream and wake him up. They enter Bowser's dream, and the dream Bowser tries to kill them multiple times. They find Bowser at the end of his dream scoffing meat in his face, making him grow bigger and more powerful, making Dreamy Luigi turn into a giant for one final time to take down the now giant Bowser. The group succeeds and they exit Bowser's dream. Because of them defeating him in his dream, Bowser awakens and travels to the top of the castle, telling the group to meet him there for a battle. The group ascends the castle and find Bowser and Antasma. Antasma tells Dreambert that he will be killed by him as he has Bowser on his side, but Bowser betrays Antasma and tells him that he was using Antasma the whole time. Bowser then escapes to the very top of the castle, leaving Antasma to be defeated by Mario and Luigi. The group then encounter Bowser, who has trapped Peach in a cage and is about to use the Dream Stone to destroy them all, but Dreambert tells Peach and Starlow to use their powers of kindness to shatter the Dream Stone, saying that it is better to be destroyed than to be used for Bowser's purposes. The Dream Stone is destroyed, and in anger, Bowser inhales the Dream Stone's fragments, transforming him into a multicoloured, giant powerful monster. He battles Mario and Luigi for a final battle, and Mario and Luigi beat Bowser. Bowser loses his dreamy power and is bashed off the island by Mario and Luigi. Princess Peach is released from her cage and thanks the group for rescuing her, however the castle starts to collapse since the Dream Stone is destroyed, and the Zeekeeper luckily flies by and saves the group. They land in front of Pi'illo Castle as Neo Bowser Castle explodes. The island thanks the group for saving their island, and now the group is free to enjoy their vacation.