The Nintendo Direct on February 9, 2022 undoubtedly unveiled many surprises for Nintendo fans... And one of them was Mario Strikers: Battle League Football, the latest instalment in the Mario Strikers franchise, eagerly awaited by many fans, who had already had a chance to polish off the last game in the saga, Mario Strikers Charged Football, released on Wii in 2007.
This new opus has been given the luxury of a trailer, showing off some of the game's features, but above all a release date of June 10, 2022. As far as the software is concerned, the trailer shows us several interesting things about the possible matches: tackles, objects to use (like in Mario Kart), spectacular special shots... A whole host of features to help you dominate the match and win.
We also take a closer look at the equipment that changes not only your character's appearance, but also their speed, strength and passing precision. Another focus is on "Hyper Strikes", to be activated by picking up orbs appearing on the pitch, and charged when the opponent is distracted. Each "Hyper strike" that results in a goal is worth two points, spicing up the game a little.
It's also possible to play in local co-op, as well as online in Club mode. Each "Club" can bring together up to 20 players, making for the craziest games possible.
Our review:
Mario Strikers: Battle League Football is the worthy heir to Mario Strikers Charged Football, just as wacky and addictive, offering soccer matches revisited with a Nintendo twist, with passing, dribbling, shots on target, but also and above all, what makes the game and the previous opus so special: charged shots, veritable cannonballs devastating everything in their path (and allowing you to score, by the way).
But it's not for everyone... Regular players will find the same mechanics as in previous games, with a few new features, but novices will quickly be disappointed by the relatively high difficulty level (we played on normal level), as matches are so difficult to win if you haven't mastered the various moves and controls to perfection.
And there are a lot of moves to master... Far too many, in fact. We therefore advise you to start with the easy level to get the hang of it, then move on to the normal level to challenge yourself, otherwise you risk giving up on the game without appreciating all its subtleties. Aside from this, character crafting via equipment purchases is interesting, but you still need to win matches to be able to buy them.
We also appreciate the game's rather well-realized graphics, a cross between the classic 3D Mario game and the comic book, with rougher comic bubbles for charged strikes. We also appreciate the in-game bonuses, which, like Mario Kart, make the game even more fun. And as for the pitches, they're smaller than in other games in the franchise, making for more dynamic games!
Note, however, that you should be able to complete the single-player version in just a few hours, the main attraction being the multiplayer aspect, whether you're playing locally or competing online. In short, Mario Strikers: Battle League Football is THE game for all fans of the franchise and all soccer fans. And for the rest of us, it's a wonderful discovery, despite its difficulty. Shall we get it, folks?
Trailer 1 :
Trailer 2:
Dates and Opening Time
Starts June 10, 2022
Prices
€59.99
Official website
www.nintendo.fr
