Mario Strikers: Battle League Preview – Just For Kicks

Mario Strikers’ series first appeared on Nintendo GameCube in 2005. Over the past 17 years, it has gained an ardent fan base. The series has seen only one more title in stores since its original launch. Mario Strikers Charged was released on Wii two years ago. However, that was all we knew about the Mario Strikers series until Nintendo’s announcement of Mario Strikers Battle League for Switch earlier in the year. While it has certainly been a long wait for fans of the GameCube and Wii entries, the more than 30 minutes of live gameplay I saw indicates that Mario Strikers: Battle League is worth the wait.

Mario Strikers Battle League is a continuation of many franchise conventions. Once again, players take part in strike-as-a-sport on a wonderful field. These strike matches consist of five-on-five action – four players on the field for each team (who can be controlled by human players), with one goalie (who cannot be controlled by players) – with basically no rules to govern the Nintendo athletes; players can tackle each other with no regard for safety, use items to temporarily incapacitate opponents, push each other into the electric fence that surrounds the field, and even pick up the ball with their hands. The game featured in Mario Strikers: Battle League may look like soccer on the surface, but if anything, this is a no-holds-barred version of the most popular sport on the planet. But the goal of each game is the same: get the ball past your opponent as fast as you can, before time runs out.

The Strike Orb, which is the most powerful and exciting pickup, can be found all over the place. You can perform Hyper Strike shots if you grab the Strike Orb. To perform these shots, you must charge up and then time the meter correctly. If you miss the meter part of the shot, your goalie can block the shot. Each character has a unique Hyper Strike. Yoshi, for example, unleashes an enormous egg which bounces about the field squashing everyone it hits before hitting the goal. Bowser grabs the ball and exhales fire on it. The ball is then thrown at the net by Bowser. The Hyper Strike counts as two points. This gives these cinematic shots additional significance. 

There are three types of play that players can choose from: Quick Battle (or Cup Battles), Strikers Club (or Strikers Club). Quick Battle refers to a single match between two players. Cup Battles function as the tournament mode in Mario Kart. These matches are similar to Mario Kart’s cup series. As you play, you unlock new cups and can earn coins as well as additional rewards. These coins can be used to purchase gear that allows you to customize Mario Strikers: Battle: League characters (more details later).

Strikers Club is the big upgrade to this entry. You can create and join clubs with as many as 20 members online. There are four other players who can join an established club and play against each other Strikers Club. You will earn coins and clubpoints depending on how well you perform in each match. Additional rewards can be earned through achievements in the season, such as winning matches or using Hyper Strike shots at a given number. The club points you earn determine where your rank in your league. For example, teams who have earned the most Club Points at the end of the season get promoted while teams with lower points in each season are demoted. There are seven leagues that ascend and descend so it seems like the game is going to offer equal competition.

Strikers Club is also heavily reliant on customization. Club owners can personalize logos and names as well as the stadium where your games will be played. The club customization screen allows you to unlock and upgrade different parts from each arena, making your field unique. Each club’s owner chooses the base stadium to construct. You can drill into other parts, such as fence posts, goals and goal-line decorations or even the actual field. The club’s owners have the final say on the matter, but the 19 other members of their teams can also vote to determine how the customization will be performed.

While the gear customization system I mentioned isn’t as robust as I expected, you can use the coins earned to basically respec your characters. Rosalina for instance is an excellent shooter and the man running the demo gave her shot-buffing equipment to help make her unstoppable. Bowser, on the other hand was outfitted with gear to increase his tackle resistance, which makes it difficult for would-be tacklers to succeed. You can get all this gear by earning coins in Mario Strikers Battle League. Characters have four slots to customize – head, arms, body, legs – with five upgraded gear sets to unlock and choose from. All modes allow you to equip the gear that you want to any character. This allows you to alter the appearance and natural stats.

While it may seem like a long time since Mario Strikers’ last game, Strikers Club may prove to be as engaging as the demo suggests and as fun as the gameplay. Next Level Games and Nintendo might have another Switch success. Mario Strikers Battle League is coming to Switch in June 10.