I’ll start with Soccer. I was impressed in that the game let’s you set up your formation and make other changes to your lineup. I wasn’t expecting much depth to any one game since there are five to choose from, but it was a pleasant surprise!
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| Luigi in Beast Mode |
Extra time, power moves, and plenty of fanfare both during and before the game, Soccer fans will definitely get a kick (pun NINTENDED, twice) out of soccer on MSS.
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| A threat on offense… |
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| …and defense. |
Tennis was next, and was probably my least favorite game of the bunch. The controls seemed overly complicated for a game of this nature. There is a way to simplify the controls but it still seemed like I wasn’t really in control for some of the play. It’s an odd mix of using the buttons and/or having the option to use the touch screen. It might take some getting used to.
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| Show off. |
Golf was much more enjoyable and it was nice to be able to be up and running after a quick tutorial. Maybe it’s me, but sports games are becoming more and more difficult to pick up and play. I played a quick 3 hole round and I ended up progressing nicely from a Bogey, to a Par, and finally a Birdie.
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| The Real Birdman! |
Horse Racing is the last game on this title. It also seems to be the one with the most depth, not only can you race the horses, you can customize them and tend to their needs. You can take them on walks, feed them, and brush them.
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| Finally, a game where horsing around is encouraged. |
I must admit that this game wasn’t my favorite, my daughter really got into it. She customized her own horse, took it on walks, raced it and worked on developing a bond with it.
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| “My horse really loves me!!” |
Overall, I enjoyed three out of the five games and I can see myself pulling my 3DS out of retirement to play some soccer and golf on the go. Nintendo is really taking a shot at making mobile gaming great again with the Switch and Mario Sports Superstars is a solid entry into the 3DS library. There are also Mario Sports Superstars amiibo cards available which add fun bonuses to the game.