Battle Guide

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Mario gets the Battle Guide in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

The Battle Guide is a guide that appears in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey. It gives the player information on how to perform Battle Basics and Battle Actions, such as Jump, Hammer, and Bros. Attacks. The Battle Guide also includes a demo on how each action is performed, and allows the player to practice the action themselves without spending any BP. Anything not yet viewed will have a "!" displayed next to it.

In the former two games, it can be accessed by tapping an icon in the bottom right of the touch screen during battle. In the latter game, the guide is accessed by hitting a Command Block known as the Guide Block.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions

Battle Basics

• Basics #1: Command and Attack: There are fixed buttons to control Mario and Luigi. Move Mario with the Button and move Luigi with the Button. When it's Mario or Luigi's turn to act, select a Command Block to perform an action. Select a block by moving the Circle Pad right or left. Press the character's button to confirm. Battle and defeat all of the enemies to win. You can start by selecting the JUMP block to begin attacking.
• Basics #2: Damage and Defeat Foes: Attack enemies with commands like JUMP and HAMMER to inflict damage. Victory is yours when their HP goes down to zero. Deal additional damage when attacking by pressing the right button and moving the Circle Pad at the right time. The button you need to press for this varies depending on the attack. Read the explanation on the bottom screen after selecting an action. The timing of your button presses will earn one of four possible ratings. Try to aim for the highest rating: Excellent!!
• Basics #3: Watch Mario & Luigi's HP: Mario and Luigi lose HP when they are damaged by attacks. If either of them reaches 0 HP, they will faint and be unable to move. If Mario's and Luigi's HP both reach 0, it's game over! If that happens, you will have the option of retrying that battle from the beginning, or you can restart from your last save. If a bro's HP gets low, or if they pass out, choose the Item block and use an item to recover. Restore HP by using a Mushroom. If Mario or Luigi faint during battle, use a 1-Up Mushroom to help them recover. Using items will eat into your supplies. You can acquire more items by defeating enemies or by purchasing them at shops. If you encounter a foe that you can't defeat, use the Run block to flee. Run too often, however, and your team won't get any stronger!
• Basics #4: Win Battles, Get Stronger: Defeat all enemies to win a battle and earn EXP for Mario and Luigi. Earn enough and their Levels will increase. As they grow in level, they will deal additional damage and their HP will increase, all of which will make defeating enemies easier. If you feel that enemies are getting too strong, fight foes that are easy for you to defeat, and proceed once you've increased your level.
• Basics #5: Status Attributes: You can see Mario's and Luigi's various stats by checking out Status on the menu screen. Attributes are separated into HP, BP, POW, DEF, SPEED, and STACHE. HP shows a character's health. Taking damage causes it to decrease. Characters will faint if their HP reaches zero. BP shows how many Bros. Points you have. These are necessary for Bros. Attacks and will diminish as you use them. POW shows a character's strength. The bigger that number is, the more damage that character will deal in battle. DEF shows a character's defense. The bigger that number is, the less damage that character will receive in battle. SPEED shows a character's quickness. The bigger that number is, the sooner a character can act in battle. STACHE shows a character's lucky mustache power. A bigger number means more lucky hits and better deals when shopping.
• Attacking with JUMP: Select JUMP to stomp an enemy and inflict damage. This type of attack is especially effective against flying units.
• HAMMER Attacks: Select HAMMER to strike an enemy and inflict damage. Use the Hammer to attack spiky foes and other enemies that can't be jumped on.
• HAND Attacks: Choose the Hand Attack to have Mario attack with fire and Luigi attack with thunder. You will deal extra damage to enemies if you exploit their elemental weakness.
• Jump Guard: Mario and Luigi can also perform actions during enemy attacks. They can do a jump guard when either of them crouches down. Press either character button to jump. You can avoid enemy attacks by jumping at the right moment. Time your jumps to land on enemies and deal damage as well.
• HAMMER Guard: You can perform a Hammer Guard during an enemy attack when Mario and Luigi are holding out their Hammers. Keep their character buttons pressed down to make them hold their Hammers up. When they are holding their Hammers above their heads, release the buttons to swing the Hammers down.
• Character Targeting: There are certain behaviors that can help you predict who an enemy will attack. Try to spot any and all tells! You can also tap the Assist icon on the bottom screen to turn assist ON or OFF. Turn assist ON to mark the character who is being targeted by an enemy's attack. If a red marker appears beneath Mario, that means he is the one being targeted. If a green marker appears beneath Luigi, that means he is the one being targeted. If you're having trouble figuring out who an enemy is targeting, try turning assist ON.
• Emergency Guard: Hold down the Button during enemy attacks to guard. This will decrease the amount of damage you receive. All monster attacks can be avoided, so there is no need to use Emergency Guard if you are confident you can dodge in time. Try using Emergency Guard for enemy attacks you don't think you can otherwise avoid.
• Enemy Encounters: If you make contact with an enemy, a battle will start! If you initiate an encounter by jumping on an enemy, they will receive damage at the start of the battle.
• Status Effects: There are times when certain enemy attacks will cause status changes in battle. When a status change takes effect, you may have your actions limited or your HP may decrease. These effects will heal over time. You can recover from status effects faster by using a Refreshing Herb.
• Using Bros. Attacks: Select Bros. Attack to have Mario and Luigi work together to perform a special attack! You can deal even more damage to enemies by successfully following button prompts during a Bros. Attack. Using these attacks will consume BP. You can restore BP by using items like Syrup.
• Watch and Learn: After you've selected an attack, you can press the icon on the bottom screen to see an example of it or practice it. Select DEMO to view a tutorial video. This is a great way to learn the timing of moves. In PRACTICE, you can try attacks for yourself. Keep at it until you've mastered them.
• Easy Mode: If you select Easy Mode, Mario and Luigi will become stronger, and enemies will be easier to defeat. You can select Easy Mode in the Options menu, or when you game over after losing a battle. Use it if you ever feel the game is too hard.
• Easy Attack Mode: If you find that Bros. Attacks are too difficult to perform, try utilizing Easy Attack Mode. Although this mode requires more BP, it makes it easier to successfully time Bros. Attacks. Press the Button when selecting an attack to enable Easy Attack Mode. The amount of damage the attack deals will not be affected, so give it a try for attacks you're having trouble with.
• Hints: Hint messages will appear while Easy Mode is activated, or if you are defeated and choose to retry a battle. To view hints, press the Hint icon in the center of the bottom screen. Hint messages contain valuable information, as well as tricks for defeating enemies. When you see a hint, try putting it to the test!

Battle Actions

• Jump: Press ( for Luigi) after you land. If your timing is right, you will score an extra attack! Time all of your attacks well and aim for an Excellent rating.
• Hammer: Press the ( for Luigi) Button when the Hammer is above Mario's (or Luigi's) head! Time it perfectly to earn an Excellent rating.
• Hand: Press the (or ) Button when you're fully charged! Try for an Excellent rating.
• Splash Bros.: Press the Button before Mario jumps on Luigi. Press the Button when Mario is directly over Luigi. Press when they smash into the enemy. Time button inputs well for an Excellent rating!
• Super Splash Bros.: This can be used to attack spiky enemies. When Mario climbs on top of Luigi, press →→ to the rhythm. Finish by pressing the Button! Press it when you jump on the enemy to get an Excellent!
• Bounce Bros.: Press before Luigi jumps on Mario. Press when both are directly above the enemy! Press the Button when jumping on an enemy. Time all jumps well to get an Excellent rating!
• Super Bounce Bros.: This move can hit two enemies. Press the Button before Luigi jumps on Mario. Press the Button before hitting the ground to perform a big jump! Gen an Excellent rating by jumping on enemies using → in the correct order!
• Chopper Bros.: Press the Button when Mario swings his Hammer over his head. Press the Button when Mario jumps on Luigi to pop up. Tap the Button once Mario descends to the same height as the enemy!
• Super Chopper Bros.: This won't affect flying enemies. Press the Button when Mario swings his Hammer over his head. When Luigi is directly under the enemy, press to knock them into the air! If you knock Luigi back into the ground, you can hit your foe into the air again. To knock Luigi back underground, press the Button when Luigi hits the ground. Then, press when the foe hits the ground to make submerged Luigi knock them sky high! ... Continue this rhythm eight times to earn an excellent rating!
• Swing Bros.: Press when Mario and Luigi hold hands! Keep holding the button to make them spin around. They will keep spinning faster. The faster they spin, the more damage they will deal. When Mario and Luigi reach top speed, let go of the Button! Press when Luigi collides with a foe! Pull it off flawlessly to earn an Excellent rating!
• Super Swing Bros.: Successfully earn a Good rating or better to cause an item to drop. Press when Mario and Luigi hold hands! Keep holding the button to make them spin around. They will keep spinning faster. The faster they spin, the more damage they will deal. When Mario and Luigi reach top speed, let go of the Button! Press when Luigi collides with a foe! Nail all button inputs to earn an Excellent rating! Press the Button when Mario and Luigi touch to make them join together! Press and at once when you stomp on a foe. Don't let go to earn an Excellent rating!
• Fire Bros.: When Mario throws a fireball, press the Button quickly to make it grow. When the fire gets close to Luigi, hit it by pressing the Button! The bigger the flame, the better your chances of an Excellent! And the more damage you'll deal!
• Super Fire Bros.: When Mario throws a fireball, press the Button quickly to make it grow. When the fire gets close to Luigi, hit it by pressing the Button! Press when Mario and the fire are the same height! A larger flame may earn an Excellent!
• Thunder Bros.: Press when Luigi builds up his thunder. Press when Luigi gets on top of Mario to perform a big jump! Press when Luigi is highest in his jump. Get an Excellent to deal heavy damage! If you succeed, there's a chance you'll lower the enemy's DEF.
• Super Thunder Bros.: Press when Luigi builds up thunder. When Mario's Hammer is above his head, press ! When Luigi gets to the base of the foe's feet, press the Button for an Excellent rating!
• Cyclone Bros.: Press when Luigi swings his Hammer over his head. Mario will become Mini Mario! When Luigi jumps, tap the Button! This will spin Mini Mario around at high speed! Get many consecutive hits for an Excellent! You can attack enemies several times. During the attack, you can change the foe you are targeting. When Mario starts to move forward, move the Circle Pad toward the foe you want to target.
• Super Cyclone Bros.: Press when Luigi swings his Hammer over his head. Mario will become Mini Mario! When Luigi jumps, tap the Button! This will spin Mini Mario around at high speed! Get many consecutive hits for an Excellent! You can attack enemies several times. During the attack, you can change the foe you are targeting. When Mario starts to move forward, move the Circle Pad toward the foe you want to target. In the Super version, an additional attack can be made at the end. When Mario and Luigi stop spinning, press the Button to prepare for the finisher. Finish by pressing when the Hammer is overhead! This can make enemies dizzy.

Gallery

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  Hints from the Battle Guide in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey