Nintendo hits it out of the park once again with its latest Mario sports release.
From Super Mario Strikers to Mario Tennis, Mario’s athletic abilities are practically unparalleled. And with Nintendo’s latest DS game, Mario Sports Superstars, Mario and the gang showcase their skills in five different sports for some homerun-hitting, hole-in-one action.
The game includes five sports for players to choose from: baseball, soccer, golf, tennis, and—new to the Mario scene—horse racing. Each sport invokes a different set of skills from the player.
Whether you want a slow day on the golf course or a fast-paced soccer match, Mario Sports Superstars will fit the needs of both the sports fanatics and the less athletically inclined alike.
Players can choose to play with 18 different Mario characters, however only 16 are available during the beginning stages of play and the remaining two mystery characters have to be unlocked during gameplay.
Since sports are nothing without a little friendly competition, one to six players can participate in each game at a time through local and online multiplayer modes. Of course, single-player mode is also available for players who would rather hone their skills on their own. There is also a single-player tournament mode with each sport to keep the competitive spirit alive.
While the controls obviously differ across each of the different game options, each sport comes with a training mode that makes learning the various controls easy. Even those who aren’t necessarily familiar with the Nintendo DS model will learn how to maneuver through the controls after one or two training mode practices.
The horse racing game includes features beyond the race track with the Stable option. Players can customize and socialize with their favorite horse to build a bond that’s noticeable on the track. The closer kids become with their horse, the better it performs during the race.
With both soccer and baseball, the game doesn’t start until after players create their team. Once captains and team members are chosen, players then get to choose from a variety of stadiums set either during the day or at night, creating a different atmosphere for each match. Once everything is set, your team takes to the field to face a computer-generated or online opponent.
Once you select your character in golf, you can select either a forest, farm, or beach course to play on. Players can customize the game further and select how many holes to play, the position of the tee, and the wind strength.
Tennis matches include similar customization options for both the number of sets played and the different courts to choose from before gameplay starts. Players choose either singles or doubles matches and can select which character is on their side and which ones they get to face on the court.
With the release of the game comes the Mario Sports Superstars amiibo cards. Each of the 18 characters has a card for each sport, which brings the total to 90 cards for kids to collect. Players can collect the cards and scan them into the game to make their characters a near unstoppable force on any of the fields. If kids collect an amiibo card that features a character not included in their current list of options, they scan it in to unlock a new character, but only in the sport displayed on the card.
Because there are so many different options for styles of play within the five sports categories, Mario Sports Superstars will keep players glued to the game for hours on end as they weave through the different challenges and tournaments with the characters who have grown with them for decades.
