Update: June 19, 2008
«©NCSX» Mario conquered platform gaming about a decade ago. NCS pinpoints Super Mario Bros 3 (Famicom, 1998) as the definitive platform game that reached the pinnacle of the genre. All platform games afterwards would never equal the silicon-wafered nirvana that was SMB3. Once Nintendo hit that lofty peak, they started pimping Mario out into different gaming categories - for example, Dr. Mario in 1990, Mario Open Golf in 1991, Super Mario Kart in 1992, and so on and so forth. The plump plumber has been featured in nearly every type of video game including the National Pastime. Just as the summer of 2008 is about to creep up on us, Nintendo releases another Mario baseball game where Princess Peach, Luigi, Waluigi, Mario, and more get to swing for the fences and hustle on the bases. The Wii Remote is used to hurl pitches and swing the bat with realistic motion. For example, to throw a pitch, the Wii Remote is moved back and then thrust forward to launch a fastball. A similar motion is used to swing the bat where the Wii Remote is snapped forward as the pitch sails towards the plate. Jan Code: 4902370516661 View the back cover and screenshots on the main NCSX website. Region Lock-out
Please note Japanese Wii games will not boot on USA or European Wii consoles due to the inherent region-lockout on Japanese Wii game discs. In order to play Japanese games on a USA or European Wii console, you will need to purchase a Freeloader boot disc.
NCS Game Notes
» In the intro to the game, everyone is on a boat that's headed to a baseball-themed island. They disembark and run up the height of a lighthouse to take in the expanse of the island below. Later, they gallop into a baseball stadium and magically wave Wii Remotes into bats and play ball. An interesting visual is Donkey Kong who bats with his fist instead of a wooden stick. He also plays rough with Luigi. » At the outset of the game, you can choose one of three save-data files. » In the "Now Loading" screen, Mario runs with both arms pumping. Another "Now Loading" animation shows Donkey Kong beating his chest. » At the outset of the game, five ballparks are available to play upon. Two additional ballparks must be unlocked before they're accessible. A conventional stadium called Mario Stadium may be found on the southwest corner of the island but the other four ballparks feature unconventional designs. They are: DK Jungle, Yoshi Park, Wario City, and Peach Rink. » Start a new game and choose one of 12 captains as follows: Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Wario, Catherine, Daisy, Luigi, Mario, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Waluigi, Bowser Jr, and Bowser. After choosing your captain, you'll choose your opponent and then the level of COM difficulty. Next, a team roster selection screen pops up where you'll choose 8 players for your team from a field of 40 players. Note that 9 players are blocked by question marks and aren't accessible yet. Players that are selectable include a Piranha Plant, Goomba, Boo, Baby Mario, Mr Toad, and many others. » The innings in each game are selectable from 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. » Each captain's team has a special name. They are: The Mario Fireballs
The Wario Muscles
The Daisy Flowers
The Yoshi Eggs
The Diddy Monkeys
The Catherine Lips
The DK Wilds
The Luigi Knights
The Peach Royals
The Waluigi Smarts
The Koopa Rookies
The Koopa Monsters » When batting, you're supposed to pull the Wii Remote back with a sideways motion. As the ball nears the plate, swish the Wii Remote in another sideways motion to swing the bat and connect with the ball. Before the actual game starts, you'll get to swing the bat three times in a practice run to get a feel for the mechanics. » When Wario strikes someone out, he presents his backside to the camera and smacks it. For himself. » Fielding is handled through the analog stick on the nunchuk. Throwing a ball from the outfield or infield is similar to pitching or batting. After catching a ball, whip the Wii Remote in a sideways motion to throw it back to someone in the infield. » The Challenge Mode is a sort of RPG/Baseball game where Mario roams around the island, interacts with characters, and engages in baseball missions where simple objectives such as hitting balls into the outfield are accomplished. » To power up a batter, wave the Wii Remote up then down once and the character will charge up. Wait for the ball to sail over the plate and then swing the Wii Remote to knock out a homer. Your timing has to be pretty dead-on to hit a home-run but you'll know you've got it when the words "Just Meet" appear and the camera zooms in on the hit from three different angles in rapid succession. » We tried one mini-game where four players stand in four lanes and throw pitches at their respective Piranha plants that are also in each lane. When pitching, a little wooden gatepost goes up and down to block your throw. To win, hit the Piranha plant as many times as possible to push it back towards the end of the lane and score points. » For players who need practice, a Training Mode allows players to pitch, bat, field, run the bases and more in short tutorials. » Super Mario Stadium isn't a conventional baseball game and anyone looking for a straightforward baseball sim won't find it here. The baseball field is littered with obstacles including mobile ice chunks and power-up moves are available to the players to give them an edge over the opposition. Gamers looking for fantasy baseball however will find it here in spades. This document is ©NCSX 2008. All rights reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of this document may be made without express written consent of National Console Support, Inc.
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