Hands-On Preview: Coming just in time for the playoff hunt.
Mario is a freakin' animal. Not only does he plumb, defeat giant evil turtles, brawl for kicks, and throw killer parties, but he golfs like Tiger, plays tennis like Agassi, and coming this August, takes to the baseball diamond in Mario Superstar Baseball. Man, since Mario isn't spending all time on a beach in Hawaii, it is obviuos that he needs a better agent.
Drawing on the same formula that we've seen in the Mario Golf and Mario Tennis titles, Mario Superstar Baseball is taking the icons of Mushroom Kingdom and putting them into the middle of America's favorite pastime. With gameplay that is reminiscent of classic console baseball games, like the original NES Baseball, in its simplicity, Mario Superstar Baseball is trading the depth of baseball simulations in favor of wide spread appeal. While this formula should prove to be successful, the E3 build showed us that there are a few timing issues to be worked out with the batting and pitching tends to get a little bit repetitive. Fortunately, the rest of the game looked so good that there should be plenty of time to set things straight before the title is released.
Packed full of traditional Mario power-ups and over-the-top ball fields, Mario Superstar Baseball is not your daddy's game of baseball. E3 showed us giant barrels rolling through one outfield, a river running through another, and the moat of Princess Peach's castle making up the outfield fence of another. There are a number of familiar locales that show up in MSB, each one rendered with vibrant colors and incredible detail. From the jungles of Donkey Kong Country to the grounds of the Princess's castle, there are a wide variety of fields to play on.
The only thing that Mario Supertar Baseball has more of than fields is players. Just about every major and minor character in Super Mario history makes and appearance. Each one is captured with that certain style that screams Nintendo and looks fantastic.
