Control the diamond

Perhaps the biggest difference between Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers are the controls. In Mario Super Sluggers, players can choose to play with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, the Wii Remote by itself, and the Wii Remote held sideways. Like the original, the game uses the 'charge and release' system when you are pitching and batting. In other words, the better you time your swing or pitch, the better it will be executed. Like the actual game of baseball, players can pitch lob balls by pressing A. To add a little bit of creativity to the game, it also allows you to pitch and bat uniquely depending on your character. For example, if you are Yoshi, you can pitch a ball that bounces about like an egg, making it harder for the batter to hit it.

Fun and games

Like the original, Mario Super Sluggers isn’t all about playing on the diamond. In Mario Super Sluggers players can head to Toy Field, a stadium where you can play a unique minigame. By hitting the baseball to a spot on the inside of the field, players will be awarded points. Before you start, you set the number of turns, or in other words, how many times in total everyone will bat. After the allocated number of turns is up, the game is over. Additional points may be awarded depending on stats. If you were the one to catch the ball the most, you will be awarded a set number of bonus points. Once the awards are handed out, the points are totaled up and the winner is announced. The Toy Field concept was very enjoyable in the original, so I have high expectations for it in Mario Super Sluggers.

As far as graphics go, the game is shaping up to be one of the prettiest games on the Nintendo Wii. Just by glancing at some of the screenshots that have been released, you can quite evidently see an improvement in how the game looks. Everything looks more lively and it seems to capture the idea of a perfect Mario sports game.

Out of the park?

Though it is unknown whether Mario and friends will be able to deliver a solid and lengthy baseball title, one thing is for sure; Mario Super Sluggers is going to provide an experience that both young and old can enjoy. If the game is anything like the original, this will be a must-have game and prove to be worth a purchase. You won’t have to wait much longer to get it; the game hits the shelves in the US on August 25th.