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mojave
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Rating:  8
Time with product:
Strengths: Enjoyable arcade baseball action featuring Mario characters
Weaknesses: Fairly short, not a lot of unlockables compared to other Mario-themed games
Summary: Mario Super Sluggers is not so much a brand new game as an update to the Gamecube Mario Superstar Baseball game. If you have the original Gamecube version there isn't too much more to see in this one. However, for those looking for a fun pick up and play baseball game there is probably none better than Mario Super Sluggers. You can jump right in and play against the computer or another person in a regular game, or play with up to 4 people in various minigames. The regular game control is quite a bit more complex than the baseball entry in Wii Sports. While you do swing the remote to pitch and bat, it is more of a flicking motion and not the full out swinging that Wii Sports encourages. Also, there is a lot more depth as you control fielding and baserunning as well. The nunchuk attachment is used to control fielders and which base to throw the ball to. In addition, there are special moves that characters that have chemistry with each other can pull off, such as super jumps to catch what would otherwise be a home run, or super-fast throws to the plate. However, the complexity of the controls can be as little or as much as you make it out to be as you can also play without a nunchuk and can simply ignore all the special moves. With various difficulty levels when playing the computer you can tailor a casual game for a 5 year-old or a pretty tough match that will challenge anyone. In addition to the special chemistry moves, most of the main characters also have special moves they can do while pitching or batting. For example, Mario throws a fireball that is much harder to hit, Bowser fires a bullet bill, etc. You can only use these special moves when a meter fills up and can bank up to 5 uses. Thus, there is some strategy on when to pull out these special moves (which are not always effective as you can still hit or field these attacks). So, on the whole, the game has a lot more strategy and depth than at first it would appear. To unlock characters and extra fields to play on, as well as several of the minigames, you must play the single-player Challenge Mode. This is a fairly short, almost RPG-like, experience where you explore different areas with one of several captain characters (Mario, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Peach, and Wario). You will find hidden characters that will challenge you to quick tests of skill such as hitting 3 out of 10 pitches to right field or throwing out 3 out of 10 batters at home plate. Some of these are very easy and some are somewhat more challenging. If you win the challenge that character will join you and you can use them to play against the captain characters to, in turn, get them to join. Of course, the end goal is to play against Bowser Jr, and then Bowser himself. Beat him twice and you have pretty much finished the single-player challenge mode. It is a bit on the short side which may be a disappointment to some, but on the other hand, it doesn't provide a huge impediment to unlocking all the characters and venues like Mario Strikers Charged, in which it is insanely difficult to unlock everything for use in more casual play. I appreciated being able to unlock everything for my kids to use without a grueling single-player mode. The second game against Bowser can be a bit challenging but, fortunately, you can buy items from shops in the various areas to help your characters out (such as 50% more power, better fielding and running, etc). Once I did this I found it much easier to beat him and I appreciated the option (and yet more depth) that the items provide. As for the multiplayer options, the minigames are a fun diversion for a while but besides the regular game mode (which can be played with 2 people), the star attraction here is the 4-player Toy Field mode. This game takes the funnest aspect of baseball, the hitting, and mixes in a little brawling action to make for a wholly enjoyable experience. While one player hits, trying to aim for score markers on the field, the other 3 try to field the ball. Once one player fields it there are a few seconds for the others to come in and steal the ball. In the mean time, the batter can use the Wii remote to point at the screen and fire items like turtle shells to disrupt the fielders. Whoever ends up with the ball gets to bat next (or the original batter takes another turn if no one ends up with it), and so on. The person with the most points at the end of 10, 20, or 30 rounds wins. Points are gained and lost in a variety of ways and the game is hectic and fast-paced and a blast to play with 4 players. All in all, this is an excellent, though somewhat overlooked, game for the Wii. It provides a short, fairly easy, yet enjoyable, single-player mode that allows you to unlock everything for the other modes. These other modes - the regular game, minigames, and especially Toy Field are what will keep you coming back once that is done.
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8.66
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