The first Nintendo Direct of 2022 brought some surprise announcements, including a newMario Strikersgame.Mario Strikers: Battle Leaguewill be the first installment in the series in over a decade and looks like a great reintroduction of the franchise. Between new skills, modes, and gameplay it already has a lot to offer fans, andMario Strikers: Battle League’s arrival on the Nintendo Switch will make it a fun time pretty much anywhere. Another thing thatMario Strikers: Battle Leaguemight bring with it though is the possibility of a newMario Baseballgame.
WhileMario Baseballwasn’t theMariosports title featured inthe February Nintendo Direct, the announcement ofMario Strikers: Battle Leaguecould point to another installment in that series as well. A lot of Nintendo franchises tend to have their release cycles fall into patterns, and series likeMario Strikers,Mario Golf,Mario Tennis, andMario Baseballhave all fit a certain pattern in the past. Previous installments in each of these series have all come out in similar spans of time that stretch out over a few years or so, meaning that aMario Baseballgame would make sense.
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Following Nintendo Patterns
All theMario TennisgamesandMario Golftitles have had considerably frequent releases withMario StrikersandMario Baseballgames tucked between their different titles. For a while, this guaranteed funMario-themed sports games, and in the mid to late-2000s, there were ample options even without the inclusion of theMario and Sonic at the Olympic Gamesseries. Recently, the frequency at which these games have been released has slowed considerably, asMario StrikersandMario Baseballhave both gone over a decade without any new releases.
With moreMariosports titles being released recently, though, this has started to change. The announcement ofMario Strikers: Battle Leagueisn’t the firstMariogame of its kind in recent years, withMario Tennis: AcesandMario Golf: Super Rushboth having released in 2018 and 2021, respectively. With the proximity of these two games to the release ofMario Strikers: Battle League, it looks like theMariosports games have kicked off a new cycle. If the past patterns that had these titles releasing within a few years of one another continues this time around, it’s possible that a newMario Baseballgame could be announced sometime in the next year or so.
This might seem relatively soon considering fans were just treated tothe announcement ofMario Strikers: Battle League, but it’s still feasible. With a February announcement and release date of June 08, 2025, there would be plenty of time separatingMario Strikers: Battle Leaguefrom a newMario Baseballreveal in early 2023. Since both games focus on different sports as well, while it might increase the number ofMariosports games on the market, there wouldn’t necessarily be an over saturation as each series brings its different style and gameplay to the table.
This would also work with the current trend of sports-themed Nintendo franchises getting new additions. Along with the announcement ofMario Strikers: Battle Leagueat the most recent Nintendo Direct, fans witnessedthe reveal ofNintendo Switch Sports. This title is a new installment in the classicWii Sportsseries that started with the Wii and saw new installments in its franchise through 2014 with the release ofWii Sports ClubandWii Fit U. Featuring revamps of classic games and the introduction of new ones,Nintendo Switch Sportsrounds out a trend of sports titles on the Nintendo Switch that haven’t been in the spotlight much since the peak of the Wii’s popularity.
With the return of these franchises as well as the proximity of theMario-themed sports titles to one another, it seems likely that a newMario Baseballtitle could be in the works. This doesn’t mean that fans should expect it to be announced in 2022, but rumors of its development could start to circulate as time goes on. If such a game does become more tangible, though, it would likely remain out of the public eye for much of 2022, with the first or second Nintendo Direct of 2023 being the most likely time for it to be announced.
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Mario Baseball’s Switch Potential
The revival ofMario Baseballcould work incredibly well on theNintendo Switch. The last installment on the Wii,Mario Super Sluggers, was released almost 14 years ago. This puts almost a decade and a half worth of hardware advancements atMario Baseball’s disposal, and the Nintendo Switch’s focus on fun group play and party games is a philosophy that could suit theMario Baseballseries.
The advancements that have already been seen with the newMario Strikers: Battle Leaguetitle that was just announced also offer a lot of options for a newMario Baseballgame to adopt as well.The online play inMario Strikers: Battle Leaguealready looks like a game-changer, and it could benefit a newMario Baseballtitle in the future. The use of the online club mode could help the game develop a strong community that’s able to last for at least a few years, making it a solid investment on Nintendo’s part.
The indiscriminate violence inMario Strikers: Battle League, as well as over-the-top skills, also bode well for a futureMario Baseballgame. Being as extreme and cartoonish as possible is one of the best aspects ofMariofor sports games to explore and being able to capitalize on the unbelievable adds a lot of vibrancy to them. The foundations of sports like baseball and soccer are still prominent, but if aMario Baseballgame does followMario Strikers: Battle Leaguesoon, it should continue its trend of being as over the top as possible.
Of course, whetherMario Baseballwill return as a series is speculation. WhileMario Strikers: Battle League,Mario Golf: Super Rush, andMario Tennis: Acescould be following a pattern, there’s still the possibility that the decision to leaveMario Baseballbehind has been made. This could be a two-pronged decision that would open up more calendar space for future releases, but it would also leave a classic series behind despite similar products being well received by fans. For now, all fans can do is hope the trend continues.
Mario Strikers: Battle Leaguereleases on Jul 20, 2025, for Nintendo Switch.
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