Mariooooooooooooo!

The Switch generation has been up and down for Nintendo. Plenty of classic franchises have returned including several of Mario’s sports titles. The latest is Mario Strikers: Battle League and while I have always enjoyed Nintendo’s takes on the sports genre, this generation has a theme to them. They launch with limited content and Battle League continues that trend. Even with that said this game retains what makes these outings so enjoyable. Fast-paced arcade action that anyone can play even if they don’t understand the nuances of the sport. Mario Strikers: Battle Leagues is a ton of fun and I hope they continue to support it down the line with more content.

You will be forgiven if you’ve never played one of these titles before. It has been 15 years since the last game in the Strikers series. For the uninitiated this is a four-vs-four arcade style game with plenty of power-ups based on each character. The action is fast paced with simplistic controls that focus more on power shots and dodging than typical soccer strategy.

MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: Switch
Price I’d Pay: $49.99

There are three core modes in Battle League. The first is Quick Battle which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. This can be played solo or with friends locally up to eight players. This is your basic one-off match that can be jumped into without much setting up. Then we have Cup Battles, which are tournaments based on the individual characters within the game. Think of it like the various cups in Mario Kart and you get the idea. This is the mode solo players will likely spend the most time with as it has a plethora of variations and can be used to unlock new items and gear.

Finally we have the online mode which is called Strikers Club. This is sort of similar to a league in games like Madden or FIFA. Players can create their own club online with friends or strangers and customize their kit and even stadiums. The stadium creator is rather robust considering. I loved the customization on offer here and it really made me feel like the team was truly my own. It is a solid mode that hardcore fans of the game can definitely sink countless hours into.

Each character in the game is broken down by a series of stat points. There are five categories with a series of points per character. You cannot upgrade them by default and each character has their own style. However, you can unlock new gear that can change how they play. For example some characters are more powerful and able to knock down the smaller ones easier. If you like playing a small character you can opt to upgrade with gear that increases your power. It is worth noting of course that with each point gained, the gear also taketh away. In order to boost one stat one also has to be lost. So it becomes a game of what I was willing to sacrifice in order to gain the upper hand.

Every character also comes equipped with a Hyper Strike, which feels fairly similar to supers in Smash Bros. The concept is also similar with a star appearing and whoever snags it can unleash a super shot that awards two points if executed correctly. While it may sound overpowered, in practice it is actually quite difficult to pull off. It continues the trend of the way the game is simple to pick up, but still retains a nice depth to the game play.

Of course nothing matters if the game doesn’t play well. This is Nintendo though and I am happy to report that like almost everything they put out, it controls like butter. Passing, shooting, tackling all feel outstanding. I was able to immediately pick up the controls and it felt great. Everything just works as your brain thinks it should and I was performing trick shots and passes almost instantly.

The game also runs smooth as silk. The animations are stellar and the frame rate never misses a beat. Nintendo are the kings of making games run really well on their console, not to mention how good it looks in action. The stadiums in particular are intricately designed and fun to see. The audio is no slouch with the standard Mario combatants roars as well as the music that makes me want the soundtrack.

Mario Strikers: Battle League is a great game that suffers the same fate as its Switch sports brethren. It plays great, looks outstanding, but simply lacks content. I truly hope we see more characters, stadiums, and modes as the game goes on. There is a lot here to love, but it feels shallow in the content department for sure. Still if you love the arcade mentality of Mario sports this game is a no-brainer and yet another exclusive gem for Nintendo’s aging platform.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.