If you're asking yourself why we're continuingto coverthis game, know that it's sort of turned into a sick obsession for us. Taking widely recognized baseball players and making their likenesses compete in minigames that are anything but their sport of choice is like taking a gardener and asking him to build a rocket and land on the moon. It's just plain silly.
But, then there are small, tiny rays of hope that manage to break through the thick protection of cash-in that is the outer crust of MLB Superstars. That ray of hope? The Philly Phanatic. It can't be all* bad now, can it?
When we were going to pick the winner of our latest giveaway, we completely realized that we forgot to announce the winner for our previous giveaway. Also, we received quite a few emails from you all. So, without further delay, here's our winners:
Well folks, if you've been living under a rock for the past week, you should really try harder to read Wii Fanboy. You see, we've been holding a giveaway for one copy of Mario Super Sluggers this week and you could have been entering every day. If you missed out, today is your last chance to enter, so head on over to the original contest post here.
Even though we're a few days past the holiday, there's still plenty of reason to enter our latest giveaway, which will award one lucky reader with a copy of MLB Power Pros 2008 for the Wii (retails for $30) from 2K Sports. To enter, simply leave a comment between now and Wednesday, September 10th at 11:59PM ET, telling us what your favorite baseball team is. We'd like to say being fans of certain teams will get your bonus points, but the winner will be chosen via random drawing. You can leave one comment per day.
There are a few things you should know before entering. Entrants must be current and legal residents of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec) and at least 18 years of age or older. Read up on the rest of the official rules right here.
Mario Super Sluggers very much feels like a first-party game, despite being developed by Namco. It's got a plethora of Nintendo characters, wonderful bits of fan service and quite the bit of polish. There aren't that many flaws in the game, and the single biggest is only the lack of a label on the game's case.
With October right around the corner, everyone's got baseball fever. We must admit that we're even caught up in it a bit, cheering our favorite team onto victory. And 2K Sports is trying to capitalize on the madness by unveiling their newest baseball title for the Wii: MLB Superstars.
MLB Superstars is being developed by Deep Fried Entertainment and will be a party title (see: minigames), featuring games such as Baseball Golf, Baseball Pachinko and Baseball Bocci. It will also feature minigames that aren't even in the realm of baseball, such as Mascot Dance (you can probably imagine what this is) and Green Monster, where players must break down a wall with a baseball bat.
The follow-up to previous baseball title on the GameCube, Mario Superstar Baseball, Namco and Nintendo's next title, Mario Super Sluggers, has finally hit North American shores. Is it worth your time? Well, let's see what the critics have to say.
GameDaily (80/100) thinks the positives outweigh the negatives: "Overall, the game plays great. The controls work perfectly, whether you're an avid baseball fan or a newcomer picking up the game for the first time. And if you're a n00b, several tutorials are available to help you out. Only two things hold Mario Super Sluggers back from diamond domination. First, despite having a terrific control scheme and lots of options, it's really just another Mario-licensed sports game. If you're looking for something past that, try MLB Power Pros 2008 instead. Second, there are no online options. It would've been great to form a league with your friends through the Wi-Fi Connection, but you'll have to settle for offline play."
Nintendo Power (75/100) says it can be a bit clunky: "This baseball diamond loses some of its luster with occasionally confusing or clunky play (it's too easy to accidentally pitch or swing prematurely), but the game's simplified approach is great for sports-curious gamers looking to avoid the complexities of a real simulation." [Oct 2008, p.87]
1UP (B) found the game to be easy to pick up and play: "Super Sluggers succeeds and fails as most Mario sports games do. Its quick, arcade-style action is easy to get into and plenty fun, coming at the expense of the nuances -- and balance -- you'll find in a sim."
IGN (74/100) thought Nintendo and Namco cut too many corners: "It's a shame Nintendo and Namco didn't go farther with this one overall, though. No online play? No major gameplay renovations, new modes, or improved style over three year old Superstar Baseball? With only Animal Crossing as current first party online offerings in the near future, it really doesn't make a lot of sense to cut corners with Sluggers."
GameInformer (55/100) was quick to trash the game: "Go do something fun with your buddies rather than wasting an afternoon with this crap."
Seeing as how the game has been out in Japan for quite some time now (and releasing here in little over a month), you've probably seen and heard all their is to Mario Super Sluggers. But, we'd be remiss if we didn't do our duty and sit down with the game and enjoy some time at the ballpark.
Mario Super Sluggers is right on track to becoming a must-have game when it's released on August 25. The trailer above is quite similar to the original trailer we saw ages ago, but this time a few reaction shots of trendy young people playing in their lounge rooms have been spliced in. Now we know the game is fun, because the internet tells us it is.
In addition to the cinematic masterpiece, a hefty chunk of new screens have been released, including heaps of high-quality character artwork. For a sports game, Mario Super Sluggers has plenty of content and massive amounts of preview material available. Now we just want to play the damn thing.
With the advent of the Wii, baseball fans are throwing in realism for rock-em-sock-em chibi sports games, complete with big heads, big bats and little (or in this case, completely absent) legs. It was a joyous affair when 2K Sports first hit the airwaves with details of the MLB Power Pros series, and now the rugged little chaps have stepped up to the plate for the next season of quasi-baseball fun in MLB Power Pros 2008.
Little in size doesn't necessarily mean little on content. Gameplay modes include Exhibition, League, Home Run Challenge, Success and MLB Life -- just to name a few. Wannabe big-shots can manage teams and organize rosters, seasons and equipment, all with the goal of becoming World Series champion. MLB 2008 looks pretty gosh darn good, and with solid gameplay to back it up, this might be a winner when it hits the shelves on July 29th. Scroll through the mammoth gallery of images below for a sneak peek at the action!
Activision's Little League World Series 2008 may have character designs that look like the kind of thing South Park parodies, but the game actually looks pretty solid technically. Clean, cel-shaded art and smooth animation elevates the look of the game. Of course, the bug-eyed characters aren't really a knock against the game, since it's for kids. We're just happy to see evidence of a budget!
In a few instances, the onscreen player seems to perform a super-high jump or a super-fast slide. We're almost entirely certain these are just effects for the video, since superhuman abilities would be pretty out of place in a game about a real tournament. But if there actually is even a semblance of Baseball Simulator 1.000-like wackiness, we are on board. It's probably just a speed or jump bonus for good timing.
With the recent news that Nintendo's Mario Super Sluggersis only 2 months away for those of us in North America, you're probably too busy dancing and making noise in a fit of excitement to actually be reading this. That's okay, we'll leave you to that.
As for the rest of you, check out the lengthy video above. It documents all of the stadiums and their unique hazards, as well as showing off their look during both day and night in-game. If you don't want the stadiums ruined for you, then we suggest you check out some of our screens below for your fix on Mario Super Sluggers.
Nintendo just sent news that Wario Land: Shake It would be hitting North America this September 29th, three days after Europe (as this is Nintendo's own game, we trust that this information is accurate). Little new information about the gameplay was ensconced in the details we received -- we already know that we'll be using the Wii Remote side-on, and that shaking the controller helps Wario take out enemies, empty bags of treasure, or trigger earthquakes -- but we did get a new, much larger screenshot. We advise clicking the above image to take in all the detail.
In less-important-but-still-great news, Mario Super Sluggers will be touching down in the States a month before Wario Land arrives, on August 25th. There's plenty of time to save for both, then!
Yoshi seems to be pitching the winners in this latest footage from Mario Super Sluggers. The poor batters can't do a thing right, as time after time the fielders rush in to catch the ball and pelt it towards any base at lightning speed. It's like, hello? Why is a baby playing baseball?
It's nine minutes of Sluggers action, and includes character selection and menu screens, which are all pretty straightforward. You might not want to rush out to import the latest Japanese RPG, but Sluggers looks simple enough to enjoy right off the ... bat? Haw haw, haw.
Put on your importing hat if you want this right away, because it's out now in Japan and it won't be hitting the stores in North America until August.
The latest screen line-up from Mario Super Sluggers, which is out this week in Japan, shows off a little gameplay, a few menus, and a lot of very familiar characters. Included is a bigger version of the recently-revealed roster, just in case there was anyone you weren't sure about.
While you're spending some time on the diamond, check out the trailer, too!
With October right around the corner, everyone's got baseball fever. We must admit that we're even caught up in it a bit, cheering our favorite team onto victory. And 2K Sports is trying to capitalize on the madness by unveiling their newest baseball title for the Wii: MLB Superstars.
The latest screen line-up from Mario Super Sluggers, which is out this week in Japan, shows off a little gameplay, a few menus, and a lot of very familiar characters. Included is a bigger version of the recently-revealed roster, just in case there was anyone you weren't sure about. 
