Mario Strikers Battle League
Image: Nintendo Life

The latest entry in the Mario Strikers series is right around the corner and reviews are starting to trickle in. But what's the general consensus on Mario Strikers: Battle League? Well, we've rounded up some verdicts to give you lovely people a better idea.

Before we dive in, however, make sure you check out our own review! We gave the game a glowing verdict, stating that it's "a masterclass in competitive game design" and "is the best sports game on Switch right now".

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Mario Strikers: Battle League Review (Switch)

First up in our round-up is IGN, who gave the game an 8/10 and highlighted its gameplay and replayability:

"If you’ve played any games in the series before, there won’t be many surprises in store for you and the small roster of characters and game modes is definitely disappointing, but what’s there is incredibly fun and replayable. I’m impressed by the online mode in the time I’ve had with it so far too, as it sets the stage for a ranked playlist that I look forward to grinding my way to the top of."

Next up, Destructoid's review very much echoed IGN, stating that the gameplay is enough to keep players occupied, giving the game an 8/10:

"For anyone who lives in a dorm, or is in a position to wrangle up a lot of friends and/or family members, Mario Strikers: Battle League is a no-brainer. Eight-player local play is a blast, especially when you consider that nearly everything is online-only these days. I was shocked that Battle League had this much going on under the surface, and the gameplay itself is enough to carry me through for quite some time."

Game Informer reckons that the game boasts strong gameplay in its 7.5/10 review, but lacks in content for anyone not looking to play online:

Mario Strikers: Battle League may not be the ultimate version of the world's most popular sport, but its strategic matches, fun online modes, and energetic animations make for an enjoyable experience. While the single-player crowd may find the game a bit lacking, Nintendo's return to the pitch is bound to create the same triumphant highs, and friendship-ending lows the company's suite of other party titles is known for.

Gamespot gave the game a 7/10, agreeing that Battle League is a bit thin regarding content, but states that the gameplay is far more strategically deep than previous titles:

Mario Strikers: Battle League is a thin package, without very much variety in terms of game modes and options. But it is a more technically complex game than many of the Mario sports titles, which may give it legs for dedicated players. Sports are all about proving your skill in head-to-head match-ups, and that will have to be enough, because there isn't much else to it.

VGC's 3/5 verdict was reasonably strong, highlighting the gameplay as a high point, but criticising the shallow single-player content and lacking roster:

"The gameplay itself feels great and there’s very little to complain about when it comes to the actual football, outside of the abundance of rebound goals, but it starts to feel somewhat stale when you’re playing as the same characters over and over. The Mario canon is filled with characters that could work as part of the game, and we’re sure they’ll eventually be added, but for now, it’s a lot of Waluigi, which is either a terrible or amazing thing, depending on your view of the purple deviant."

Finally, GamesRadar+ was a bit more critical of the experience, calling the game underdeveloped and recommending players wait for a discount, giving the game a 2.5/5:

"I just really wish that joie de vivre had carried over to the gameplay of Mario Strikers, which at its core is an average football arcade game with a few Nintendo-brand bells and whistles resting on it. I guess I had fun at times, but I suspect deep down that if I'd paid full retail price for it, I would've come away feeling a lot less charitable about the whole thing. Maybe snatch it up when it's discounted and you're looking for a household party game - otherwise, all but the most fervent football fanatics can probably skip this one."

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