Mario Strikers: Battle League Reviews
Mario and friends return to the field with a lot to love, but in a package that comes with its own limitations due to a lack of content.
We finally have a sequel to Mario Strikers Charged, but the Switch outing lacks content and interesting items to keep this soccer game engaging.
Playing Mario Strikers: Battle League Football is a lot of fun, especially with a group of friends, but the lack of worthwhile progression or unlockable content severely hurts its longevity/replayability. Unfortunately, the initial euphoria fades too quickly. Those who have been craving a new Mario Strikers game will likely accumulate a lot of playtime. All other buyers might as well look for a new game again quickly.
Review in German | Read full review
Mario Strikers: Battle League provides some fun, fast paced action within arenas that can be a tad too claustrophobic at times and in general is a bit lacking in content.
While the core gameplay is solid and the game looks awesome, everything else surrounding it seems to need more work. Whether Nintendo and Next Level Games will do so remains a burning question, and it would be a waste to see the potential of Strikers Club be, well, wasted. For now, even with the excellence shown on the field and that lovable Nintendo charm, it is hard to see Mario Strikers: Battle League as anything more than a game that just doesn’t have legs. In this case, the game was lost even before a ball was kicked, and that is a massive disappointment to eager fans around the world.
Mario Strikers: Battle League offers great gameplay paired with creative customization, but it does lack in the single-player department.
Mario Strikers: Battle League Football is the latest Mario sports title on the Nintendo Switch. Though I have never played any of the Mario Strikers games before, since many people think highly of the series, I was eager to get my hands on it. I was especially excited to see how the title would run on the Switch, as I enjoyed the fast-paced action and gritty art style used in the trailers. Was my first experience with the series a good one? Find out in this Rapid Review.
Mario Strikers: Battle League is a welcome return for the sub-series, with engaging gameplay that papers over the thin variety of modes.
Overall, the game is very good and deserves good praise. Ignoring the minor mishaps, this new Mario experience will open new possible sports-themed games in the future and I personally hope that happens. For those who want to try the game first, I highly recommend downloading the demo version and experiencing the tutorial to get deeper knowledge on how to play the game.
"Like every other Mario sports game, realism is thrown out the window in favor of ridiculous gameplay. The final product is mostly fun, but overcomplicated systems feel destined to frustrate casual players."
Although the Battle League is far behind in terms of gameplay compared to the old games of the series, the possibility of online matches closes this flaw.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
A fun and engaging football & brawl mashup that is let down by its anemic content especially in single player.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Mario Strikers: Battle League is a bare-bones experience that facilitates tense competition but leaves behind casual players. The limited selection of game modes, stadiums and characters further limits its potential, leaving the title with good gameplay but almost no interesting ways to engage with it. The hope is that Nintendo has more to add via DLC, but what, when and how is still a mystery. As with previous Nintendo sports titles, you're better off waiting for the additional content to make a more informed purchase decision. In its current state, Battle League is fun and great to play, but it's hardly worth the full price tag.
Some will love the surprising amount of depth that Mario Strikers: Battle League Football offers, but those expecting something they can easily pick up and play perhaps won’t be as enamoured. It’s the lack of modes that’s the real kicker here, though. In addition to some other minor issues, it makes for a game that just doesn’t fulfil on its potential. Still, if you’re after a game that serves up a variation of football that is full of over the top action, there’s little in the way of competition.
Mario Strikers: Battle League is a promising start to filling the football boots of the long awaited sequel. Solid, liquid smooth performance on the pitch and that signature cocktail of personality and gritty football fun from Next Level Games. Where the game falters, at time of review, is the significant lack of offline content, supporting characters and lack of basic online features found in similar multiplayer games. If these issues are patched in, the base game is a solid package that sets the foundations for what could grow to be a more complete package.
The sleek and dazzling Nintendo polish does not disappoint in Mario Strikers: Battle League, and the online felt smooth and responsive even with a subpar connection speed. It could use a bit more variety and some mini-games to add some value, but you won’t find a more intense and in-your-face ball sport than Mario Strikers: Battle League.
Mario Strikers: Battle League Football excels on the field, but it struggles to make a compelling offer for solo players or anyone not willing to invest time in forming and maintaining a Strikers Club. It's just pick-up-and-play enough to work as a party game with mates and it's compelling to watch in action, but the lack of embellishments is sure to hurt its long-term appeal.
It remains to be seen how exactly the online create-a-club stuff pans out in terms of competition, but as a same-room couch jam Mario Strikers: Battle League Football gets better and better the more you play. A surprisingly deep, chaotic bit of Mario Sports action.
Rather than the triumphant return of a fan-favorite franchise, Battle League claims its slow season spot in Nintendo's calendar as just another sports game. If Mario Strikers saw a new release every year, there'd be a problem, but it's been well over a decade since the last entry in the series. Yes, it's more of the same, but when "the same" is so fun-and so hard to put down after just one match-more of the same is more than welcome, even if the game isn't as creative or ambitious as one might hope.
Another example of Nintendo giving the players a game that seems interesting on the outside but is kind of empty inside. Mario Strikers has some updates planned, but I really hope that the big N understands one day that a full price should mean a complete game. Still, I won’t lie – Mario Strikers provides lots of fun, because its core gameplay is good.
Review in Polish | Read full review