Nintendo’s main man moonlights as a go-kart racer, pro golfer, baseball star, a  bare glove-knuckled brawler and even an unlicensed pharmacist, but the world’s most famous Italian plumber is somewhat lacking in small home repair skills. An upcoming platformer dynamic duo may have Mario beat in that regard. The Other Brothers takes its inspiration from the gaming classic, but puts the gameplay against a decidedly grungy backdrop inspired by classic adventure games.

The brothers Joe and Jim aren’t actually plumbers – they’re car mechanics with surprisingly familiar mustaches. The story sounds familiar too: Joe’s main squeeze Tavy gets kidnapped by a couple of mobsters notably lacking in green scales and spikes. The duo are tasked with rescuing the damsel in distress, though they’ll do it by traversing a dangerous city landscape instead of various worlds inspired by whatever substance Shigerou Miyamoto’s on this week. (We kid, Miyamoto-san – please don’t haunt our dreams.)

The project is in an alpha stage at the moment, though the three-man development team at Simian Squared hopes to have it ready for Android, iOS, Mac and Android by the fall. The game will be episodic, so you’ll have multiple adventures to look forward to. Oh, and most importantly: in among the junkyard dogs and giant rats, The Other Brothers actually spend some time hopping among pipes in the sewer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles style – making them instantly more qualified to work on your kitchen sink than you-know-who. Check the story video below for a little more indie goodness.

[via Droid Gamers]