bit-tech Shopping: Nintendo Mario Superstar Baseball (GC)

Rating: 8

Time with product:

Strengths: Nice characters, Music & graphics, Fun multiplayer

Weaknesses: Lack of locations, Short story mode

Summary: This is one of the best Mario sports games out for gamecube. The different Nintendo characters have their own characterstics & it is up to you to play to their strength. The AI can play a little dumb sometimes but it does not take away the fun. There are not many stadiums available & after a while everything may seem repetitive, but the game is pretty addictive. Music is great & the graphics look so cute & charming. Gameplay may have some flaws & it may take you a while to get adapted. But once you are in it, you will enjoy it if you like sports games. Add a nice multiplayer that you can enjoy with your friends & you got a great game out here.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 2 Years

Strengths: Fun and easy to pick up

Weaknesses: Little skill required

Summary: Mario Superstar Baseball is a fantastic game to play with of a bunch of friends. Even those who have never picked up a game controller can figure out what they need to do very quickly, making for a very level playing field for all involved. Pitching and hitting and fielding the ball are all that's needed to control in this game, base-running and everything else is handled automatically. Highly recommended!

Rating: 8

Time with product:

Strengths: Light-hearted arcade baseball fun

Weaknesses: Not a lot of depth - may become repetetive

Summary: Mario Superstar Baseball is another solid Mario-themed arcade sports title. As expected, you can play as one of many premiere Nintendo characters. You unlock better sidekicks as you play through the RPG-like single-player game. There are also a variety of multiplayer minigames. While we can fully expect to see a Wii Sports-like sequel for this game on the new Nintendo Wii this Gamecube title remains a classic that is worth seeking out for any Gamecube or Wii owner.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 1 Weeks

Strengths: Challenge Mode, Lots of Characters, Good Amount of Modes

Weaknesses: Fielding Gameplay

Summary: Mario Superstar Baseball is an arcade styled baseball game that is fun and easy to get into without the whole simulation, stat filled aspect that most realistic baseball games focus on. When you first start playing Mario Superstar Baseball the main mode that you will end up playing single player is the Challenge mode as you will have to complete challenges in order to open up more stadiums to play at and have more players on your team as when you first start out you will have a bunch of Piantas (Ala Mario Sunshine) on your team which ain't as good as the other recognizable character you can get on your team after earning them in the challenge mode. You can also play an exhibition mode which works well for 2 player games and even play a bonus mini games mode which will let you play mini games with up to 4 players which is very much like the mini games in the Mario Party games. The biggest problem with the game is that the fielding can be tougher then it should be at times for example when you get a pop up in the outfield it's rather hard to figure out where the ball is going to land making them harder to field then they should be. I would highly recommend Mario Superstar Baseball to anyone that likes Mario games and (or) is looking for an arcade styled baseball game that is easy to pick up figure out and play.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 2

Strengths: Neat story mode, fun batting and pitching.

Weaknesses: Fielding!

Summary: Mario Superstar Baseball is a surprisingly good entry into the Mario sports series. The fundamental batter vs pitcher gameplay is engaging, and the story mode (in which you recruit players for a team to take on Bowser) is fun and rewarding. The only weak point is fielding; the players all seem to move too slowly, sometimes resulting in frustration. Otherwise, a highly recommended game.