If there's one thing that Nintendo has never been afraid to do with the Super Mario franchise, it's experiment. When the portly plumber isn't jumping through the Mushroom Kingdom, he can be found playing life-size board games with his friends, tearing up the racetrack, or practicing medicine. Mario has proven to be a true renaissance man in his 30-plus years as Nintendo's mascot, but there's one aspect of the Super Mario franchise that's received an inconsistent amount of attention over the last few years. That being his efforts as a professional athlete in the various Mario sports spin-off games.
Mario's history with the sports world stretches all the way back to the days of the NES, with NES Open Tournament Golf being one of the plumber's first athletic adventures. These games have evolved considerably over years, with Mario and friends competing in everything from tennis and soccer to the actual Olympic Games with Sonic the Hedgehog and company. These sporting ventures were once an integral part of any Nintendo console's lifecycle, but it seems they've taken a backseat. For Mario and friends, the one sport that has been out of the spotlight for far too long is baseball.
Mario's Baseball Glory Days Explained
Mario hasn't spent as much time on the baseball diamond as he has the tennis court or golf course, but the Mario Baseball games have nonetheless been standouts among other Mario sports titles. The first entry in the Mario Baseball series was Mario Superstar Baseball on the GameCube and delivered an arcade experience that embraced the cartoonish nature of the Super Mario series. Power-ups could be used to throw better pitches or swing the bat harder, some fields had elements that made it more difficult to field a ball, and Donkey Kong used a boxing glove to hit instead of a bat.
This level of charm continued in Mario Super Sluggers for the Wii. This sequel took the foundations of Mario Superstar Baseball and leveraged the tech of the Wii, adding motion controls for a more immersive experience. Though they may not be as prolific as Mario Tennis or Mario Golf, the Mario Baseball series carved out its own niche, particularly among Wii owners. Mario Super Sluggers captured much of the same excitement as baseball in Wii Sports, and its more zany elements made just about every game memorable. It wasn't highly technical or particularly deep, but it didn't have to be, because it was just fun.
Mario Baseball's Absence on the Switch is a Missed Opportunity
Since the Switch was released, it's seemed Nintendo is less concerned with supporting its Mario sports titles. Mario Tennis Aces and Mario Golf: Super Rush have been sufficient, and Mario Strikers: Battle League was a welcome, albeit underwhelming, return to the series. When it comes to Mario Baseball, however, there's been no sign it's coming to the Switch. It would have the potential to be one of the premier arcade baseball games on the system, an area that has been lacking in recent years, but for now, it seems fans are better off finding a Wii and a copy of Super Sluggers on eBay.
The Switch won't be less of a success because it doesn't have a Mario Baseball game, but there's no doubt a Mario Baseball game would likely sell well on the console. It's been 15 years since the last entry in the series, and there are more than enough Switch owners who fondly remember playing baseball with their favorite Super Mario characters. There's a lot that could be done to evolve the series to today's modern standards, and there's more than enough potential for a greater amount of arcade fun than before. If done right, a new Mario Baseball game on the Switch could be a real home run.