The Mario sports games are all great, but the underrated high point of the genre is arguably Mario Strikers. Mario’s arcade soccer franchise first debuted on the Nintendo GameCube and its fast-paced, intense gameplay became a quick favorite among fans. It turns out that when you take an already loved sport like soccer and give it wacky Mario powers-ups, it’s easy to fall in love.
Unfortunately, the last time we received a game in the Strikers franchise was Mario Strikers Charged on the Wii. As games like Mario Golf and Mario Tennis received numerous sequels, Mario Strikers fell into the background.
Despite this, fans continued asking for a new game in the franchise, and their wishes were finally answered during Wednesday’s Nintendo Direct. Mario Strikers: Battle League has been unveiled, and it looks just as wacky as the two previous games in the franchise. With this sequel, we’re getting new power-ups, new sidekicks, and new online multiplayer.
For over a decade, fans have been waiting for a new Mario Strikers game. It had been so long that it honestly started to feel like we were never going to get a sequel. That made Wednesday’s announcement a very pleasant surprise, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that the online additions are all brilliant. Many friendships will be ended this summer in intense battles on the pitch. It’s going to be so fun.