Mario Baseball (series)

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Mario Baseball
Mario Superstar Baseball promotional artwork: Game Logo
First installment Mario Superstar Baseball (2005)
Latest installment Mario Super Sluggers (2008)
Number of installments 2
Franchise Super Mario
“Lets-a play ball! Woo-hoo!”
Mario, Mario Super Sluggers

The Mario Baseball[citation needed] series is a spinoff series of the Super Mario franchise that revolves around the concept of baseball. Only two games in the series have been released to date: Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers. Unlike in the previous spinoffs, the player can recruit people via completing scout missions to get enough scout flags to recruit the player on one of the four opposite teams. Another unique feature is chemistry, which affects how well the player's teammates cooperate. Even though there are only two baseball games, this series features more playable characters than other spinoff titles in the Super Mario franchise.

Installments

Direct

Title
Cover, original release, and system Synopsis
Mario Superstar Baseball
 
  July 21, 2005
Nintendo GameCube
“Let's play baseball!”
Opening theme, Mario Superstar Baseball

Mario Superstar Baseball is the first installment in the Mario Baseball series. It features a total of 32 playable characters (not counting alternate characters), six of which can be unlocked. These characters are divided into four different groups: Balance, Technique, Speed, and Power. The game also features three characters from the Donkey Kong franchise: Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and Dixie Kong. The game also has a unique feature called chemistry. Chemistry is the relationship status found between the team captain and its players. The better the chemistry between the characters, the better that team will likely perform. Should a team have bad chemistry, they may perform poorly in the game. Six minigames are also featured in the game, one of which is unlockable.

Mario Super Sluggers
 
  June 19, 2008
Wii
“We love baseball!”
Credits theme, Mario Super Sluggers

Mario Super Sluggers is the second and most recent installment to the Mario Baseball series; it was released for the Wii in 2008 in Japan, South Africa, and North America; however, it was never released for the European, Australian, and South Korean regions. The game takes place in the Baseball Kingdom. The game features a total of 41 playable characters (not counting alternate characters), nine more than the original. All of the previous game's characters are reunited in the sequel, and they are all default. The nine new ones must be unlocked. There is a total of nine stadiums to play in, four of which have to be unlocked; each stadium, unlockables included, has its own unique minigame for the player to engage in. The game also features many cutscenes, each of which tells a story to give the game a more involved aspect of gameplay. The Challenge Mode was changed from going around playing other teams to recruiting players by clearing special missions for more of a RPG feel. This game can switch between day and night. This is useful because Bowser Jr. Playroom can be played in only during the day and Luigi's Mansion and Bowser's Castle can be played in only at night.

Indirect

Title
Cover, original release, and system Synopsis
Mario Sports Superstars
 
  March 10, 2017
Nintendo 3DS
Mario Sports Superstars is a 3DS game released on March 10, 2017, in Europe. Baseball, developed by Bandai Namco Studios like the main series, is included as one of the five sports available.

Predecessor

Title
Cover, original release, and system Synopsis
Baseball
 
  April 21, 1989
Game Boy
Baseball is a 1989 Game Boy remake of the Nintendo Entertainment System game of the same name. The Game Boy adaptation of this game introduced Mario and Luigi as playable characters. This game predates the first official Super Mario-themed baseball game by 16 years, and it was later ported to the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console.

Playable characters

Character Mario Superstar Baseball Mario Super Sluggers Mario Sports Superstars (Baseball)
Baby Daisy      
Baby Donkey Kong      
Baby Luigi      
Baby Mario      
Baby Peach      
Birdo1      
Blooper      
Boo      
Boom Boom      
Boomerang Bro      
Bowser1      
Bowser Jr.1      
Daisy1      
Diddy Kong1      
Dixie Kong      
Donkey Kong1      
Dry Bones      
Dry Bones (Blue)      
Dry Bones (Red) / Dry Bones (Dark)      
Dry Bones (Green)      
Fire Bro      
Funky Kong      
Goomba      
Hammer Bro      
King Boo      
King K. Rool      
Koopa Troopa      
Koopa Troopa (Red)      
Koopa Troopa (Blue)      
Koopa Troopa (Yellow)      
Koopa Paratroopa      
Koopa Paratroopa (Green)      
Koopa Paratroopa (Blue)      
Koopa Paratroopa (Yellow)      
Kritter      
Kritter (Blue)      
Kritter (Brown)      
Kritter (Red)      
Luigi1      
Magikoopa      
Magikoopa (Green)      
Magikoopa (Red)      
Magikoopa (Yellow)      
Mario1      
Metal Mario      
Mii      
Monty Mole      
Noki (Blue)      
Noki (Green)      
Noki (Red)      
Paragoomba      
Peach1      
Petey Piranha      
Pianta (Blue)      
Pianta (Red)      
Pianta (Yellow)      
Pink Gold Peach      
Pom Pom      
Rosalina      
Shy Guy      
Shy Guy (Gray) / Shy Guy (Black)      
Shy Guy (Blue)      
Shy Guy (Green)      
Shy Guy (Yellow)      
Spike      
Stone Spike      
Tiny Kong      
Toad      
Toad (Blue)      
Toad (Green)      
Toad (Purple)      
Toad (Yellow)      
Yellow Flying Squirrel Toad      
Blue Flying Squirrel Toad      
Yellow Penguin Toad      
Blue Penguin Toad      
Toadette      
Toadsworth      
Waluigi1      
Wario1      
Wiggler      
Yoshi1      
Yoshi (Blue)      
Yoshi (Light Blue)      
Yoshi (Pink)      
Yoshi (Red)      
Yoshi (Yellow)      

1 - This character can be selected as a "Team Captain" in Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers.

Teams

Character Team Mario Superstar Baseball Mario Super Sluggers
Birdo Beauties    
Birdo Bows    
Birdo Fans    
Birdo Models    
Bowser Black Stars    
Bowser Blue Shells    
Bowser Flames    
Bowser Monsters    
Daisy Cupids    
Daisy Flowers    
Daisy Lilies    
Daisy Queen Bees    
Daisy Petals    
Diddy Monkeys    
Diddy Ninjas    
Diddy Red Caps    
Diddy Survivors    
Diddy Tails    
DK Animals    
DK Explorers    
DK Kongs    
DK Wild Ones    
Jr. Bombers    
Jr. Fangs    
Jr. Pixies    
Jr. Rookies    
Luigi Gentlemen    
Luigi Knights    
Luigi Leapers    
Luigi Mansioneers    
Luigi Vacuums    
Mario All-Stars    
Mario Fireballs    
Mario Heroes    
Mario Sunshines    
Peach Dynasties    
Peach Monarchs    
Peach Princesses    
Peach Roses    
Waluigi Flankers    
Waluigi Mashers    
Waluigi Mystiques    
Waluigi Smart-Alecks    
Waluigi Spitballs    
Wario Beasts    
Wario Garlics    
Wario Greats    
Wario Muscles    
Wario Steakheads    
Yoshi Eggs    
Yoshi Flutters    
Yoshi Islanders    
Yoshi Speed Stars    

Stadiums

Stadium Mario Superstar Baseball Mario Super Sluggers Mario Sports Superstars (Baseball)
Big Field      
Bowser Castle      
Bowser Jr. Playroom      
Country Field      
Daisy Cruiser      
DK Jungle      
Harbor Park      
Luigi's Mansion      
Mario Stadium      
Peach Garden      
Town Park      
Wario City      
Yoshi Park      

Mario Superstar Baseball

Mario Super Sluggers

Chemistry

Main article: Chemistry
 
An example of Chemistry

A unique feature in the Mario Baseball series is chemistry, which decides how well the teams play. For example, Mario and Luigi have good chemistry so when they throw a ball at each other, it travels fast. An example of bad chemistry is Mario and Bowser: if they throw to one another, the ball moves slowly and off course. If two characters have no chemistry, like Mario and Diddy Kong, the ball would fly at normal speed. Chemistry also affects the number of Star Skill units; good chemistry with the captain increases the number of units while bad chemistry decreases it. The maximum number of stars is five. The quantity of the available Star Skills sometimes affects the name of the team. For example a team led by Mario with five stars would be called the Mario Fireballs.

Star Skills

Main article: Star Skill
 
Birdo, using her Cannon Swing as a Star Skill in Mario Super Sluggers.

A new feature in these games are the ability to use a Star Skill. Star Skills can be activated either while pitching or while batting. Anyone in this game can use a Star Skill, but a team captain's Star Skill is superior to a sub-character's Star Skill. Team Captains have mostly different Star Skills, however, captains that usually pair with each other (Mario and Luigi, Peach and Daisy) have similar Star Skills. The amount of Star Skills that can be used is represented by five Team Stars in a meter. The amount of starting Team Stars depend on the sub-characters' chemistry with the team captain.

 
Mario, using his Fireball as a Star Skill in Mario Superstar Baseball.

Star Skills can be replenished by hitting ball park features. They can also be replenished by striking a player out or making a batter reach a base safely when the words, "Star Chance!" appear. Team captains use up one Team Star, sub-characters use up one Team Star, and captains as members use up two Team Stars.

They return in Mario Super Sluggers, however some characters, especially the sub-captains, like Luigi, now have different star skills. The window at the bottom that shows star skills is different.

Gallery