Mario Superstar Baseball [GC]

In the past, Mario sports have rarely been less than a goldmine. For years, Nintendo seemed to have the golden formula. With a full stable of diverse characters, no sporting tradition was too strong to withstand some colorful tweaking and playful special moves. But if baseball has taught us anything, it's that dynasties are made to fall, and Mario Superstar Baseball is riding that downward curve.

On the mound and at the plate, Mario can perform, if not like a pro, then at least like a quirky plumber. Pitches can simply be hurled, or charged up for extra speed, and players can change the ball's trajectory in mid-air. It's a knuckleballer's game every time. Batting couldn't be simpler, with the same charge-up ability in the batter's box. The pitcher/batter duel here is simple and easy to pick up.

With a couple of imaginative players bent on outdoing one another, the duel between pitcher and batter can be intense and more fun than watching Canseco's Senate testimony. Even though only three basic pitches are available (fastball, changeup, and each character's special) there's plenty of variety and the contest can really heat up. And the conflict between pitcher and batter is so basic that the game's eccentricities only make it more fun.

Step out of the batter's box, though, and Mario's game suddenly feels like the minor leagues. There's little precision when fielding, though at least it's possible to dash after a ball and leap to make the catch. But try to throw it back to second, and good luck. Without a convenient set of diamond face buttons, players must use the control stick to aim at a base, and then hope for the best. Sometimes it works, and sometimes your throw will go to third instead of second. Or worse, to second instead of third.

Running bases isn't much better, even though the game really encourages stealing. Various button combinations advance and retreat single or multiple runners, but it doesn't much matter since the base paths seem coated with molasses. Response is incredibly sluggish, which is disappointing since Mario's sporty titles are typically polished like a gem. Any gamer can bet that in a play determined by fielding, runs will score, but there's no guarantee that deliberate base running is going to work magic, either.

With those elements sagging, Mario's baseball outing just doesn't have much depth. Even as fun as the pitching can be, it's no substitute for a full game. Players shouldn't be surprised to see a total lack of season modes, either. Progress through the game is essentially about beating a couple teams, then knocking out Bowser in a sort of boss battle game. There's just not much to it.

Anyone hoping at least to see their favorite Nintendo personalities in a new light will also be disappointed. On the other hand, those requiring the reassuringly stable visages of beloved characters will be perfectly happy. Mario Superstar Baseball looks more or less like every other Mario title produced for the GameCube. That is, colorful and quite solid, with a very rounded, friendly veneer. But there's no spark of progress here; the title could almost be a Super Mario Sunshine mini-game. That's no surprise, though. The only characters more rigorously maintained than these are those of Disney and Warner Brothers.

If the graphics are pretty and consistent, so is the sound. Each character has a couple of characteristic grunts and phrases, and the sound effects are typically good. But Nintendo's tendency not to allow players to customize any part of the game experience can prove frustrating. In particular, we'd trade a gold brick just to turn off the irritating voice that calls "strike." If there are people in the household that deserve to go crazy, just set them down near the speakers for an hour. Trouble is, you might go nuts, too.

When the primary game fails, a host of mini-games is on tap. Some, like the task of hitting balls to blow up colored barrels, make for great batting practice. And the take on the home run derby, where various cartoonish pitches are thrown at random, is fun. But several others rely too heavily on the lousy fielding and base running, like the gem-gathering mission which is played entirely on the base paths. Next, please.

Somewhere out there in the field of dreams, there's probably someone who would love Mario Superstar Baseball, but it's difficult to figure out who. The controls and performance are too unreliable for non-baseball fans to make this a hit a la Mario Kart, and true fans just won't be satisfied by the troublesome fielding. There is some solid fun to be had with the pitching and batting alone, but trying to enjoy that alone is like rooting for a single superstar in a team full of minor-league ringers.