The last new strikers hit pitch

It looks like updates for Mario Strikers: Battle League are coming to a close, and they're doing it with two familiar faces. The Wave 3 update adds Bowser Jr. and Birdo to the soccer title, in what Nintendo says is the final free update for Mario Strikers: Battle League.

Shown off in the latest trailer, Bowser Jr. is a balanced competitor with accurate passes. I guess the little dude learned teamwork somewhere. Birdo, meanwhile, is an offensive powerhouse with powerful shots. See them in actio?n below:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYDiMrIEEyc

While Mario Strikers has added three batches of post-launch characters and other updates, like special gear and arenas, it looks like the free updates are coming to a close. Over on social media, Nintendo UK says this is the "final free update" for Mario Strikers: Battle League.

Though ??the d?oor may still be open for paid DLC somewhere down the line, it looks like this particular sports spinoff is coming to a close soon.

End of regulation

Mario Strikers: Battle League went live back in June of this year, and it seemed to deliver some high-octane soccer to fans. Soccer hadn't seen much?? love in the Mario sports-sphere in some time, so it was nice to see this particular line of spin-offs get a new entry.

While most of the Switch-era sports spinoffs have seen a decent number of free post-launch updates, it's sad to see this particular one come to a close. ?Whether this means we'll see another entry on the way soon or not isn't clear yet, but since the Switch seems to be sticking around a while, I'm hopeful we see some other sports entries revived. Mario needs to play some baseball again, is all I'm saying.

The third free update for Mario Strikers: Battle League goes live on December 13.

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Labored with NINTENDO RULES (tm)

Nintendo has released a new demo for its madcap sports title Mario Strikers: Battle League, giving Switch owners the oppor?tunity to check out the colorful an??d chaotic soccer game free of charge. The demo is available to download from the eShop now.

Nintendo had previously released a trial for Mario Strikers prior to the game's launch back in June of this year, but that particular demo was locked to Nintendo Online subscribers. While this new demo can be accessed by all Switch users, it is still limited to Nin??tendo's precious limitations. For starters, only one game of the Cup Battle feature can be played before the option is locked out. In addition, players can only experience the "Quick Match" feature seven times, before that too becomes inaccessible.

//twitter.com/Nint??endoAmerica/status/1590517271679508482?s=20&t=t-qXago3izz8rLojADoTSA

It's likely that Nintendo is hoping to get more footy fans on board, given the coming of the FIFA World Cup. But it's going to be a tough sell. While Mario Strikers: Battle League is a perfectly fine multiplayer title for anyone who wants a kickabout with pals, the full release has also been criticized for being ver?y barebones, while also su?ffering from a distinct lack of major content drops/roster expansions since its initial launch. At $60, it's a hefty ask for a game that has been particularly subdued during its honeymoon period.

Still, if you and some pals fancy a bit of goofy footballing fun, then perhaps this new demo might help to win you over. At least you'll come away without any astro-burns,? nor will you have to suffer some Big Lad blowing an air horn i??n your ear.

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It also adds a new stadium

Diddy Kong and Pauline are the latest free DLC/update characters for Mario Strikers: Battle League, and they're out now.

Originally confirmed in the recent September Nintendo Direct, this is actually a full-on update for Battle League, billed as version 1.2.0. It not only adds the aforementioned content (Diddy Kong, Pauline, the Planetoid stadium, and more gear), it also serves as an adjustment patch of sorts. CPU teammates are now snappier, charge times for perfect passes have been tweaked, an?d you now earn more coins in general. Clubs will also now be barred from participating in a season for 30 days of idle time as opposed to 90 days if no one appears online during that time period.

Note that this follows the prior July update (1.1.0), which added Daisy, Shy Guy, and the ??Desert R?uin stadium into the mix. While Mario Strikers: Battle League had a solid foundation at launch, it really needed more content to justify itself for ??a lot of folks. It's alread?y there, roster-wise.

You can peruse the full patch notes below.

[gallery ids="345576,345577,345578"]

Mario Strikers: Battle League Diddy Kong and Pauline patch - Ver. 1.2.0 (Released September 21, 2022)

Additional Content

• Added “Paulineâ€?as a playable character.
• Added “Diddy Kongâ€?as a playable character.
• Added the “Planetoidâ€?stadium.
• Added the “Barrelâ€?gear set.

Added Features

• Added “Striker Rankingsâ€?to the Main Menu. Compete by comparing your individual ability over a fixed period of time with “Skill Scoreâ€? which varies with your performance in online matches (excluding Battle Friends).
• Added the following content to “Strikers Clubâ€?
  • You can now customize supporters in the stadium. Access this by going to “Club Managementâ€?â†?“Stadiumâ€?â†?“Supportersâ€?
  • You can now use Coins to view fireworks and confetti when you score a goal or when you win a match. Access this by going to “Club Managementâ€?â†?“Match Celebrationâ€?

General

• Adjusted the behavior so that CPU teammates mark opponents more quickly.
• Adjusted the order of characters when you switch characters.
• Adjusted the charge time of Perfect Free Passes and Perfect Free Lob Passes.
• Increased the amount of Coins and tokens you earn depending on the results of a match.
• Changed the period of time for a rule in Strikers Club, which states that a Club will not be allowed to join a season if no member of a Club has been online within a certain amount of time, from 90 days to 30 days.
• Changed the number of ? Blocks that are thrown to the losing team at kickoff from 2 to 1 when the difference in score is 2 points.
• Adjusted the match-making system in online matches.
• Made several other adjustments to game balance and fixed several other issues to improve the gameplay experience.

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Ah instructional manuals, I missed you old friends

Thanks to a My Nintendo update, strategy booklets for Mario Strikers Switch ar?e on ?the menu, hearkening back to the bygone era of manuals.

For the sum total cost of zero platinum points, you can download the strategy booklets for Mario Strikers Switch yourself. There's two in total: one that goes over basic techniques, and another that focuses on advanced me?chanics. Both of them run the gamut of the game's tutorial system, and really, the advanced bo??oklet isn't a bad thing to have near you as you're learning the game.

Interestingly, they fold in such a way that they can be turned into actual booklets. They even have a full page dedicated to folding and cutting! If you're game for a crafting project that requires identifying "mountain fold lines and valley fold lines" you're set this afternoon. As an added bonus: Thankfully, Nintendo has crafted the booklets to ensure they can both be stored in the actual Mario Strikers: Battle League case.

If only you could order physical manuals for every first-party Nintendo game

I get wanting to cut down on environmental footprints, but providing a "print on dema?nd" service for manuals sounds like a really interesting potential market opportunity. Even if they were sparing and linked to the My Nintendo p??hysical goods system, there's something there.

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Plus a new stadium and some gear

The first free update for Mario Strikers: Battle League arrives this week. It's?? bolstering the cast with some classic Mario characters, and also adding some new gear?? and stadiums to mix up the action on the field.

Daisy and Shy Guy both join the Mario Strikers: Battle League roster on July 22, as part of the game's f??ree update. Also included in the update is Knight Gear, a set of gear that focuses on shooting and strengt?h, and the Desert Rain Stadium.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=29qaA3suXBk

Daisy is a Technique-type player who's difficult to knock down. Shy Guy, meanwhile, is an all-rounder. Personally, I just really dig Shy Guy's specia??l shot. He basically turns himself into a bullet and launches himself at the ball, and it's fantastic.

More Mario sports

It looks like Mario Strikers: Battle League will carry on the usual model for Mario sports games on the Switch. Both Mario Tennis Aces and Mario Golf: Super Rush got a series of updates post-launch, adding characters and mo??re options to the action. They were also free updates, which is a nice alternative to a DLC drip-feed.

It feels like Mario Strikers: Battle League is destined for a similar lifespan to those games. I do hope some of the post-launch content eventually addresses the lack of solo options noted in our review of Battle League. As much fun as beating your friends at Mario soccer is, having something to ??do on the road is nice?? too.

As for the character choices so far, Daisy and Shy Guy seem like fun additions. My petition: get some wild, out-there picks in the Mario Strikers roster. You just know Wiggler ?would be a wild addition to the lineup. Maybe even a guest character?

Mario Strikers: Battle League is out now on the Nintendo Switch.

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It starts tonight

It's a Mario Strikers weekend!? The demo is live starting tonight, and will run through Sunday in brief windows of time.

The first session is due to start tonight at 8PM PT, and it'll run for one hour. After that you can try for the next session on Saturday morning at 4AM PT, followed by events at 12PM and 8PM. Then on Sunday, there's two sessions: 4AM and 12PM. It's a little confusing, but just remember that you can only pl?ay for one hour in total when each session starts, and you should be good.

You can pre-load/grab the "First Kick" demo here. It does require Switch Online, but there is a Switch Online fr??ee trial offer through My Nintendo. Training sessions are also part of the demo, on top of "Versus Everyone" and "Join Friends" modes. Consider this a last-minu?te PSA, so you have ample time to download the demo now or queue it up before you get back from work, to join in tonight!

As a reminder, here are the Mario Strikers weekend times:

• Friday, June 3 â€?8:00-9:00pm PT
• Saturday, June 4 â€?4:00-5:00am PT
• Saturday, June 4 â€?12:00-1:00pm PT
• Saturday, June 4 â€?8:00-9:00pm PT
• Sunday, June 5 â€?4:00-5:00am PT
• Sunday, June 5 â€?12:00-1:00pm PT

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Get ahead of the field this weekend

A new Mario sports game is due out in just a few weeks. But if the wait's a bit too long, there's a demo event for Mario Strikers: Battle League being held next weekend.

Nintendo announced the Mario Strikers: Battle League First Kick demo today, a weekend-long online event. Just download the Mario Strikers: Battle League d?emo off the eShop and log on during the active?? time periods.

Note that this does require an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription. You can go ahead and download the demo right here, right now at this link.

Mario Strikers: Battle League First Kick dates and times:

• Friday, June 3 - 8:00-9:00pm PT
• Saturday, June 4 - 4:00-5:00am PT
• Saturday, June 4 - 12:00-1:00pm PT
• Saturday, June 4 - 8:00-9:00pm PT
• Sunday, June 5 - 4:00-5:00am PT
• Sunday, June 5 - 2:00-1:00pm PT

Online play will be active during those windows, with both Versus Everyone and Join Friends matches open. Training mode will also be open for th??e duration of the demo, so you can hop in and get ready for the big matches early.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW2mgcAxdWs

Mario Strikers is one of the Mario sports series that hasn't had as much attention as its Golf or Tennis brethren. It's a shame, because I've got some pretty fond memories of previous Strikers games. (And while we're at it, I'm really hoping for a new Mario Base??ball at some point.)

The various sports franchises have had some mixed reception with their Nintendo Switch iterations. For Mario Strikers: Battle League, it seems like there are plans for gradual content to roll out post-launch. Nintendo also confirmed today that Mario Strikers: Battle League will?? get "multiple" post-launch drops, of bot??h characters and unspecified content, in free updates.

Frankly, I'd love to see some guest characters hit the field, much like Link in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. We'll see what Mario Strikers: Battle League has in store wh?en it hits th??e Switch pitch on June 10, 2022.

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Even digitally, I'll still be picked last

We're just under a month out from blowing the whistle on Nintendo's incoming sports release Mario Strikers: Battle League Football, and Nintendo France has released a new video fe?aturing an entire match pulled from the silly soccer sim, which launches on Nint?endo Switch June 10.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUlQsDW4D4U

Taking place at a stadium built within Bowser's castle, the five-on-five action sees Mario, Toad, Peach, and Luigi take on an all-star team of Waluigi, Rosalina, Yoshi, and, of course, Big Bad Bowser himself. Home field advantage! Once the action gets underway, it looks like a solid bout of good, old-fashioned, knockabout fun, heralding Nintendo's ability to squeeze the joy and excitement out of a sport without getting too dry and technical about it �ala Mario Golf and Mario Tennis.

We get to see some of Mario Strikers: Battle League's wacky mechanics in action, including dropkick tackles, electrified fences, on-pitch power-ups, and special skills such as Bowser's spin at??tack and Mario's devastating Captain special. Other highlights include Bowser channel??ing Diego Maradona for a "Hand of God" goal, some really smart set play from Team Mario, and Rosalina's existence. The French commentator is great, and frankly should be included as an in-game option.

From this short match video, Mario Strikers: Battle League Football is already looking to be a lot of fun, especially for parties of four. We'll be sure to bring your word of the final product right here on Destructoid? when it hits, June 10, exclusively on Nintendo Switch?.

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Mario's not messing around this time

Have you ever played a sports game and thought, "man, this is fun, but I wish it felt more like Mario Kart." Well you're in luck, because Nintendo just announced the game that will scratch that very itch: Mario Strikers: Battle League. 

The game lets you suit up as your favorite character from the Mario-verse and battle your way to victory in the most chaotic soccer game you can imagine. Well, it's not soccer really, but instead a similar, original sport they're calling Strike. Sure, you're going to be dribbling, passing to teammates, and scoring goals, but of course there are also some twists in there that we've come to expect from a Mario game. Players can also tackle, use items like the classic shells and banana peels from Mario Kart, and use "crushing special shots."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7679KxxsqQ

There's also customizable gear in the mix, which will give players different stat advantages and disadvantages based on what they equip, in addition to it ?altering how they look. Up to eight players will be able to compete against each other on one?? single Switch console, which is pretty cool. Of course there's also online play available as an option, and players can join online clubs of up to twenty players to compete for placement in the rankings. You can join clubs made by family and friends, or just join one created by another player.

Mario Strikers: Battle League will be available on Nintendo Switch June? 10, 2022, and pre-orders are ope?n starting today!

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