What the critics think of Mario Strikers Battle League

Critical Consensus — Mario Strikers: Battle League review round-up

It's been a while since we last had an entry in the somewhat unconventional Mario Strikers series.

This footy game started life back in 2005 on the GameCube, and was followed up by a Wii sequel in 2007. However since then we've had little else.

So, 15 years on we now have an all new entry ready for the Nintendo Switch in Mario Strikers: Battle League. But have Next Level Games delivered a win, or is this brawling take on soccer somewhat messy?

Well, early reviews for this game, launching June 10, 2022, seem to suggest that its a solid enough, but as with any game of two halves, things can go either way by time of the final whistle. That seems to be the case here, as plenty of reviews are praising the online play, but really call out the single player experience as something really lacking.

Here's what the critics have to say about Mario Strikers: Battle League.

Mario Strikers: Battle League review round-up:

Joseph Yaden writing for Inverse explains how this new entry is good, but any "potential greatness is marred by it complexity" — resulting in a game that's held back "from being a champion". 7/10

Alex Olney for Nintendo Life had high praise for the core gameplay noting that what:

"starts off as a whirlwind of obtuse concepts melds into a choreographed dance of violence"

with the end result being something he calls "a masterclass in competitive game design". It gets a 9/10 and is hailed as "the best sports game on Switch".

Travis Northup at IGN notes how although Battle League is well-tuned and hilarious fun, it fails to do much new with the over-the-top concept. On the whole it's described as "almost always a complete blast to play" but he adds the small roster of characters and game modes on offer right now is disappointing. 8/10

Chris Carter over at Destructoid ultimately thinks this Switch entry delivers, but only if you're playing online or with pals. This review notes how the game may feel light in places to some, but refreshingly simple to others (and non-exploitative thanks to a lack of season passes, packs, and the like). Dubbed a "no-brainer" for those who can make the most of the multiplayer. 8/10

Daniel Vuckovic of Vooks shares how Battle League:

"takes a bit from the first game, a little more from the second and polishes it out into its own fresh thing"

resulting in the best of the series so far. 4/5

Connor Christie writing at Pocket Tactics notes how this game is here to "dispel any doubts you had about the future of Mario sports titles", praising the balanced gameplay and modernised online matchmaking. The result? Well, "an unmissable Mario sports experience". 9/10

Christian Hoffer for Comicbook notes that although this entry is "fun and frantic" when playing at parties or with soccer fanatics, it quickly becomes repetitive when playing solo. He adds that the game has some fundamental flaws, such as easy AI, underwhelming customisation options, and a generally thin single-player offering - all of which hinders the replayability. 6/10

Omar Banat writing for Twinfinite shares the view that the game feels somewhat barren, but adds that the core gameplay "absolutely redeems this game". The recommendation here is to revisit this one in maybe a year, when the experience may be more rounded. 3.5/5

Matthew Forde at T3 calls Nintendo's latest an "own goal", sharing how despite solid gameplay the overall result is a "lacklustre addition" that "offers very little for its full retail price". 2/5

Mike Diver, writing for Gaming Bible, sets out how this "enjoyable-enough arcade-style" soccer game is yet again more akin to the likes of last year's Mario Golf:Super Rush rather than the pedigree of Mario Kart 8. It's another 'good not great' assessment - and another that notes the general lack of content on offer. 6/10

Giovanni Colantonio for Digital Trends praises the games "surprisingly nuanced soccer gameplay", adding how once you've got the move set down, you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised at the moves you can string together. However, like many others have noted he draws the conclusion that this works best as a party game, and that the game does feel a touch sparse, making the recommendation to wait for DLC before jumping in. 3/5

Jordan Middler over at VGC notes now Strikers is a “consistently fun” arcade-style experience at its core, offering "fantastic multiplayer fun" but also shares the view that its let down by a shallow single player offering. 3/5

So, as you can see, plenty of praise for this one — but it does feel like a mixed bag. My general takeaway seems to be that, just like with the prior sports games we've seen on switch (like Super Golf and Tennis Aces) the offering at launch is kinda half baked. Sure, we're gonna see the game fleshed out in the coming months, but this trend isn't one I'm a huge fan of.

Overall, it's seemingly a rather pedestrian offering, wrapped up in some gnarly packaging. There's clearly fun to be had, if you can get a group of pals online with it, but the solo offering doesn't seem that compelling.