Super Mario Sluggers is basically a casual game wrapped around the sport of baseball. If you’re at all expecting an actual baseball simulation game here you will be sorely disappointed, it is a Mario game after all, but if you’re looking for a casual baseball game with easy controls that allows you to play with family and friends this is a safe pickup.

Unlike real-life baseball, things are more set around charging up your hits and pitches. While batting you swing the remote back and hold it as your character charges up, then you swing it forward when the ball goes across the plate and hits your “sweet spot” that is indicated on the screen. The problem is that sometimes when you swing back with the controller the charge doesn’t happen and you have to quickly attempt to charge again or you can just do a regular hit. Once you put the ball in play you shake the remote back and forth to run faster (the player will automatically run, the shaking just speeds them up).

In order to continue to the next base you press the down arrow on the d-pad and continue to shake the controller to make your runners get there quickly. When you receive star power, something you actually get a plethora of if you’re doing badly, you can hold the A and B buttons while charging back and swing the remote forward. A short cutscene will play and the ball will have a little more power behind it and will often be so powerful it will knock a fielder back. You are also able to throw attack items at the fielders like barrels and turtle shells that will knock them down and generally try to disrupt them making the defensive play.

On the other side of the ball, pitching is almost too simple. You simply do the throwing motion by lifting the remote and motioning like a pitcher would. Along with this, if you have the nunchuck attached – not required in the game but helpful – you can move the ball to the left and right. Almost every throw you make is a strike, balls are very rare unless the pitcher is getting tired and then all it takes is for you to switch positions on the field with another capable pitcher. You can also throw a slow, arching pitch by holding down the A button while doing the throwing motion. It can often be very hard to hit this pitch simply because of the extreme arch it has.

When the ball is in play you can move around with the nunchuck or if you just have the Wiimote the AI will assist you in fielding. You don’t throw to a base via any button or by directing the nunchuck to the base and pressing a button. Instead you just make a throwing motion like you do while pitching and it seems the AI makes the decision of what base you’re going to throw to. It would have been nice to have some sort of control in using cutoff players and throwing to a specific base, but once again you have to keep in mind that this is a casual game of baseball and doesn’t take itself too seriously.