Sports games are a major part of the gaming industry. Games like FIFA, Madden, NHL from EA, and NBA games from 2K are some of the best selling games all year. This is also an area that Nintendo has suffered in, in recent years. The lack of sports games on the Wii U was a major factor in the system’s downfall after all, and that is a shame because Nintendo is known for making some great sports titles of their own starring Mario.
Mario sports games are often extremely fun experiences, such as Mario Golf and Mario Tennis but few were better than Mario Strikers. This soccer/football game was one of the most energetic and fun Mario sports games of all, being so different and vibrant compared to other Nintendo made sports games. It had intense arcade-like action, somewhat reminiscent of an SNK arcade sports title. It had more character so to speak, for a Mario game and truly felt separate from anything else Mario. This was thanks to the excellent work by Next Level Games, and they even managed to up the ante in the sequel with a beefier game and more options.
The game felt more mature of a title and had an edge that Mario currently lacks as well. Mario and friends were getting more physical and showing off a more aggressive side. This may not go over well with everyone, but the work by Next Level games gave everyone a new sense of personality, especially Waluigi. The game was designed well, with the soccer/football mechanics being implemented perfectly and creating an experience that was easy to pick up and play but also benefitted from skill. The sequel managed to kick things up a notch as well, by adding in new mechanics that helped improve the experience and bring some new twists.
Super Mario Strikers is beloved by fans of Mario sports titles and as Nintendo is still lacking some big-name sports titles, a Mario Strikers game can help. Soccer/Football is the most popular sport in the world and with a proper online mode with multiple play options, this can be the game that truly cements Nintendo in those areas. Fans want it back, and a return to form with the quality we saw in the first two titles would be amazing.
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