Parents' Guide to

Mario Super Sluggers

By Brett Molina, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Charming baseball title that's easy to play.

Game Nintendo Wii 2008
Mario Super Sluggers Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Lebron12James3
Lebron12James3 Parent
December 29, 2021
age 2+

ABSOLUTELY HORRIFYING!!

We are huge Mario lore experts in my family, and so naturally, we anticipated the release of this game with great excitement! Sadly, the excitement ended within the first 20 minutes of gameplay. Parents, I strongly encourage not letting your kids play this game! Thank God I had the sense to preview this before letting my kids play it ! “Scary” doesn’t even begin to describe the sick, twisted, nightmarish things that the creators at Nintendo decided would be appropriate to include in a game that they know 6 year olds will be playing! Who is making this stuff? Alford Hitchcock? The creators of this game should be ashamed of themselves. They took “scary” way too far, even to the point of sadistic. I am horrified as a parent, and there is NO WAY I am letting my children play this. You destroyed Mario...good job, Nintendo. You guys are sickos! Parents, beware!
velveta
velveta Parent of 8-year-old
December 23, 2010
age 6+
See all 3 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Mario has always been known as the sporting type. The Nintendo icon flashes his athletic prowess on the diamond in MARIO SUPER SLUGGERS, an easy-to-learn baseball title ideal for younger gamers. The main challenge requires players to field a baseball squad to take on Bowser and his minions. To do this, you must visit different baseball stadiums and convince players to join your team. Most times, characters want you to complete a skills test before they hop aboard.

A sequel to GameCube's Mario Superstars Baseball, Sluggers includes mostly minor adjustments. Among the key changes is the incorporation of motion controls. Using only the remote, you can pitch, hit, and throw. To pitch, you'll flick the remote back then quickly forward. Unlike in Wii Sports, where you hold the remote like a bat, here you're told to flick the remote across to hit (although you can hold the remote as bat, but if you do, you seem to lose a little accuracy). If you prefer more complexity, you can attach the nunchuk for more precise control and player movement.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (16 ):

The best part of Sluggers is actually playing the baseball games. You choose a captain and then eight teammates based on hitting, pitching, and other attributes. Recruiting players with the right special "talents" allows you to thwart opponents' efforts by tossing turtle shells and other objects. Chemistry also comes in handy on the field, in the form of blistering Buddy Tosses and high-flying Buddy Jumps to rob homeruns.

While this simple baseball game is good for kids, it won't satisfy more sophisticated Mario fans. The Challenge Mode only requires you play two games: One against Bowser and one against Bowser Jr. Most other activity involves smaller skill tests. An online mode is not available. Fortunately, you do get a ton of minigames from pitching events to a variation of the homerun derby. While Sluggers isn't as thrilling as Mario Kart or Wii Sports, it's a solid Mario-centric title.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about baseball video games. Do you prefer simple games like this or more robust experiences like Major League Baseball simulations? Did Mario and his friends make playing this game fun?

Game Details

  • Platform: Nintendo Wii
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Nintendo
  • Release date: August 26, 2008
  • Genre: Sports
  • ESRB rating: E for Comic Mischief
  • Last updated: November 4, 2015

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