TheMariosports series has had a fairly long history in the gaming industry, with the first title,NES Open Tournament Golf, releasing all the way back in 1987. Since then, Mario and his friends have found themselves in a plethora of sports-related titles over the years, covering popular games like tennis, baseball, andeven the Olympics. While mostMariosports titles can trace their roots back to the 1990s, theMario Strikersseries is a little different, as it is one of the most recentMariofranchises.
There have been just twoMario Strikersgames so far, with a third,Mario Strikers: Battle League, right around the corner. The first game in the series,SuperMario Strikers, released in 2005 for the GameCube and wasa solid soccer game with the unique twistof allowing players to brutally tackle one another and use a range of iconicMarioitems to sabotage the opposing team. The follow-up,Mario Strikers Charged, added some new mechanics and gave the game its definitive, chaotic style. WhileMario Strikers: Battle Leagueis definitely using the groundwork laid by its predecessors, it does differ from them in a few key ways.
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How Mario Strikers: Battle League Handles Its Roster Differently
One of the biggest difference betweenMario Strikers: Battle LeagueandMario Strikers Chargedrevolves around the game’s roster, and how those characters actually play. Right off the bat,Battle Leaguehas a smaller roster thanCharged, opting to provide10 playable characters on launch. However, while the roster is technically smaller, each of the characters on the roster are much more fleshed out.
InMario Strikers Charged, a good portion of the roster were labeled as “Sidekicks,” while only a handful oficonicMariofavoriteswere labeled “Team Captains.” When entering a match, the player would choose a Team Captain to play as, and fill the rest of their team with Sidekicks. Captains were the only ones on the roster capable of pulling off special abilities.
InMario Strikers: Battle League, every character is essentially a Team Captain, each with their own special move called a “Hyper Strike.” In a given match, an orange orb will appear at random intervals, if a player manages to pass this ball consecutively, or hold onto it for long enough, they’llcharge their Hyper Strike meter. Once fully charged, the Hyper Strike move can be unleashed, sending the ball hurling towards the opponent’s goal. If the golden ball manages to hit the back of the net, then it counts as two goals.
Each ofMario Strikers: Battle League’s 10 playable charactershas their own unique Hyper Strike, ranging from Mario’s fiery overhead kick to Yoshi’s, which briefly turns the ball into an egg that bounces around the pitch erratically. These moves go to show thatMario Strikers: Battle Leagueis really doubling down on the arcade-y nature that made the series so beloved in the first place, and having 10 different Hyper Strikes should keep the animations from getting too repetitive.
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A New Gear System
Perhaps the biggest change inMario Strikers: Battle Leaguewhen compared to its predecessors is its brand-new gear system. As players continue to compete in matches, they’ll earn a handful of coins each match. These coins can then be used in the store to buy new pieces of gear, all of which can then be equipped by the respective characters. While these clothing items will affect how the character looks on the pitch, it’ll also impact their traits.
Each character inMario Strikers: Battle Leaguehas a unique set of stats. These stats encompass thetypical skills one would expect in a soccer game, such as speed, passing, shooting, and technique. Each ofBattle League’s characters will fit a particular playstyle based on their stats. For example, Mario has pretty balanced stats across the board, making him a good starter character, whereas Bowser is all strength and shooting, but trades off speed in the process, making him a solid choice for offensive playstyles.
Based ontheMario Strikers: Battle Leaguetrailers released so far, it seems as though the new gear system will greatly affect these stats. In some recent gameplay, a few of Mario’s clothing options were shown off, and with each new outfit he was equipped with, his stats changed quite significantly. When dressed in an all-encompassing metallic suit, Mario’s strength doubles, and when he equips clunky, shiny studded boots, his shooting stat increases dramatically.
While distinct costume presets will be available, designed to massively increase one or two specific stats, players will also be able to mix and match each individual piece of gear. Players will be able to unlock and equip a range of chest pieces, helmets, boots, shorts, and gauntlets. WhenMario Strikers: Battle Leaguefinally releases on June 10, players are likely going to be spending quite some time unlocking new gear and determining which ones best compliment their own unique playstyle.
An Emphasis on Online Play
One of the most anticipated features ofMario Strikers Chargedback in the daywas its inclusion of online multiplayer. Nintendo isn’t best known for its online support, butMario Strikers Chargeddid an okay job of it, while also catering for the splitscreen and single-player crowd by including a bunch of game modes.
On top of online matchmaking,Mario Strikers Chargedhad three main game modes: Road to the Strikers Cup, Domination, and Striker Challenges. The first of these modes is thetypicalMariosports tournament mode, setting 1-4 players against a variety of increasingly difficult AI teams. The second mode saw two teams clash, using any available characters. And the last mode gave each playable character a specific challenge they needed to beat during a match.
Mario Strikers: Battle Leaguewill only have two modes on launch day: Quick Battle and Cup Battle. The first of these pits 1-8 players against each other in teams of four, allowing for up to eight players at once from just one Switch console. The other mode sets 1-4 players against an AI team. Both of these modes can be played either locally or online.
Mario Strikers: Battle Leagueis also introducinga new online club feature, in which players can set up a 20-player club and compete against fellow clubs in a league-style scenario. Players are encouraged to name their club and give its members a specific uniform, as well as customize the club’s home stadium. The lack of modes on launch may be seen as a significant downside for some players, but for those who are looking to spend their time in online matches, there’ll be plenty to dive into on June 10.
Mario Strikers: Battle Leaguewill launch on June 07, 2025, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.
