The Super Mario Strikers series ( aka Mario Smash Football) is one of the better Mario sports titles, even if the third game in the series fell a little short. When Nintendo announced GameCube games would be coming to Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pass subscribers on Switch 2, and that Super Mario Strikers would be one of the games added, I was extremely excited as I loved the game and wanted more to get a chance to play it and see why so many love the games. But how did it hold up?
Super Mario Strikers is not a simulation soccer / football game, instead going for the arcade sports title approach, which is for the best here. You pick your team captain and members and then enjoy one of the most unique Mario spinoffs ever. What makes Super Mario Strikers stand out is not the choice of sport here, but the way everything is depicted and shown. The Mario characters have a lot more personality to them here, with a bit of edge that is not usually present, and this can be seen in interactions when special moves and goals are done.
The over the top action is something that was not seen before in a Mario spinoff game, and to be frank, has been lacking from recent Mario spinoffs ( and that includes the Switch entry in the Strikers series). This feels fresh and fun even today, and thankfully you can play it online thanks to Nintendo Switch Online. Testing the gameplay with friends, Super Mario Strikers played fine online, though there were a few moments of lag here and there. These did not get in the way of enjoying the game and the overall experience was a complete blast.
I am not a fan of soccer / football video games myself, but there is something about Super Mario Strikers that just makes it so easy to get into. It has that Nintendo touch to it of being able to appeal to everyone, while some rough edges were added by Next Level Games, and before long I was playing several matches. This is the Mario sports games at their peak and I hope to see this spirit captured again.
Gamecube Classics on Nintendo Switch 2 were hyped up as looking better than ever, and Super Mario Strikers lives up to that promise. The upscaled visuals look amazing, and thankfully there is a widescreen option in the game that lets you enjoy how great this game looks to its fullest. It may not be an HD remaster, but Super Mario Strikers on Nintendo Switch 2 feels like a fresh coat of paint for this classic arcade-style sports game.
If you have been bored by recent Mario sports spinoffs, then coming back to this classic may be best for you to see why people love Mario sports games. A Mario spin-off with real personality and over the top gameplay will easily win you over, even if you are not a fan of soccer / football games, just because of how good it is. Now hopefully we can get a fourth strikers game that feels more like this first one did.
