Mario Sports Superstars puts five sports on one cartridge for the Nintendo 3DS, and the idea sounds simple enough. Soccer, baseball, tennis, golf, and horse racing all get their own modes, with familiar Mario characters taking the field. The result lands somewhere between a solid afternoon and a game that feels thin next to the standalone Mario Sports titles that came before it.
Trailer, via Nintendo UK.
Five Sports, One Cartridge
The game packs a lot into its package. Soccer plays eleven versus eleven, just like the sport itself. Baseball, tennis, golf, and horse racing each get their own full set of modes too, including single-player tournaments, local multiplayer, and online play. That variety is the game’s biggest strength, and it’s why players who own a 3DS can find something new here without having to buy five separate cartridges.
But the sports are not mini-games. They are full-scale recreations of each sport, complete with rules, scoring, and play styles that borrow from previous Mario Sports titles. That distinction matters. A mini-game can be finished in minutes. A full recreation takes time to learn and master, and that’s exactly what Mario Sports Superstars delivers across all five disciplines.
Soccer, Baseball, Tennis, Golf, and Horse Racing
Each sport draws on past Mario Sports entries for its look and feel. The Tennis mode brings back Chance Shots from Mario Tennis Open, along with Jump Shots and Ultra Smashes from Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash. The Golf mode is based on the gameplay of Mario Golf: World Tour, with its aesthetic drawn from that earlier game as well. These connections give the game a sense of continuity, even as it tries to cover five sports at once.
The soccer mode plays eleven versus eleven, the standard format for the sport. Baseball, tennis, golf, and horse racing each get their own distinct modes too, with local multiplayer, online play, and single-player tournament runs available across the board. The design is consistent across all five sports, which means players who move from one sport to another don’t have to learn entirely new control schemes.
Amiibo Cards and Online Play
The game uses amiibo cards to unlock new content and characters, and that system drew criticism from reviewers. The reliance on physical cards felt like a step back from the standalone Mario Sports titles, which offered more varied content without requiring additional purchases. The game’s presentation and online multiplayer were singled out for praise, but the amiibo card system stood out as a weak spot.
Online multiplayer remains a strong feature. Matches against friends over the internet are quick to set up, and the game supports local multiplayer as well, making it easy to gather a group of friends in one room. The single-player challenge modes offer a way to test skills against the game’s AI, though they don’t add much beyond what the multiplayer modes already provide.
“The game received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its gameplay, variety, online multiplayer, and presentation, but criticized its usage of amiibo cards and lack of content and distinctive elements in every sport.”
Presentation and Sound
The presentation holds up well across all five sports. Each mode carries its own visual identity, drawn from the earlier Mario Sports titles mentioned above. Players can pick up a sport and start a match within seconds, which keeps the game feeling fresh even after repeated play sessions.
The game’s bird-view perspective and third-person camera angles keep things readable during fast action. This is a game built for quick sessions, and the presentation helps that happen smoothly.
What Works, What Doesn’t
The game succeeds when it leans into variety and simplicity. Quick matches, accessible controls, and a wide range of sports all work together to make Mario Sports Superstars a pleasant addition to the 3DS library. It’s the kind of game that rewards picking it up for a few minutes and then putting it down, only to come back later.
Where the game stumbles is in depth. Compared to the standalone Mario Sports titles, it offers less content and fewer distinctive features in every sport. The reliance on amiibo cards for unlocking content also limits what players can get from the game without purchasing additional physical items.
Here’s how the five sports break down against the standalone Mario Sports games:
- Soccer — eleven versus eleven, full-scale recreation, praised for presentation.
- Baseball — local and online multiplayer, solid but unremarkable.
- Tennis — Chance Shots and Ultra Smashes from Mario Tennis Open, praised for presentation.
- Golf — based on Mario Golf: World Tour, praised for presentation.
- Horse racing — full mode included, praised for presentation.
All five modes share the same strengths and weaknesses. They’re all accessible, they’re all quick to play, and they all rely on familiar Mario characters. But none of them feel like they stand apart from the others, and that sameness is what holds the game back from greatness.
Final Word
Mario Sports Superstars is a competent, if limited, entry in the Mario Sports series. It’s fun to pick up and play, and it offers a nice variety of sports for players who want to try something new without buying multiple games. The online multiplayer and the single-player challenge modes give it replay value, and the presentation remains strong throughout.
But the game doesn’t push past its predecessors. It borrows heavily from earlier Mario Sports titles for its modes and looks, and it relies on amiibo cards for content that could have been included in the cartridge itself. Those are the reasons it gets a middling score.
For players with a 3DS, Mario Sports Superstars is worth a look. It’s a solid, if modest, addition to the library. Just don’t expect it to match the standalone Mario Sports games that came before it.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
