Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time earned a very mixed reaction from critics and games, with many calling the game the worst in the Mario & Luigi series. While the game has some flaws, the core gameplay is still good and has bosses that can leave you on the edge of your seat in terms of difficulty, especially if you’re a first-time player.
This is because of the slight mechanics change from the previous game on the Gameboy and also Partners in Time's successor. These are the ten hardest bosses in the game, as well as tips on how to effectively counter and beat them.
10 Swiggler
This boss is fought in the Vim Factory and he can be tricky for new players if you don’t know what to do. The problem is that the Shroobs that accompany Swiggler will be holding different colored mushrooms, either white or red. When they are hit, it will fall into Swiggler’s drink. The red mushroom will heal him if he drinks it, while the gray one will make him vulnerable.
But multi-hit moves will cause both mushrooms to fall into the drink. Whichever one falls in last will be the effect that will take place, so you’ll have to make sure that you intend to use single-target attacks on his assistants, or else you’ll be in there for a while. Cannonballer is the best item to use against the Swiggler’s weakened state.
9 Hammer Bros
The Hammer Bros, who were brainwashed by the Shroobs, are a boss that Baby Mario and Luigi fight. This boss focuses on timing, as well as paying attention. When they use their team attack, you have to pay attention to their hammer.
When one reels back, if their hammer is maintained, then you’ll have to time a jump to counterattack the other Bro. If the hammer falls off, the Bro will be lobbed over your head, which means you don’t need to jump. The Fire Flower is the most efficient way of defeating them, allowing the babies to hit them both at the same time.
8 Petey Piranha
Petey Piranha has a lot of attacks that need Mario and Luigi to follow a specific rhythm. One of his moves is an underground attack, sucking the Mario Bros under, similar to quicksand. You’ll have to keep jumping in order to not get sucked in.
Petey also has an attack where he spawns a block and swings a Piranha Plant from it, needing the Bros to constantly swing to not get hit. The best items to use against this boss are the Trampoline when he is in the air, and the Fire Flower, when he is stuck in the ground.
7 Shrooboid Brat
One of the most creative fights in the game, the Shrooboid Brat uses the audience to attack Mario and Co. They will hold up signs, but as the fight progresses, it will change up a bit. What you have to pay attention to is the letter and not color. Sometimes, Fire Flowers and Mushrooms will be sent to each sign the audience holds up.
Mushrooms will turn to Poison Mushrooms, which you’ll need to hit back; conversely, Poison Mushrooms will become Mushrooms, which you can use to heal. This fight is all about paying attention to the audience. The best items to use against the Shrooboid Brat are the Ice Flower and Trampoline.
6 Mrs. Thwomp
Mrs. Thwomp will be angry at the Mario Bros for stopping the eruption at Thwomp Volcano. As a result, she challenges them to a fight. She will attack with shockwaves that need to be jumped over, and when she sustains some damage, she’ll break apart into a smaller form before running away and coming back with three other versions of her.
These are fakes created my Mini-Goombas and will waste your time with an attack. You’ll have to pay attention to how each of them looks, remembering the real one has a complete set of square teeth and no chip in its body. The best item to use against her is the Ice Flower, followed by either the Copy Flower or Trampoline.
5 Sunnycide
Sunnycide is in the body of Yoob and is the final barrier for the Yoshis of Yoshi Village and the Mario Bros to escape. It attacks with eggs, using a pointer to aim at the brother he is intending to chuck one at. He can also open the floor with a pulley, needing the Bro to jump at the correct time to not take damage.
The goal to do maximum damage is to free six Yoshis from their eggs so they can begin rolling a rock off a platform to hit Sunnycide, forcing it onto its back. While stunned, it will turn off the lights while it attacks, summoning a Boo in front of either Bro that needs to be hammered. While the boss is stunned, Smash Eggs and Cannonballers are the best bet.
4 Elder Shrooboid
This fight that takes place in Star Shine, an area above Star Hill, is considered one of the more difficult fights in the game. Elder Shrooboid has spikes on his head, limiting aerial attacks until he is forced onto his stomach. This also has a ship hovering above the Bros, similar to the one at the beginning of the game that defeated both Mario and Luigi.
Elder Shrooboid will attack with spike balls, and you’ll have to hit them back at the ship to disrupt the countdown, increasing the time it takes for it to shoot. No matter where it is if the counter reaches 0, it’s Game Over. Use Ice Flowers while the countdown is high to speed up the process to beat him by lowering his defense.
3 Princess Shroob
The younger sister of the Elder, Princess Shroob was responsible for kidnapping Princess Peach and is the second to last major boss fight in the game. Her attacks can inflict poison or dizzy the player as well. The first thing that must be bypassed is her barrier. The Copy Flower or Trampoline is the best item to wear down the barrier with.
After that, Princess Shroob will attack with energy blasts or a star that will need to be jumped over or hammered, especially if she shoots an energy blast downward. Inflicting ailments with the Ice Flower is a little harder, but can happen. If not, Red Shells and Copy Flowers are the best items to use.
2 Commander Shroob
You fight Commander Shroob and his army on the top of Star Hill, and he comes accompanied with a massive Shroob-omb. He himself will not fight you at first, leaving his army armed with the bomb to fight. You’ll need to hit the back of the set of Shroob soldiers to cause them to drop the bomb, having it roll to the right to bring out the leader.
If you get rid of the front, the bomb will roll towards you and deal damage. When Commander Shroob comes out, he’ll use his soldiers to attack Mario and Luigi, occasionally using his blaster as well. At this phase, big time damage like Cannonballers and Trampolines are best to take him down quickly before he calls his troops back with another bomb.
1 Elder Princess Shroob
This is the final and hardest boss of the game, only because Elder Princess Shroob has two phases. In her first phase, she’ll order ships to bring her a meteor and slowly approach a Bro. You’ll have to hammer her a number of times before she approaches, slamming the meteor down and doing massive damage. Elder Princess Shroob will also try and tackle a Bro, needed them to hammer her twice in order to stop her.
In her final phase, Elder Princess Shroob will grow and summon tentacles, becoming a lot harder. She’ll spin her tentacles around, needing the brothers to jump over them and summon clouds of poison and ships that crash down on Mario, if they are on fire, or Luigi, if they are shocked. The Mix Flower is the perfect item to destroy her tentacles, followed by a Cannonballer on her crown to disable her protective barrier. Using Trampolines and Copy Flowers on her after will lead you to an easy win.