Mario Super Sluggers Wii Preview
Nintendo Baseball Game Supports Multiplayer but Lacks Online Play
Much like other "Mario Sports" games in the past, Mario Super Sluggers is a game built for the casual gamer. Thus, gamers shouldn't expect any in-depth manager modes or even a game that follows the normal rules of baseball. Instead, Mario Super Sluggers is baseball Mario style -- complete with special items like bombs or banana pills that can be thrown at the defense to make things a little more interesting.
Wii Baseball Motion Capabilities
The game will also be taking advantage of the Wii's motion sensor capabilities. Much like the baseball game included in Wii Sports, players can actually swing their Wii remote like a baseball bat or "throw" the remote as if they were pitching, and the gamer's character on the screen will likewise swing their bat or throw the pitch.
Cast of Characters
At the start of the game, players can choose their team captain from a list of popular Nintendo characters such as Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Wario, and Waluigi. However, they will also choose 8 other players to fill out their team's roster. According to a June issue of the popular Japanese Famitsu Magazine, those characters include (but are not limited to):
- Baby Luigi
- Baby Mario
- Boo
- Dry Bones
- Goomba
- King Boo
- Koopa Troopa
- Lakitu
- Magikoopa
- Mare
- Monte
- Monty Mole
- Paragoomba
- Paratroopa
- Piranha
- Shy Guy
- Toad
- Toadette
- Toadsworth
- Any of your own Mii's!
Unique Stadiums
Additionally, according to Japanese magazine scans obtained by Jeux France, the following stadiums are also expected to be included in Mario Super Sluggers (though their names have not been confirmed for the English version yet):
- Bowser Jr. Block Fort
- Daisy Cruiser
- DK Jungle
- Luigi's Mansion
- Mario Stadium
- Peach Rink
- Toy Field
- Wario City
- Yoshi Park
Similar to Mario Strikers Charged, each of the different stadiums will have its own unique atmosphere -- for instance, some stadiums may be windier than others, while others may be affected by lightning strikers.
Absences of Online Mode
Not too much else is known about Mario Super Sluggers, though since the game launched on June 19th in Japan, more details should be available soon. Most noticeably absent from the game's list of features is an online mode, which was included in Mario Strikers Charged (as reviewed on Suite101).
The absence of an online mode is disappointing, but the game will support a multiplayer mode for up to four players. And unless Nintendo does something horribly wrong, gamers should expect Mario Super Sluggers to be another solid sports title on the Wii when it releases on August 25th, 2008, in North America.
Wii gamers may also be interested in the recently released Deca Sports, while PS3 and Xbox 360 owners should take a look at the upcoming Beijing 2008.
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