Some of you may remember when basketball great Michael Jordan decided he wanted to play baseball in addition to basketball. You'll note that he's not listed on any MLB teams today. It didn't go so well for him. Mario, on the other hand, is a plumber, but now, he's decided to try his hand at baseball as well. He already had one outing on the diamond in the GameCube's Mario Superstar Baseball, which was a great game for the whole family. But is this the same game with a Wiimote, or is this a whole new ball game?

Presentation

From the opening animation, you can see that the graphics take a step up from the GameCube. Borrowing from the Super Mario Galaxy effects library and pizzazz, it's still a Mario game with cartoony graphics, but the developers seem to have pushed it to the Wii's limits. With over 40 playable characters, plus the option to use your Mii in some modes, this game is looking good.

Controls

Baseball is all about control, though, and Sluggers doesn't disappoint. With the option to control with either the Wiimote alone for a simpler experience or the nunchuck for more challenge, players of all ages will find just the right degree of difficulty. The Wiimote is used as you'd expect, swinging the bat or making a throwing motion, adding in twists and button presses for tweaking throws and hits, plus running, catching, throwing, and other moves.

The movement does take some getting used to, though, since I found that it wouldn't always register movements correctly, a frequent complaint more the fault of the motion detection of the Wii than the game itself. It could cause frustration among the easily annoyed, however. As an alternative, you can use the classic or GameCube controllers or hold the Wiimote horizontally, so lots of options make something available for everyone.

Modes

Training

Getting a feel for the controls is easier with the training mode. It's a bit slow, but it does the job, and it helps point out some of the special features of the game.

Challenge

Challenge is the single-player story mode. You play as Mario trying to rescue Peach's island from Bowser and his lackeys. By wandering around the island, you meet other characters, and after a series if challenges, mostly involving pitching or hitting a certain way. Once you complete the games, you can add them to your roster and eventually take on Bowser and company in a game.

Exhibition

Play a game on a variety of different themed fields. You can choose from a variety of options, choose team captains and teams (even use Miis along with Mario characters), and decide field positions, keeping in mind which characters work best together. Play 2 player simultaneous in splitscreen, but note that the splitscreen view can sometimes make it difficult to field the ball.

Minigame

As you play challenge and exhibition games, you unlock a few more players, as well as more minigames. Minigames use a simple classic-style control configuration, not motion detection, but they're a fun diversion for up to 4 players.

Toy Field

In this 4-player batting and fielding exercise, catch the ball in various regions on the field for bonus points and the chance to bat. Again, you can use your Mii if you like. We've never been big fans of this mode, since it's fairly difficult and frantic, but for the competitive, it's a decent "brawl" mode as players fight over the ball.

The Play at the Plate

If you've played Mario Superstar Baseball, you'll find this game very familiar, but a complete upgrade. Offering more fields with more complex obstacles and features, the option for motion controlled immersion, better graphics, and more players and minigames, this game is evolutionary, not revolutionary. It's a great time, so if you're looking for a baseball game that you or your family can just pick up and play, I highly recommend buying this. If you're a hardcore baseball fan, you'll prefer MLB Power Pros 2008, although this game has a lot more options for control. If you already have Mario Superstar Baseball, you may want to rent this one to see whether the differences are worth the purchase. If you love Mario Superstar Baseball and crave more, buy this one--you won't be disappointed. Hopefully, though, the next version of this game will offer more modes, though, like online play, better support for 6+ players for party play, and more Wiimote integration in minigames.