We push, hit, smash and fend off our opponents. We rushed into the field, leaving behind banana peels, spinners, and fearsome bombs. In short, Mario Strikers: Battle League It’s not like a regular soccer game. This is its main strength.
You don’t have to be a football fan to enjoy it Mario Strikers: Battle LeagueAvailable since yesterday. In fact, it’s probably best not to get too attached to the classic sports before taking over the consoles. Since Nintendo here is ignoring all the usual (or almost!) rules, sweeping morals and conventions are out the window.
Like previous iterations, this new chapter of the saga brings together Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Bowser, and company to play – locally or online – football matches with, let’s say, a bit special. All shots are allowed… and encouraged: we can literally grab the ball from our opponents that we hit, drop or even hit them with a high-velocity projectile on the field.
Not only can players unleash aggression on the field, but the stadium is surrounded by an electric fence that will give anyone approaching a hard time.
In short, it backfires in Mario Strikers: Battle League, more than any adventures of the friendly plumber and his squad. This is frankly fun. The work is ongoing, fun, colorful and exciting.
complex commands
However, the Achilles heel lies in its control mechanisms. It took us a long time to master different types of passes, shots and steps, each of which requires great accuracy and a timing flawless. It is a particularly arduous process and may cause difficulty for the youngest of them.
The same goes for the solo adventure, where the player alone controls his entire team. The “Auto” mode, by default, is responsible for setting which character will respond to commands entered on the gamepad. It becomes very easy to lose track or even realize that we are controlling Mario who is now out of control on the screen.
However, we sign this review for having scratched and sore thumbs from playing singles matches over the past few days.
That says it all, right?
- Mario Strikers: Battle League ★★★ 1⁄2
Available on Nintendo Switch
