Mario Super Sluggers

Overall, this is a fun, Mario “party” game that is a good addition to the Mario sports collection.

Mario Super Sluggers is a decent game, but is lacks any significant improvement over the GameCube version it is supposed to replace.

If the Challenge Mode offered some additional options then I know the game could have scored higher. Yet if you’re looking for a game to play with your friends Mario Super Slugger should still be on your list.

If you’re new to the series, love all things Mario, or are just curious about how the great game of baseball is given a new twist in the Mushroom Kingdom, then by all means, give "Mario Super Sluggers" a chance, as it does offer some great fun in both multiplayer and single player games. However, if you’ve already got "Mario Superstar Baseball" for the Gamecube, the Wii version just doesn’t add enough to warrant a purchase outright.

It'd make a great rental though. Take it for a test drive and see if the experience sticks for your preferred control method and number of available players.

In addition to the questionable controls, the main problem with this game is that there really aren’t any significant improvements over its predecessor, and definitely not any to make this game worth fifty bucks.

You're not getting a sports sim here; this is about simple Wiimote-swinging fun. Those looking for a high level of challenge need to look elsewhere.

The game is a no-brainer in terms of entertainment value for the whole family and it's definitely a title to pick up if you're looking for some relaxed game time with the kids (or parents).

Mario Super Sluggers is fun to pick up and play for a short session with friends, but as a game to play by yourself it's shallow. It also doesn't make much use of the system's capabilities with limited motion control and no online play.

It masks a lot of complexity in front of you without much of having a real impact, and the vague passes it makes at being a more complete baseball simulation are laughable at best.

It's not another Mario sports gem, but Mario Super Sluggers still has a rough, unpolished appeal.

If you want to play baseball on the Wii, try The Bigs or MLB Power Pros. Even though Sluggers does have fast paced action, giant baseball super pitches and fireball star hits, as a baseball game, Mario Super Sluggers is too simplistic for the average game player.

With Mario Superstar Baseball on the Gamecube being such a great game three years ago, it is fairly disappointing to see Super Sluggers not really doing much to improve on its formula. Sure, player chemistry and attack items are good additions, but there is really nothing else.

Poor controls, frustrating gameplay and a repetitive single-player mode mean it's three strikes and you're out for Mario and his friends.

For anyone familiar with Mario Superstar Baseball, there are very few surprises awaiting you here. Fans of Superstar might find comfort in this, but for everyone else it just means you're getting a slightly updated, somewhat enjoyable, uber-Nintendo-y baseball game whose biggest addition is the option to swing and throw with the Wiimote.

Mario Super Sluggers really doesn't innovate the baseball experience. It's more of an extension of the GameCube version, with slightly improved visuals (16x9 support) and decent audio.

As long as you remember that Super Mario Sluggers is more casual entertainment than an actual baseball simulation game, you should find it enjoyable, if a bit simple, playing with friends and family.

Mario Super Sluggers is an ambitious title that had a lot going for it, but unfortunately the developers hardly did anything to improve the mediocre experience its predecessor had on the GameCube.

Multiplayer is amusing in that hanging out with your friends is fun anyway, but the single-player content is truly terrible. A series of boring one-off challenges punctuated by simplistic exploration and the occasional full game makes up Mario’s quest to foil Bowser Jr. via baseball. Yes, it’s as insipid as it sounds.