It has been almost a full month since the Switch 2 hit store shelves and we're finally getting our next game for the Nintendo Classics. That's right, Nintendo announced that Expansion Pack subscribers will have access to the GameCube classic Super Mario Strikers on Thursday, July 3rd. That's really cool news, but is this game actually worth playing? To answer that question, I flipped through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro, Game Informer and more classic magazines to see what the critics said back when this game first came out. I sure hope you have your cleats handy, because we're hitting the pitch hard in this new episode of Nintendo Classics Review Crew.


Earlier this year, we lost Super Soccer. Now, a few months later, we gain a soccer game – Super Mario Strikers. See, the world is whole again. This is the first of several Mario-themed soccer games Nintendo has released over the years. It actually comes to us from Next Level Games, the Canadian developer whose only other game before Strikers was NHL Hitz Pro, the Midway game designed to do for hockey what NFL Blitz did to football. This is an extremely over-the-top version of the popular sport with all the Mushroom Kingdom trappings that you expect and the kind of unrealistic plays you can only get in a video game. The critics were already fans of Mario playing golf and tennis, but did that extend to the soccer pitch? Let's find out.

When it comes to Electronic Gaming Monthly, it was sevens across the board. All three editors gave Strikers a 7 out of 10, placing the magazine right in the middle of the scale. G. Ford summed it up this way: “The latest stop on Mario's Wide World of Sports tour has a familiar feel to it – highly accessible gameplay, light on the simulation, good fun. By keeping the matches short, adding power-ups to the mix, and introducing the two-point super-strike in the game, Mario Strikers appreciably livens up the sport. But I have to blow the whistle on a few points. The lack of minigames and multiple modes is shocking, switching characters mid-play doesn't always select the most logical dude, and passing is a little too sensitive. Also, why can you have only one Mushroom Kingdom A-lister per team?” Demian agreed: “It's funny what a little Mario can do. Somehow in Strikers, launching a barrage of turtle shells at an opposing soccer player makes a strange kind of sense. This exercise in Mario brand extension could just as easily be based on water polo, lacrosse or hockey, but while the arcadey gameplay is simple to learn, it packs some real strategy in a two-player game, on both offense and defense.”

As we go down the scale, we see Maxim give Super Mario Strikers the same sexy 7 out of 10 score as EGM. Game Informer went a tad lower, with critic Kato actively disliking this soccer game. “Mario's woes in the sports genre continue. Mario Baseball had its gameplay problems, but at least it was structured far better. It had minigames. It had an overworld map to play around on. Conversely, Mario Strikers is as basic as basic gets. Play through a bunch of similar tournaments and repeat until you're so bored you're tempted to turn on the tube and watch a baseball game. This is only suitable for small children who don't know any better and those who like to be tickled by Mario mustache rides.” Game Informer gave Super Mario Strikers a score of 6.75 out of 10.

On the other side of the EGM divide, we see Nintendo Power give the game a so-so 7.5 out of 10. Chris concluded that “Super Mario Strikers is a great first step in a long series of quality soccer games. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of a well-established franchise, but the core gameplay is nearly spot-on. Unfortunately, the only modes are single-player exhibition, multiplayer exhibition and a handful of cup challenges. It would have been nice to see a little more variation in the gameplay. Nonetheless, for sports-game fans looking for yet another fix of frenzied multiplayer fun, Strikers will fit the bill quite nicely.”

When it comes to the highest score, we once again have to look at GamePro, who (of course) gave the game a perfect 5 out of 5. That's what they do. “As the latest in the long legacy of Mario sports games, Super Mario Strikers is a standard bearer. It's easily the Mario Kart of soccer games, and that should tell you a lot. Even if you think you're a confirmed soccer hater, this game just might rock your world.”

Look, it's true, this game may rock your world, but I would go in with tempered expectations. Most critics agree that the core gameplay is fun, but there simply isn't enough content here to keep players engaged for long. This game (and series) did eventually become a hit at parties with competitive multiplayer sessions, so there's definitely a way to get the most out of Mario Strikers. Just don't expect it to be as robust as the other Mario sports on the Nintendo Classics app.