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The latest entry in the Mario Striker series is upon us and reviews are starting to trickle in. But what is the general consensus about Mario Strikers: Battle League? Well, we’ve rounded up some judgments to give you a better idea of lovely people.
Before we dive in though, be sure to check out our own review! We gave the game an enthusiastic review, noting that it’s “a masterclass in competitive game design” and “the best sports game on Switch right now.”
First in our roundup is IGN, who gave the game an 8/10, highlighting its gameplay and replayability:
“If you’ve played games in the series before, you won’t be in for many surprises, and the small selection of characters and game modes is definitely disappointing, but what’s there is incredibly fun and replayable. I’m impressed with the time I’ve had so far, including with the online mode, as it sets the stage for a ranked playlist that I’m looking forward to finding my way to the top.”
Next, Destructoid’s review aligned very well with IGN, stating that the gameplay was enough to keep players engaged, giving the game an 8/10:
“For anyone living in a dorm or capable of upsetting many friends and/or family members, Mario Strikers: Battle League is child’s play. Eight player local play is a great thing, especially considering that almost everything is online these days. That shocked me fight league There was so much going on beneath the surface and the gameplay itself is enough to keep me going for quite a while.”
Game Informer believes the game offers strong gameplay at its 7.5/10 rating, but lacks content for those who don’t want to play online:
Mario Strikers: Battle League may not be the ultimate take on the world’s most popular sport, but its strategic matches, fun online modes, and high-energy animations make for a fun experience. While the single-player crowd might find the game a little lacking, Nintendo’s return to the field is bound to invoke the same triumphant highs and amicable lows that the company’s suite of other party titles are known for.
Gamespot gave the game 7/10, agreeing that Battle League is a bit thin in content, but states that the gameplay is far more strategically deep than previous titles:
Mario Strikers: Battle League is a thin package, without much variety in terms of game modes and options. But it’s a more technically complex game than many of the Mario sports titles, which can get dedicated players off the ground. Sports are all about showing off your skills in head-to-head matches and that has to be enough because there isn’t much else.
VGC’s 3/5 verdict was pretty strong, highlighting the gameplay but criticizing the shallow single-player content and the lack of a roster:
“The gameplay itself feels great and there’s very little to complain about when it comes to actual football, aside from the plethora of rebound goals, but it does feel a bit stale playing with the same characters over and over again.” Mario Canon is full of characters that could work as part of the game and we’re sure they’ll be added at some point, but for now it’s a lot of Waluigi, which is either a horrible thing or an amazing thing depending on your view of the violet dissenter.”
Finally, GamesRadar+ was a bit more critical of the experience, calling the game underdeveloped and recommending players to wait for a discount, giving the game a 2.5/5:
“I just really wish that enjoyment of life had carried over into the gameplay of Mario Strikers, which at its core is an average football arcade game with a few Nintendo-branded bells and whistles. I think I had fun at times, but I suspect deep down that I would have felt a lot less charitable about the whole thing had I paid full selling price for it. Maybe grab it if it’s discounted and you’re looking for a household party game – otherwise all but the most avid football fanatics can probably skip this game.”
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