Games for Lunch: Mario Super Sluggers
In a nutshell: A Japanese company puts an Italian plumber in America's pastime.
11/21/2008 4:50 PM | 0 Comments | Page 1 of 3
Developer: Namco/Bandai
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Aug. 25, 2008
System: Wii
ESRB Rating: E
Official Web site
0:00 Oddly enough, I'm relatively sure I've played every single Mario sports game extensively ... EXCEPT for this game's prequel on the GameCube. I know it's not baseball season anymore, but this game doesn't involve shooting people. Or hitting them with swords, which makes it perfect for me today.
0:01 "Let'sa play ball ... woohoo!" says Charles Martinet (as the voice of Mario) on the preview screen. A big Namco/Bandai logo is in the corner ... I didn't know they were behind this...
0:02 A boat on a blue ocean filled with Mario characters. Daisy enjoys the spray (heh) as they sail towards some sort of baseball theme park island-thing. They arrive and climb a tower to look out over the park. On the ball field, Wii remotes become bats in the characters' hands. Wait, they have Wii remotes? How does THAT work? Montage time: Toads slide around an ice field and get frozen. Wario is all wet! Yoshi falls in a warp pipe going for a diving catch! Diddy is almost crushed by a giant barrel! Everyone throws bombs at Yoshi! Donkey Kong knocks over Luigi as he goes for a double play. Everyone's worried, but Luigi held on to the ball, so they all cheer! Never mind the concussion ... and title!
0:05 "Welcome! Begin in Practice to learn the controls!" I think I will, thanks!
0:06 First up is pitching. Lakitu tells me to "wind up ... and swing down!" If I have the Nunchuk I can move left or right before pitching. If I don't ... I can't? What a gyp.
0:07 Correctly timing the up- and downswings can get a faster "charge" pitch. Reminds me of the serving in
Mario Tennis, but much easier to time.
0:08 Twisting the remote mid-swing causes curve balls, while holding A does a nice, high change-up. Everything I throw seems to be a strike ... does this game have balls?
0:09 Lakitu keeps saying "Hold the remote firmly" before every instruction. Nintendo must be scared to death of an HDTV-destroying class action suit.
0:11 Just like in
Wii Sports, hitting is all a matter of timing. So far it's quite easy to connect with these super-slow pitches. Without the Nunchuk, the game moves the batter automatically to line up with the pitch. E-Z!
0:13 Charged swings are a bit harder to time than the pitches, because you never know when the pitch will be coming.
0:15 Bunting is easy, but as far as I can tell there's no way to direct the ball without using the Nunchuk. Why they don't just REQUIRE the Nunchuk I'll never know.
0:16 Mario's "star swing" sets the ball on fire, much like his fiery "Star Pitch." I'm pretty sure you don't want to field that one.
0:17 "When using the Wii remote only, you'll automatically move to the ball. Shake the Wii remote to dash." Wow ... the Nunchuk-less version of this game is REALLY dumbed-down. Not that that's a bad thing for some players, but I like to be a little more engaged, so I get up and get out my Nunchuk.
