Mario Strikers: Battle League Critic Reviews

It’s nowhere near as complex as Fifa, none of it is, but this game knows its strength is in the moment-to-moment arcade action and really wants you involved in that as much as possible with little distraction. For footie fans, this is a bit of a no-brainer. It’s very much a crazy Nintendo version of that sport.

It took 15 years to get Battle League but we might not see the next one for another 15 since we’ll still be playing this entry for years to come!

Mario Strikers: Battle League is a masterclass in competitive game design. What it lacks in options is more than made up for by just how much fun the game is, and it’s absolutely gorgeous to boot. As it stands it already feels like a complete product, but the promise of future updates down the line gives us even more to get excited about. If arcade sport action isn’t your bag, it’ll likely do nothing to sway your opinion, but if you have even a passing interest in this kind of caper, Mario Strikers: Battle League is the best sports game on Switch right now.

Mario Strikers might come across as limited to some people, especially those that are only really going to get stuck into the single-player game. However, as a multiplayer experience, and whether you’re going to play locally or online, this thing excels in every way. It’s accessible, but also had a learning curve that more serious people will love. It’s laugh-out-loud hilarious for party sessions, while also having the feature set that it needs to get entire clubs to form around it. I can easily see this joining Smash Bros., Splatoon and Mario Kart as a standard part of any multiplayer rotation on the Switch. Most of all, though, this is a Mario Sports title that hasn’t lost the identity of the sport itself after implementing power-ups and Mario character specials. In this way, it stands apart from the Mario Tennis and Golf titles, and that’s a good thing.

A new contender for the best multiplayer title on Switch, Battle League is here to dispel any doubts you had about the future of Mario sports titles. With balanced gameplay that includes all the classic gimmicks, plenty of depth in character and world design, and a modernised online matchmaking system, Mario Strikers: Battle League is a red-letter day in the modern history of the moustachioed plumber.

Mario Strikers is back. Like Smash Bros. Ultimate this is an “easy to play, hard to master” game in which you'll find different levels of engagement and entertainment: from fast and furious rapid matches to seasonal multiplayer challenges... and that's only the tip of the iceberg of things to come.

The best Mario sports game, despite Daisy's absence. It has one of the most fun multiplayer experiences that you can have on Nintendo Switch, both locally and online, that will deliver lots of healthy competition, despite losing some of the charm of the originals and having very few characters, stadiums and single player game modes.

Mario Strikers: Battle League Football is in fact yet another sensational goal by Next Level Games.

The content is a bit scarce on release, but gameplay-wise is magnificent. Mario Strikers: Battle League Football is definitely the best game in the series, and I believe it has the potential to become one of the top arcade competitive sports games. At the same time, it also has great potential as a game to play amongst family and friends.

The offered amount of playable characters, arenas and unique game modes could be better. But each match in Mario Strikers: Battle League Football plays differently, even against the AI. The game is easy to learn but difficult to master, why there is a natural long-term motivation, especially when you play it online. In addition to that, the equipment system gives you the chance to individualize your team heroes. A great fun-sport game for anyone, if you like soccer or not.

Mario Strikers: Battle League Football gloriously mixes football and side-scrolling beat’em up mechanics: it’s fun and deep. The low numbers of modalities and characters, and the uncertainties in the through balls, prevent it from reaching excellence. For sure, with Mario Tennis Aces, it’s the best Mario Sports game of the HD era.

Mario Strikers: Battle League Football feels like the best Mario sports game on Nintendo Switch. While a bit more complex (and therefore less accessible) than its siblings like Mario Tennis Aces and Mario Golf Super Rush, this new Mario Strikers shines with great gameplay, top-notch visuals, and a strong focus on online modes.

Next Level Games has perfected the new Mario Strikers to feel fresher and funnier than ever, focusing on offline and online multiplayer modes. The original soundtracks aren't so good, although these little issues are not remarkable due to its cool art style.

I was shocked that Mario Strikers: Battle League had this much going on under the surface.

Mario Strikers: Battle League Football is great with others and offers plenty of opportunities to shoot, pass, and play the beautiful game despite there being few modes to choose from.

Although Mario's return to the soccer field does not reinvent the wheel... or should we say soccer ball, there are no auto-goals this time, so we have another fantastic Switch title in the row.

Mario Strikers makes its long-awaited return as a deliriously fun and accessible soccer game that's packed with character customization and online modes.

After a long wait, we got a new Mario Strikers game and it's a lot of fun. Action gameplay and variable character abilities will keep you entertained, local multiplayer for up to 8 players is really great. But the game critically lacks content.

Mario Strikers Battle League Football takes a bit from the first game, a little more from the second and polishes it out into its own fresh thing. We talk about content in games, and on paper, there are fewer characters and stadiums here in Battle League; but there's more to do over a period of time, especially with the Strikers Club which will build communities. Mario Strikers Battle League Football is the best in the series so far.

Mario Strikers: Battle League is an over-the-top soccer game that’s wildly fun, even though it does very little new.