Super Mario Strikers: Battle League Puts A Badass Spin On Soccer

gamespot.com:

Super Mario Strikers: Battle League may be based on soccer, but from the looks of a hands-off live preview, it appears to be taking some liberal notes from American football. From the name «Battle League» to the heavily armored gear to the Mushroom Kingdom residents striking poses with what can only be described as "'tude," this appears to be an enjoyably irreverent way to toughen up the sport.

It starts with the selection of stadiums, in which two different arenas are smashed together at the mid-field line, making a functional hybrid of both. These fields may have some minor size differences, but the main point is the visual satisfaction of watching huge landmasses crash into one another. Then the players take the field, looking angier and more determined than they ever have (even when a giant lizard kidnapped their quasi-girlfriend). The overall impression seems to be that this is soccer, but badass, but also Mario. It's very silly.

Then the game starts, and it's mostly a straightforward 4v4 soccer match. The relatively small roster of players have different stats like power and speed, though some fields on the smaller side seem to erase the speed difference between a bruiser like Bowser and a lighter character like Yoshi. Goalies on both sides are the Boom Boom from Mario 3. You can pass and shoot, occasionally taking a detour to collect Question Blocks that appear on the field.

Where it distinguishes itself most from a regular soccer match are with the special shots, which can be delivered after a team has built up sufficient power. These are the Blue Shell of Mario Strikers: Battle League, albeit with a little more skill involved. When you activate a special shot, a swinging meter will appear, similar to ones you've