Over the past 20 years, Mario has evolved from an awkward plumber into a cultural icon. The tales of his epic adventures have spread far and wide. However, in recent years, Mario has taken a break from fixing water pipes and saving princesses. Sure, he's done some of the latter, but lately he's been seen racing go-karts, shooting hoops, putting and playing tennis. And with Mario's latest game, "Mario Superstar Baseball," it doesn't seem as though he'll be saving the day again anytime soon.
"Superstar Baseball" is not Mario's first foray into America's pastime. Four years ago, "Mario Party 3" on the Nintendo 64 featured a baseball mini-game. It was lousy but led to speculation that a Mario baseball was on the horizon. But this didn't seem feasible, because almost all major baseball games featured season play, and there weren't enough characters in the Mario universe. Nevertheless, baseball is one of the most popular sports in Japan, and by late 2004, Nintendo decided it was time for a Mario baseball game. They teamed up with Namco, and despite all the limitations, the duo turned out a decent baseball game.
The premise is simple: Baseball was introduced to Mario's universe, and the major characters quickly formed teams to play each other. Needless to say, there aren't very many modes in "Superstar Baseball." You can set up a quick exhibition game, play a couple of baseball-related mini-games, practice either or do a combination of the two in the epic Challenge Mode.
The baseball in "Superstar Baseball" is quite simple, perhaps to attract those who are not big baseball fans. My personal fear was that, by adding arcade moments, Nintendo would alienate enthusiasts like me. But the game engine in "Superstar Baseball" is surprisingly solid.
Pitching and hitting are pretty basic. You press A to throw the ball/swing, and you can move the control stick to move the ball/hitter. There's also a charged pitch/swing that is stronger than a normal pitch/swing. Nintendo even included an extremely powerful Star Ball/Swing that is virtually unstoppable. Of course, you can turn off the Star Skills in exhibition games because they're extremely cheap.
Running is also straightforward, though it can be somewhat flawed. It's simple with one man on-base. You simply press a button to steal and another button to return to the base if it is obvious the steal would be unsuccessful. However, if there are multiple runners on-base and you want only one to steal, then you have to indicate which base you want stolen. It's easier done than said, but it can be confusing.
Fielding is one game aspect that is seriously flawed. It is one of the crucial aspects of the game, but it's hard to field well when your fielders are as slow as molasses. The game tries to help you on fly balls by indicating where the ball will land, but it is easy to overrun the ball and miss a catch. There is a "Big Play" mode when you do an amazing diving catch that can help you make a difficult catch, but you have to be very close to the ball, and I mean VERY close.
The stadiums are designed on Mario locales. With the exception of Mario Stadium, they each have pitfalls that can affect the game. For example, in the DK stadium, barrels are randomly fired at your outfielders. It is hilarious to watch your fielders get taken out, unless they still have the ball. It's exactly as the saying goes: It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt.
The game may not have enough characters for season play, but "Mario Superstar Baseball" has the largest cast of playable characters yet in a Mario game, almost 50 in all. Standard characters like Mario, Luigi, Peach and Yoshi compete with minor characters such as Daisy, Petey Piranha and Dixie Kong. Then there are some stock characters, including Goomba, Drybones and Pianta. Memo to Nintendo: Next time you do Mario Kart, it would be good to have a diverse cast of this caliber.
Videogame baseball can only be played with two players, so the mini-games are the only way four people can get in on the action. All of the mini-games involve some of the skills involved in "Superstar Baseball." There's a game based on charged pitches and another based on charged swings. The mini-games can get pretty hectic -- and not necessarily in a good way. If you want your mini-game fix, stick with Mario Party. There are enough to choose from.
Challenge mode is a way to provide the game with a storyline. Basically, you are one of the many characters that formed a team, and you go around playing mini-games for coins or playing other teams to recruit teammates so that you can challenge Bowser. Challenge mode is quite decent. The games are quick (three innings), so you have time to go around doing other things. And stars add another dimension to Challenge mode. Each character has a special set of challenges. Once a challenge is completed, that character gets a star, and his skill level increases. The challenges start out simple but get increasingly difficult.
Overall, "Mario Superstar Baseball" is solid arcade baseball. Nintendo had set out to make a game that would attract both baseball and non-baseball fans. They succeeded, considering how a skeptic like me can play for hours at a time. It's a pity so many people pass on the Mario sports game for being kiddy fare, because they are missing out on some of the best sports games on the market. Here's hoping that Nintendo will come out with Super Smash Baseball that will allow for Season Play, or, at the very least, pinch hitters.
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