A new video from Nintendo Japan reveals the most extensive look yet at Mario Strikers: Battle League, with Hyper Strikes, gear, and more.
Mario Strikers: Battle League is an upcoming side story game from Mario. It is the third and first Super Mario Strikers game for the Nintendo Switch. When Super Mario Strikers and Mario Strikers Charged were released within a few years of each other, there was a 15-year wait for Mario Strikers: Battle League, which led to a lot of expectations surrounding the game. Now, Nintendo has revealed some of the core gameplay elements that players will see in the latest football-inspired spinoff.
The latest Mario Strikers: Battle League trailer is a mere five minutes long, but Nintendo managed to throw in a lot of detail for a relatively short video. First, some general gameplay is reflected in the new interface of Battle League. The video then dives straight into one of the new mechanics, allowing players to use shots to speed their teammates forward. Instead of driving opponents to the ground, a kick in the new Mario Strikers can send a character straight to goal, setting up some quick and powerful shots.
Speaking of which, the new gameplay trailer also shows off Hyper Strikes. Unlike Mario Strikers Charged’s Mega Strikes, the Hyper Strikes in Mario Strikers: Battle League don’t come from the player holding down the attack button. Instead, they appear on the field as power-ups, free for any player to pick up and use for a devastating attack. After the golden orb drops, it’s free to see which team picks it up. Instead of only being available to team captains, any character in Mario Strikers: Battle League can create a Hyper Strike.
After reviewing the new strikes, the trailer then showcases the customizable gear available in the new Mario Strikers. Gear can be applied to any character to increase or decrease certain stats. For example, certain shoes can make a character dribble better, but handle the ball worse. Even with fewer playable characters compared to previous Mario Strikers installments, Battle League seems to be more focused on creating different variations of those characters, allowing players to craft a quick Bowser agile and strong Yoshi. This means that characters that were once considered secondary in Mario Strikers now also have a larger role in the team.
Finally, fans got a closer look at the online modes in Mario Strikers: Battle League. As expected, through Nintendo Switch Online, players will be able to compete with each other around the world. This was flagged by fans as something that would change Mario Strikers, giving the classic league a new competitive edge.
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