Mario Sports Superstars features 16 characters from Mario and Donkey Kong games competing in baseball, golf, soccer, tennis, and horse racing. Making its first appearance in a Mario sports game, horse racing has players build a stable of horses, care for them, and then race on four unique courses with obstacles to avoid or jump over. Every sport has tournament and multiple training modes for single players, while multiplayer options allow up to six users to challenge one another via local wireless or online play. The game is also compatible with select amiibo figurines and cards.
Playable characters include: Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Peach, Daisy, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Rosalina, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Birdo, Wario, Waluigi, Bowser, Bowser Jr., and Boo. Alternate Mario and Peach characters can be unlocked through in-game accomplishments or by using amiibo cards. The main characters act as playable captains in the baseball and soccer games with the remainder of the teams being filled out by Toads, Koopas, Shy Guys, and others.
This game is a greatest hits of Mario sports. They’re played on a smaller scale (3 innings for BB, 3 holes for Golf, 3 matches for tennis) but they have all the complexities and special techniques from the full titles. All the sports also have a choice between manual and auto for some of the harder to master parts, making the game very approachable to newer players. If you like Mario sports games, don’t miss this one!
Perfect pick-up-and-play type of game. I LOVE the horse racing sport which even features a Nintendogs-like mini game "Stable," where you take care of a horse and bond with it over walks, brushing, and more! The other game modes are also enjoyable, though the team sports will require longer sessions of gameplay in case you play on the go. This is the first Mario Sports game I've played and I recommend it for casual gameplay with your favorite cast of Nintendo characters.