Mario Superstar Baseball
Challenge Mode & Star Mission FAQ/Guide
Final Version by ANelson
[email protected]
i. Purpose
ii. Baseball Terms
iii. FAQ/Support
iv. Items & Unlockables
v. Challenge Mode Information & Strategy
vi. Special Talents and Captain Star Powers
vii. Minigames
viii. Star Mission List: Methods & Strategies
ix. Character Star Mission & Talent Listings
x. MVP Records
xi. Contribute to this FAQ
xii. Contact Info / Thanks
+++NOTE+++
Use Ctrl+F and enter these headings or specific terms/star requirements to
search for various parts of this FAQ! To search for a character's star mission
list, put the character's name in parentheses. This search function should save
you a lot of time =)
Version History:
1.0 - 9/5/05 First version sent in, accepted 9/7/05
1.2 - 9/8/05 Corrected some entries, added character listings, descriptions and
star mission listings.
1.25 & 1.27 - 9/9/05 Some minor, dumb typos corrected. More clarifications made
and additional sites to host the FAQ added.
1.50 - 9/11/05 A few strategies added, one duplicate entry removed.
1.70 - 9/17/05 Added more Challenge mode information to alter the FAQ's total
purpose, added additional strategies and an unlockables section.
2.0 - 11/17/05 Two months later, a massive update. Added multiple new sections
and elaborated on existing ones. Only small updates from here on.
2.01 - 11/19/05 By popular demand, added the minimal level needed for star
missions, and corrected minigames & character talents
2.1 - 11/20/05 Not by demand, just in my need for completion, I unlocked and
listed everyone's MVP Profiles in a new section.
2.11 - 11/22/05 Very minor update, few typos/comments etc. corrected
Final - 6/08/06 The days of receiving e-mails has passed, final cleanup.
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i. Purpose
My reason for writing this guide is simple: to help players through the many
factes of the Challenge Mode, which is by far the most involved and detailed
part of this game, as well as giving detailed information and strategies on
completing the Star Missions for each character.
Please read the next two sections first if you are unsure of certain baseball
terms used in the guide, or are have unanswered questions/difficulties. I
certainly hope this will be a helpful tool =)
This guide started originally as just a Star Mission FAQ/Guide, but the lack
of a Challenge mode FAQ and frequent questions/concerns from players out there
had me elaborate on the foci of the guide. I believe I've covered every aspect
of it though, and will leave the rest of the information for the other good
FAQs out there.
Well, with the exception of the new section for MVP Profiles. But I just had fun
unlocking those, and haven't seen them listed elsewhere, so even though it's not
a part of Challenge Mode, it's in here. Yay! =D
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ii. Baseball Terms
You may not have a clue what I, or the game is talking about if you don't
understand these, so here's some basic descriptions:
a) Hit: When a player hits ball, and gets to first without being thrown, caught,
or tagged out.
Note - If they choose to run to second/third/home and get tagged out, it will
still count as a Hit.
b) Home Run/Homer: When a player hits the ball over the back walls/fences, and
subsequently gets to round the bases and score. If the player manages to round
all the bases on one hit that does not cross the wall/fence, it is referred to
as an "Inside the park" Homer.
c) Bases Loaded: Runners are on first, second, and third base.
d) Grand Slam: Hitting a home run with the bases loaded.
e) Steal: Successfully running to the next base while the ball is -not- in play
from a hit.
Note - This means a steal will not count if the batter makes contact with the
ball during the steal attempt.
f) Tag Out: Getting an out by running into the player with the ball in the
fielder's possession.
g) Force: Refers to when a player has to run for the next base once the ball has
made contact with the ground in fair territory. A force occurs whenever a runner
is on First base, when runners are on First and Second, and when bases are
loaded.
h) Sacrifice: When the batting team intentionally gets an out for the purpose of
advancing base-runners. Can be done with a bunt or fly-ball.
i) Squeeze bunt: When the batting team has a runner on third base not on a
force, and the runner on third steals home while the batter bunts the ball.
Note - A successful squeeze bunt only registers when you steal home before the
pitch, and the runner scores at home.
j) RBI: Run Batted In. A batter gets an RBI for every runner on base that
crosses home plate while the batter's hit is in play.
k) Shut Out: When a team wins, and the losing team has a score of zero.
l) Perfect Game/No-Hitter: When a team wins, and the losing team gets no Hits
in the entire game. A Perfect Game also requires no batters were Walked.
m) Booted Ball: Improperly fielded ball, a result of an fielder's error.
I'm aware there are plenty more baseball terms, but these should clarify enough
to use this guide and get the stars in game.
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iii. FAQ/Support
a)
Q. I can't hit a home run! How do you do it? What's the "instant homer"?
A. It takes practice. The single most important part of connecting a Home Run is
using the charge swing, and hitting the ball with the "sweet spot" of your bat.
When at bat, your player starts with the sweet spot positioned in the very
center of the plate. Use the L button often! It resets you to this position.
Then charge up your swing and move your batter such that you release when the
ball matches the bat's sweet spot as close as possible. Buying the Power or
Nice Bats both can aid this. If you see a "Nice!" or "Perfect!", you are a lot
more likely to get a homer. Many Power players can get home runs without even
a "Nice!" though.
Another way to help, use Z to check a mini-profile of the character. Check the
direction their hits tend to travel, and try aiming at that side of the field.
Note though, that occasionally these profiles are wrong.
Finally, there's the infamous "instant homer". To see it in action, try the
training mode for Special Swings, and when it pitches to Mario, hold R while
you hold and release A. You'll notice he hits an insane homer instead of using
the fireball swing. That's because if you have 5 stars, hold R, do a charge
swing, and hit the ball on the "Perfect!" spot of the bat, you will lose all
your stars and hit an amazing home run. Although, it can go foul, and if you
hit anywhere but "Perfect!", you'll simply lose one or two stars like normal.
It works for any player.
b)
Q. I can normally hit home runs, but not with the _____ character!
A. Try buying the special bats, or switching their batting hand. I, for
instance, hit much better with Left-handed batters, and I couldn't seem to get
Pianta's Home Run until I switched it to a Lefty.
c)
Q. I got a shutout, or beat a minigame like it said, but I didn't get the star!
A. You have to use the character whose star is required to beat the minigames,
beating them alone is not enough. Additionally, any requirement that involves a
Shut Out or Perfect game requires that character Pitch for the entire game.
d)
Q. Do you have to pitch the entire game for Strike out, or special ball related
star missions?
A. No, you can put them in and right back out. The star will still register
unless there are additional requirements you failed (such as winning the game).
d)
Q. I got on base safely _ times to get my hits for a character, but I didn't get
my star! What happened?
A. If another runner is thrown out before your batter got to first, it will
not count as a hit.
e)
Q. A character has boxes that say "???" and others that say "You cannot earn
this star at this level." What do these mean?
A. The latter is self-explanatory, you have to go up in difficulty (Mushroom <
Flower < Star < Special) to be able to earn it. The ??? is a star you can earn,
but will not be revealed until you complete some star requirements before it.
f)
Q. Do I really have to beat Bowser's team and save my data after just so I can
carry my stars over to a new starting team?
A. Yes.
g)
Q. What is a Body Check? Laser beam throw? Clamber? Big Play? Tongue Catch?
Magical Catch?
A. Use Ctrl+F and search the following text for each you're looking for a
description/technique on when finishing star missions. Otherwise, reference
the "Special Talents and Star Skills" section.
- Body Check - 56.
- Laser beam throw - 23.
- Clamber - 60.
- Big Play - 18.
- Tongue Catch - 59.
- Magical Catch - 64.
h)
Q. If I meet requirements for a star before it's available, will I earn the
star immediately when it becomes available?
A. No. Sorry to hear you got that Grand Slam with Mario before you were on
Special Cup, I feel your pain (and did it myself..)
i)
Q. What's the "_____" in a bunch of your star descriptions?
A. A bunch of star requirements are exactly the same as others, except there's a
different player/team captain listed. You are all intelligent enough to not need
a specific entry for "strike out baby mario" compared to "strike out bowser" so
I helped shorten it by putting a blank for miscellaneous characters.
j)
Q. Help! I can't beat the minigame star requirements!
A. I'm hearing people are having a lot of trouble with this. I didn't
personally, so my best advice is use the minigame mode to practice your skills
first, and save before any attempt during challenge mode. If you have three
chances to clear it and fail twice in a row, just reset and try again.
Eventually you'll get it, they can almost all be done on Easy Mode, so...
Otherwise, check my minigames section of the Challenge Mode Guide.
k)
Q. I have three Hammer Bros on my team, and a star that says hit 2 homers in one
game... does the same Hammer Bro have to hit both home runs?
A. No. In fact, this makes many stars easier than they should be. Make sure to
exploit this on ones like Koopa's three hits & Noki's crossing the plate 3 times
l)
Q. 5 Strikeouts with Shyguy? A Perfect Game on Star Mode? Are they nuts?
A. Heh, maybe =D I for one, am glad that getting star characters is in general
quite a challenge this time, whereas it was cake in previous Mario sports games.
Some are fairly difficult/unique, others are quite easy, but the worst are those
dependent on instance of luck.
m)
Q. Do you have all of these completed? Every character a superstar?
A. Yes actually! Finished it near the middle of September. Quite a change from
the four to five I had when I first submitted the FAQ.
n)
Q. What does getting all these stars even do?
A. Once you get all of them, the character becomes a "Superstar" and all their
statistics significantly improve when you set this status in another mode.
Anyone who has played Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour or Mario (Power) Tennis
should be familiar with Star characters... only this time they are MUCH harder
and more time consuming to earn. Also, insignificant, but their "Title" changes,
often to something silly, or disturbing.
o)
Q. Does getting a partial amount of their stars partially improve stats?
A. No. You don't get to select the Star enhancement in EXhibition until you've
made them Superstars.
p)
Q. Why does it always say "More than" when it always means "At least"?
A. I have no clue. Just a persistent bad typo/wording that's present throughout.
q)
Q. Who was your first Superstar? Who do you think will be your last?
A. Pianta was first, all of his are cake. I thought Dixie would be last, but I
finally got the wall catch... turns out it was Luigi. Not that his are hard or
I don't like him, just I didn't use Mario as my captain often, so he was last in
line for the "MVP on the last game" star.
r)
Q. I'm trying to do Body Check, using your technique, but it still won't work!
Did you describe it wrong or what's happening?
A. The main problem here is a player will not always use Body Checks, sometimes
you'll charge the plate and they'll just get thrown out. Or, Body Check may
activate, but the fielder on the plate will not be knocked down, so it again
doesn't work. Why does it do this? Well, if a player could successfully Body
Check every time, that player would be too overpowered. Keep trying! Use long
hits or pickles to set up opportunities to ram 2nd/3rd/Catcher.
s)
Q. Mario's Perfect Game star is too hard! How did you do it?
A. My exact method: I started with Mario's squad, then went to Peach's and
recruited all of her team, then went to DK's to get Dixie Kong as I was still
working on her star. I put Peach on First, Daisy on Second, Luigi on Shortstop,
Red Pianta on Third, Toadette in Right Field, Dixie in Center field, Noki in
Left field, and I think a Yellow Pianta as catcher, I forget. What this
established was chemistry or strong throwers in the infield and very fast
outfielders. Then a very important step, I bought the Superstar item, and saved
right in front of Yoshi's field.
Then, I tried my best to get 10 runs to win by a mercy rule. I ended up getting
7 the first inning and 3 the second and managed to get every batter out.
It's very helpful to save all your stars for Mario's Fireball pitch, which if
used at the edge of the plate, usually will get a strike (do not try striking a
player out with three Fireball pitches, they will usually wise up and hit the
third). Be quick on your feet, pitch as best as you can and take no unnecessary
risks in the game. Eventually you can win with three flawless innings on defense
or one or two coupled with a crushing batting streak.
The Superstar item is a HUGE help if you'll take the time to have access to it
before you attempt this star!
t)
Q. You said one of these stars is easy, but it's taking me forever!
You said one of these stars is hard, but I got it really quick!
A. It's all perception, I've heard of a person who got Baby Mario's superstar
first, as well as someone who's gotten everyone -but- Baby Mario. Some people
get Dixie/Diddy Kong's wall catch star easy, but I say it's hard/annoying on
account of the randomness it takes to potentially get it. In general, if a star
is highly dependent on luck or unusual situations, I've referred to it as
difficult. However, it's luck, so kindly don't berate me, as everyone's
experience will be a little different.
u)
Q. How do clear the path to Bowser's Castle?
A. Beat each of the other Team Captain's teams at least once. You do not have
to make them surrender and join you to have access to the Castle. You can face
Bowser without recruiting a single character if you so desire.
v)
Q. I finally earned a star in a game! Can I give up now and move on?
A. No! You -must- finish the game, regardless of whether you win or lose, or
how badly. Only use give up as a "retry" option, or to set up a roster how you
want before you buy a special item and save for the more difficult stars.
w)
Q. When Bowser is the team captain, who do you face at Bowser's Castle?
A. I'm stunned at how often I see this question... aren't you all curious to try
and see yourself? =P Either way, the answer:
***MILD SPOILER ALERT***
A team made up of 9 of the other team captains shows up at the castle.
***MILD SPOILER END***
x)
Q. How do I get the Buddy Emblem to appear in the shop?
A. Well, I'm not entirely sure. For me, it was just there once, and I bought it.
But my theory is to be able to buy it, your current team roster listed at the
top of the screen has to have incompatible players in it. So, if it's not in
the shop, try making a team with only people that hate each other, like Mario
and Wario, Luigi and Waluigi, Daisy and Petey etc., then start a game, choose
Give Up, then check the shop again. I have since gotten reports from people
that this method works, so that appears to be the key to unlocking it.
y)
Q. What do this even do? I don't notice any difference in performance!
A. Once you've beaten the game with unlocked superstars, pull up Exhibition
mode, and in the batting order, highlight that empty star next to their portrait
and you should definitely notice a difference. Otherwise you won't. It would
break the game a bit if you could have superstar players in Challenge mode that
the computer didn't, or vice versa.
z)
Q. Does this game employ "Comeback AI"? (The computer players perform much
better when losing by a significant amount)
A. In SPADES. In fact it's one of the most difficult things to overcome at
times, because if you get far enough ahead, they'll start getting home runs and
huge hits regardless of what you pitch. The Mercy rule is your friend though, as
the Comeback AI only really shines through when they're batting. Getting a quick
slaughter win is the only way I was able to overcome the obscenely difficult
challenge of beating an all-captain superstared computer team on the hardest
setting against a no-captain & no-power hitter team on the hardest setting.
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iv. Items & Unlockables
~{(TOAD'S SHOP)}~
Your resident convenience store is your one-stop shopping place for main
character's special abilities, team stat enhancements, access to an extra
minigame, and some player's star mission requirements both directly and
indirectly. In other words, you'll make many stops here.
Item: Cost Range (if it goes up as the difficulty goes up)
Description/Uses
** indicates the item must be unlocked, and the method is listed here.
{ONE GAME USE ITEMS}
The following can be purchased as many times as you want, are only good for
one baseball game, and only one can be purchased per game.
NICE BAT: 100-200 Gold
Makes your players get hits more easily. What this does exactly is not clear,
it could theoretically widen your bat's range of connecting solid hits, make
"Nice" and "Perfect" hits more, or help keep your hits in bounds with direction
correction. Use if you need help getting used to connecting hits, but in the
end you'll probably want to buy the Power Bat.
POWER BAT: 100-200 Gold
Significantly increases the power of your swings. It's most noticeable of course
with charged swings. In most cases, the Power Bat makes Home Runs a good bit
easier to hit, helping some characters get a Homer on "Nice" when they'd
normally need a "Perfect". Very, very helpful for Home Run star missions.
SUPER BALL: 100-200 Gold
Supposedly increases the speed and control of your pitches. I'll say this is
misleading though, because while everyone's pitches may speed up, the added
speed from the Super Ball may make your pitches more difficult to curve. Still,
a helpful tool on Shutout and Strikeout Star Missions.
LUCKY GLOVE: 100-200 Gold
Increases everyone's Fielding stat, such that errors are much less likely. The
only real use for this I've found is for Yoshi's tongue-catch Star Mission,
since it requires an out, and he can fumble this. Not especially useful beyond
this though, and is actually a detriment to Baby Mario's Star Mission.
DASH SPIKES: 100-200 Gold
Increases everyone's Running stat. Running helps you whether you're at bat or
fielding, so this is theoretically the most useful of the basic items. Also a
boon if you have trouble with Stealing Bases or Rounding the Plate Star
Missions.
BUDDY EMBLEM: 100-200 Gold
Eases tension between players that normally dislike each other, and promotes
friendship between players. Although Chemistry is helpful, you're better off
building a team with good chemistry and buying a different powerup, rather than
making an incompatible team with this item.
** This item will not be in the shop until you have recruited more characaters,
such that incompatibility would be an issue. If it hasn't shown up, try making
a roster with players that hate each other, Give Up, then check the shop.
SUPERSTAR: 600-900 Gold
The Holy Grail of items. Raises every player's stats will increase, and allays
tension between players. This item makes you play like a pro, and is extremely
useful for getting difficult team-coordination Star Missions like Shutout games
and Mario's dreaded "Perfect Game." An awesome item, and worth every penny.
** This item will not be in the shop until you have purchased every other item
in the shop at least once. So yes, this means it will not be available until
you've beaten Special Mode to access Bowser & Bowser Jr.'s items.
{PERMANENT ITEMS}
These items only need to be purchased once, and will carry over to every
challenge mode game you save and restart.
RED FIREBALL: 200 Gold
Allows Mario to use the Fireball Swing and Fireball Pitch.
** This item appears in the shop once Mario is on your roster.
GREEN FIREBALL: 200 Gold
Allows Luigi to use the Green Fireball Swing and Green Fireball Pitch.
** This item appears in the shop once Luigi is on your roster.
LOVELY HEART: 200 Gold
Allows Peach to use the Heart Swing and Heart Pitch.
** This item appears in the shop once Peach is on your roster.
PRETTY FLOWER: 200 Gold
Allows Daisy to use the Flower Swing and Flower Pitch.
** This item appears in the shop once Daisy is on your roster.
GNARLY GARLIC: 200 Gold
Allows Wario to use the Phony Swing and Phony Pitch.
** This item appears in the shop once Wario is on your roster.
WHISKERED EGGPLANT: 200 Gold
Allows Waluigi to use the Liar Swing and Liar Pitch.
** This item appears in the shop once Waluigi is on your roster.
EGG: 200 Gold
Allows Yoshi to use the Egg Swing and Egg Pitch.
** This item appears in the shop once Yoshi is on your roster.
PINK EGG: 200 Gold
Allows Birdo to use the Pink Egg Swing and Pink Egg Pitch.
** This item appears in the shop once Birdo is on your roster.
KING BANANA: 200 Gold
Allows Donkey Kong to use the Banana Swing and Banana Pitch.
** This item appears in the shop once Donkey Kong is on your roster.
CHIMP BANANA: 200 Gold
Allows Diddy Kong to use the Boomerang Swing and Boomerang Pitch.
** This item appears in the shop once Diddy Kong is on your roster.
BULLET BILL: 200 Gold
Allows Bowser to use the Killer Swing and Killer Pitch.
** This item appears in the shop once Bowser is your captain.
JR. MASK: 200 Gold
Allows Bowser Jr. to use the Killer Jr. Swing and Killer Jr. Pitch.
** This item appears in the shop once Bowser is your captain.
SECRET MAP: 500 Gold
Reveals a warp pipe on the map that allows access to the Toy Field minigame.
** This item appears in the shop once you have beaten each minigame once.
~{(UNLOCKABLES)}~
Various items, characters and games can be unlocked both within Challenge mode
and outside of Challenge Mode once certain requirements are met in Challenge
mode.
FLOWER MODE
Beat Challenge Mode on Mushroom difficulty and save to unlock Flower
difficulty.
STAR MODE
Beat Challenge Mode on Flower difficulty and save to unlock Star difficulty.
SPECIAL MODE
Beat Challenge Mode on Star difficulty and save to unlock Special difficulty.
SPECIAL PITCHES/SWINGS
Buy a character's special item from Toad's Shop once he/she is in your roster,
look at the Toad's Shop section to see which item applies to which character.
TOY FIELD in challenge mode
Beat every minigame once and purchase the SECRET MAP item from Toad's Shop to
open a Warp Pipe on the map that takes you to the Toy Field.
KOOPA CASTLE STADIUM
Beat Challenge Mode to unlock this stadium choice for use in Exhibition mode.
TOADETTE
Beat Challenge Mode with Peach as your team captain to unlock Toadette for use
in Exhibition, Minigames and Toy Field modes.
MONTY MOLE
Beat Challenge Mode with Mario as your team captain to unlock Monty Mole for
use in Exhibition, Minigames and Toy Field modes.
DIXIE KONG
Beat Challenge Mode with DK as your team captain to unlock Dixie for use in
Exhibition, Minigames and Toy Field modes.
BABY LUIGI
Beat Challenge Mode with Yoshi as your team captain to unlock Baby Luibi for
use in Exhibition, Minigames and Toy Field modes.
PETEY PIRANHA
Beat Challenge Mode with Wario as your team captain to unlock Petey Piranha for
use in Exhibition, Minigames and Toy Field modes.
BOWSER TEAM CAPTAIN
Beat Challenge Mode on Special difficulty to unlock Bowser for use as a team
captain in Challenge Mode.
HAMMER BRO
Beat Challenge Mode with Bowser as your team captain to unlock Hammer Bro for
use in Exhibition, Minigames and Toy Field modes.
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v. Challenge Mode Information and Strategy
--- What is Challenge Mode? ---
It is the 1-player 'quest' mode equivalent of the game. It brings an open ended
challenge of playing other teams in the hopes of getting to challenge Bowser's
team and win.
--- What can I gain from Challenge Mode? ---
Challenge Mode unlocks 6 characters for use in Exhibition and Minigames mode,
one each percaptain. It also unlocks one new field to play at during Exhibition
games. Finally, it is the only way to power up characters to "Superstar" status,
increasing all of their stats slightly; a concept that should be familiar to any
who have played Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, or Mario Tennis/Mario Power Tennis.
Additionally, more difficult settings for Challenge Mode are unlocked, in order
of Mushroom > Flower > Star > Special, and a new captain unlocked for beating
Special.
--- Which captain should I pick? What does it affect? ---
Your choice of captain only affects a few things:
1: The dialogue between with Lakitu, Bowser Jr., and other team captains.
2: The character unlocked when you beat Challenge Mode with that character
3: The ending picture.
4: Your starting roster and the availability of multi-colored versions of some
lesser characters.
5: The ease at which certain characters will join your team, i.e. less/more
scout flags to turn white before he/she/it will join.
So really, it affects very little beyond your roster. Look at the teams and
pick your favorite! My personal favorite is Wario's, which comes with three
great home run hitters, the 'best' pitcher and another good backup, and several
Magikoopa whose fielding are so superb that I've never seen one make an error.
The following is a list of each character unlocked by beating Challenge Mode:
~Captain~ ~Character Unlocked~
Mario Monty Mole
Yoshi Baby Luigi
Peach Toadette
Donkey Kong Dixie Kong
Wario Petey Piranha
Bowser Hammer Bros
--- How do I beat Challenge Mode? ---
Technically, you just have to win 5 games. Beat every Team Captain's team once
to open the road to Bowser's castle, then beat that team to finish. You do
NOT have to recruit the captain, or even any player at all to open the path to
Bowser's castle.
--- Bowser Jr.'s Team ---
Jr. is a unique situation. He roams the map all the time when your captain is
not Bowser, only disappearing if you run into him to play a game. He will
reappear as soon as you leave and reenter the map due to a game or minigame.
Bowser Jr. games only last a half inning, and will put you in various different
situations. Sometimes you'll be pitching with one or two runs ahead of his
team, other times you'll be batting with one or two runs behind his team.
Sometimes runners will already be on base, making things easier or tougher for
you depending on which side you're on. The game will always be played at
whatever stadium you are closest to when you run into Bowser Jr. on the map.
Beating Bowser Jr. will net you 100 coins, and fulfill the scout mission "Win
the game!" that appears for characters you failed to recruit before making
their captains surrender. Losing to Bowser Jr. means you will lose half your
coins. Thus, he's not a very good money maker unless you're dirt-poor.
¤¤¤ Tips for Challenge Mode ¤¤¤
Having trouble beating Bowser or another captain? Well, here's some advice I
can give to hopefully help you along. Some people find it amazingly hard or
cheap at higher difficulties... practice helps, but if it's still too hard,
maybe consider some of these...
1) Don't charge your swings! Unless you're extremely comfortable with batting,
trying for home runs or the "Crack a long hit!" star, charged hits keep the
ball in the air much longer and put you at risk to be caught out easier.
Until you're at a near expert level with batters or are extremely comfortable
with certain players, just swing by tapping A.
2) Steal second base! Unavoidable Double Plays can happen a lot, but you
reduce the chance of this happening dramatically if you eliminate the
force. So when the pitcher charges their pitch and you've got a speedster,
take the strike and dash for second base.
3) Lead off! You can't actually do this in the game, but if you know you're
going to swing at the next pitch, have your players steal for a chance at
getting extra bases and runs out of your runners. This leaves you more
vulnerable for double plays in the infield, but most of those are unavoidable
in the first place.
4) Vary your pitches! The computer generally gets strikes more often when you
pitch differently, and throw intentional balls between strikes. This includes
star pitches, which are more likely to be hit if thrown in succession.
5) Use Team Stars wisely! Often these can lead to relatively safe strikeouts
and multiple RBIs with the right character. Pay attention to when they work
and fail, and avoid using team stars for non-captains. The only exception to
this I'd suggest, is using the ultra fast Star Pitch a few non-captains have.
6) Use the cutoff man! In the outfield, Hold L and hit A to throw to the
cutoff man, which in many cases will increase the likelihood of throwing a
runner out or keeping him/her/it from advancing bases.
7) Avoid stage traps! Let the ball drop if it means saving you from getting
hit by a fireball, barrel, piranha plant, chain chomp etc. You lose a lot
more time getting stunned by these than you'd lose having to chase the ball.
8) Don't neglect chemistry! Granted, you'll have to forsake this a bit if
you're only going for star missions. Otherwise, plot out spots carefully,
and you'd be surprised what you can pull off. (I threw a guy out at first
from right field!)
9) Don't neglect player talents! Keep these in mind when you're picking
positions. Quick Throw helps more in the outfield, Super Jumps may help you
pick off flies over the infield, Ball Dash can make for quick infield
tag-outs, Super Catch goes to waste if the player is pitcher or catcher...
the list goes on. Try to make the most of these.
10) Don't always Dash and Dive! When fielding, dashing past the ball and
diving too late/early can be an easy way to give up runs, so don't always
go for broke. Play it safe and catch the ball on the bounce if necessary,
it's not worth a slim chance to get an out if you give up two runs in the
process. There is a practice mode just for this that is quite useful.
11) Note their batting quirks! Use Z to check profiles of the batters'
hits (though note that some are incorrect) to see how some players
naturally hit the ball higher, or lower, or with a curve. For instance,
Petey hits the ball very high, and Pianta hits low, so you may want to
hold up for Petey or down for Pianta to normalize their trajectory.
Characters like King Boo and Boomerang Bro hit with a -huge- curve on the
ball, which may mean you should swing earlier or later to keep it in play.
|---------\
|Scout Missions
| \_________|
|
--- How do Scout Missions work? ---
Throughout games, you will occasionally get an animation while pitching or
batting that will say "Superstar Matchup", then a few things will show up on
screen.
1: Scout Mission Instructions
2: A sprite of a character's face, or multiple characters' faces
3: A set of white flags next to each character's face
Together, these tell you three things: What the condition of the Scout Mission
is, which opposing players are influenced by a success, and the number of white
flags each character will have if you complete the Scout Mission.
Once an opposing players' flags have all turned white, they will join your team
as soon as you win a game against his/her/its team. Additionally, once you
recruit the Team Captain, a white flag will be raised at their field and you
will be unable to play his/her team again. Bowser cannot recruit team captains.
--- I'm not sure what this Scout Mission means! ---
Most Scout Missions are pretty obvious, like "Get a Hit!", "Steal a Base!",
"Don't let them score even one run!" etc. Here are a few that seem to confuse
people:
1: "Mount a Comeback!" only activates when you are losing. It means you must
bat your way to being ahead of the opposing team by at least one run by the
end of the inning.
2: "Hit a Sacrifice Fly!" only activates when you have zero or one out, and at
least one runner on base. You then must hit the ball into the air, hold your
runners at their current base, have the ball caught out, then immediately send
the runner to the next base safely. This one is really not worth the effort,
as it's difficult, risky, and forces you to get an out.
3: "Finish them off in 3 batters!" only activates at the beginning of an inning
you pitch. You must get the first three batters out and end the inning before
the fourth batter comes up.
--- Other notes about Scout Missions ---
If you want, you can ignore them completely and still recruit characters with
the "Mercy Rule". If at the end of an opponent's inning at bat, your team is
ahead by 10 or more runs, and it is -not- the final inning of the game, you win
immediately by "Mercy" and every player on your opponent's team will join you!
Generally, the more involved a mission is, the more characters will be impressed
by a success and turn their flags white. So, succeeding at a mission such as
"Finish them off in three batters!" is more valuable than completing an easy
one like "Get a hit!".
Failing a mission is no big deal. In fact you'll probably fail numerous times
due to the difficulty and randomness of certain ones (i.e. "Strike the player
out!" comes up for the team captain and they get a hit seemingly regardless of
what you pitch). Until you recruit the captain, you can play that team an
infinite number of times, and it will continually produce scout missions to
help you recruit characters. Failing does nothing but delay the process.
If you recruit a Team Captain (thus they surrender) but did not recruit the
other players on his/her team, they will appear on Bowser Jr.'s team with the
scout mission "Win the game!"
Finally, you will never get Scout Missions to recruit Hammer Bros, Dry Bones,
Bowser Jr. or Bowser. The only way to play as these characters is to pick Bowser
as your captain. Additionally, with Bowser as the captain, you cannot earn
scout flags for any other captain.
*****
***** Star Missions *****
***** *****
This guide was originally founded just to cover strategies on these. Every
character has 4, 6, 8 or 10 'star missions' to complete before he/she/it
becomes a "Superstar", which increases all of their stats slightly. Certain
requirements listed must be met in the course of a challenge mode baseball game
to complete the mission. When a star mission is complete, the player gets a
bright yellow star in that mission's box, and is saved ONLY if the game ends
normally. IF YOU GIVE UP, YOUR STARS EARNED THAT GAME ARE NOT SAVED.
Sorry for the caps, but that's a pretty important point. Only use the Give Up
option if you're looking to quickly fulfill a star requirement and failed. If
you've earned one and just want to end the game, just lose quickly. As you go
up in difficulty, more star missions are available to complete. When all of a
player's missions are fulfilled, the character becomes a "Superstar",
permanently increasing all stats. To make a Superstar status available in other
game modes, you -MUST- finish Challenge mode and save the game.
Some general tips on star missions before its entire section:
a) Consider what difficulty you'll do the star mission in. In many cases, you
might want to do the star in the lowest difficulty available for it. In others,
you may want to wait for Special mode and its 5-inning games to have more
chances to get the star. But don't make things harder than necessary!
b) For sub-characters with multiple colors, you can use any of their color
variations to complete the star, as well as "stack" their successful
completions of star mission requirements. That means that for Shyguy's "5
strikeouts" star, you could technically get one strikeout with all 5. Keep
the team choice in mind when you go for these characters' stars.
c) Every time the star mission says "more than", it actually means "at least"
and in many cases "catch" actually means catch them out.
d) Unless Bowser is your captain, you won't be able to replay a team once you
recruit their captain, so if you intend to keep playing a team, -never- win by
the Mercy rule, and lose any game when the captain's scout flags are full. And
as an obvious corollary, using Bowser means you can replay matches against
captains infinite times. Use this to your advantage in earning stars for all
the non-captain characters.
e) When you have a lot of star missions left to complete, and completing them
is your goal, put as many characters who need them in as possible...
regardless of chemistry or team stars. It's better to have more chances to
complete stars than to worry about having a great team.
f) If Minigame stars are giving you trouble, leave Challenge mode and practice
them in the Minigames section. Eventually you'll come out on top.
and finally...
g) Realize that a lot of stars are random, some are very easy, some are very
difficult, some require a lot of skill, and almost all depend on certain
amounts of luck. Getting these all can take generally a week or two of solid
playing, so try to be ready for some frustrations now and then!
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vi. Special Talents and Star Skills
The following is a list the special talents that each character has one or two
of, a list of Star Pitches/Swings for captain & sub-captain characters, and
some general descriptions and strategies. You can tell if a special talent has
activated usually by the chime and sparkles trailing the character. Star
Swings and Pitches are obvious, as a picture comes up on screen to notify you.
~~~ Special Talents ~~~
SUPER JUMP - The character jumps about twice the height of other characters
when you hit A to jump. Can help infielders pick hits well above their head
from the air, and in rare cases can help an outfielder save a home run.
WALL JUMP - Hitting A near the back wall will make the character bound off the
wall and jump very high in attempt to catch a ball. This can pick off a
potential home run from very high. However, it's often very awkward to time
this skill and position yourself properly.
SLIDING CATCH - The character can dive about twice as far as normal players
when hitting A to dive. Hit A a little earlier with these character for a
chance at making an impressive long catch. Surprisingly, this helps infielders
too, as the game doesn't seem to take height into consideration... meaning,
a sliding catch can still snag a ball at a person's standing height.
QUICK THROW - The character will never wind up to throw a fielded ball. Know
how your outfielders always wind up or gather themselves before making a long
throw? Quick Throwers never do, so they make very good outfielders. Also, the
downtime between catching and throwing the ball is shortened, so infielding
has its uses as well. A -very- good ability.
BALL DASH - When a fielder with Ball Dash has the ball in hand, they will run
extremely fast around the field. You can use this in the outfield to shorten
your throwing distance quick, or to make very easy tag-outs in infield.
LASER BEAM - A player with Laser Beam will always throw to Home Plate with
unusually powerful, fast throws. Hitting Down + A will activate it, and
depending on player strength, the ball will travel extremely fast. Great for
preventing runs and getting surprise outs at Home Plate.
SUPER CATCH - The character catches the ball without making an error every time.
This helps at any position but Pitcher and Catcher theoretically, but generally
it helps more for outfield, Second Base, or Shortstop.
CLAMBER - Hitting A near the back wall will make this character leap onto the
wall and scale it in any direction with the analog stick or D-pad. Only helpful
in the outfield, and in rare occasions. However, this can help catch strong
hits out, especially at the high walls of Peach or Bowser's stadiums.
BODY CHECK - If Dashing with B towards a base, this player has a -chance- of
activating the Body Check, which has a -chance- of smashing the fielder off
the base to prevent being tagged out. Body Check is the only talent that does
NOT always trigger, and the Body Check can fail even if it -does- trigger. You
can tell if the attempt triggered, as the screen will zoom in on the player.
MAGICAL CATCH - Magikoopa only, when pressing A and the direction of the ball
can use his wand to draw the ball to him, catching hits that are normally out
of reach. It does not always have enough power to catch a moving ball, and is
the slowest, but has the highest success rate of the three special catches.
It is helpful for basically every position but Pitcher and Catcher.
TONGUE CATCH - Yoshi only, when pressing A and the direction of the ball, will
use his tongue to try to catch the ball from a distance. The tongue has a short
delay, but will stop the ball instantly if it connects. Yoshi has a delay after
using his tongue, so this is best saved for catching balls out, rather than
just snatching balls from the ground. Errors are most common with Yoshi's catch.
SUCTION - Birdo only, when pressing A and the direction of the ball, will try
to suck the ball out of the air to make a catch. Much like Yoshi's, but seems
to have a higher success rate. The delay applies to Birdo as well though. Again
this is a talent that helps almost any position.
~~~ Captain Star Powers ~~~
Star Powers are activated by holding R before pressing or holding A to pitch,
or bat. In almost every case, two characters have the same power, and I've
listed them together. Keep in mind I'm giving strategies for playing against
the computer, not against human players.
Note that if you hold R and charge A to swing instead of tapping it, you have
a chance of hitting the "instant homer" and losing all 5 team stars.
MARIO & LUIGI
*Pitch*
Both Mario and Luigi send a very fast pitch across the plate with a
fireball. Move to one edge of the mound before pitching, and this will usually
get a strike on an opponent.
*Swing*
Both Mario and Luigi send a hard line drive down the field with the fireball.
Often will hit the back wall, but is never high enough off the ground to score
a home run. If a fielder touches it, it will usually burn them and prevent the
catch. Mario's seems a little more reliable, but these are relatively safe
powers to use to get a Double when at bat.
YOSHI & BIRDO
*Pitch*
Both Yoshi and Birdo turn the ball into an egg that bounces very erratically,
and randomly across the plate for a strike. Although it has potential to
bounce slowly and straight, usually this is extremely difficult to hit, and
computer players will get a strike.
*Swing*
Both Yoshi and Birdo turn the ball into an egg that bounces erratically around
the field once it hits the ground. This is a risky Star Swing, as players have
no trouble catching it, and the egg weighs the ball down, so it's not
uncommon for it to land right in an infielder's hands. However, farther hits
and lucky bounces can ensure anywhere from solid single to an in-the-park
homer while fielders scramble to catch up to the ball.
PEACH & DAISY
*Pitch*
Though slightly different in how they appear, both ladies cloak the ball in a
mass of hearts or flower petals, with the ball reappearing as it crosses the
plate. It's easy to throw a ball with this pitch, so avoid angling it, just
pitch straight from the edge of the plate and the computer will often miss.
*Swing*
Peach's Ball gets hidden in a mess of hearts and the fielding guide of where
the ball will land disappears, making it difficult to know where the ball will
land. Daisy's ball makes the field guide disappear too, but the ball instead
disappears and a ring of flower petals gradually converge to drop the ball.
The computer doesn't often have trouble catching these Star Swings, so don't
rely on them for runs. Can still be useful in a pinch, though.
DONKEY KONG & DIDDY KONG
*Pitch*
Both Diddy and Donkey Kong turn the ball into a banana that curves dramatically
to go across the plate. I've seen this get a Ball, so it's not a guaranteed
strike. Worse yet, the computer has -no- difficulty hitting this pitch. Do not
use this against the computer, ever.
*Swing*
Both Diddy and Donkey Kong turn the ball into a banana that curves dramatically
until it hits the ground. Ten times better than their pitch, the awkward path
the ball travels and the angle it hits the ground at often makes this a very
difficult hit to catch and field. Often good for a Double, though in rare cases
the computer can catch you out.
WARIO & WALUIGI
*Pitch*
These two actually have slightly different pitches. Both send two faded images
of the ball out when they pitch at first. However, Wario's two images spread
far apart, then the real one is revealed as it crosses the plate; Waluigi's
two images converge back together to form the ball at the plate. Wario's is
randomly disguised, and will usually get a strike.
Note that Waluigi's does have a purpose in 2 player competition, as when the
balls converge, you can change its direction. However, Waluigi's is worthless
in 1 player modes, as the computer almost always hits it.
*Swing*
Both Waluigi and Wario hit a fake ball out that soars into the outfield, then
splits into two fake balls which fall to the ground with visible fielding marks
for each, and finally one fake ball will turn into the real ball, while the
other turns into a garlic clove (Wario) or Eggplant (Waluigi) that knocks the
fielder out for a few seconds. Which ball is the fake is always random, so
basically, it's a 50% chance of getting a great hit, or an out. If you're
feeling lucky, use this swing and dash full force... if they pick the fake
ball, you have an easy Triple!
BOWSER & BOWSER JR.
*Pitch*
Both Bowser and Jr. pitch a Bullet Bill, which moves slowly at first, then
does a loop in mid air, and finally dashes across the plate. The Bullet Bill
can move at strong angles, so this can very easily be a Ball. Although the
timing is unusual, the computer has no trouble hitting these pitches, so I
would never use them.
*Swing*
Both Bowser and Jr. hit a Bullet Bill, which glides as a line drive, then
usually hits ground in the middle of the outfield and turns back into the ball.
However, if caught in this trajectory, fielders will be pushed back several
feet, causing a severe delay in their reaction time to throw the ball. The
computer can catch this out in the infield. Works pretty well to give a double,
but Bowser is such a brutally powerfully home run hitter that I never use this
ability. Jr. would be a better choice, though he's pretty strong himself.
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vii. Minigames
When not playing baseball in Challenge Mode, you can choose to play any of the
five minigames up to three times per Challenge Mode save. The Toy Field also
appears on the map with three attempts once the Secret Map is purchased from
Toad's shop. These offer a way to make money and fulfill some characters' star
missions. In general, the rewards for these are (roughly):
Winning: Losing:
Easy Mode - +100-200 Gold -50 Gold
Medium Mode - +200-300 Gold -100 Gold
Hard Mode - +300-400 Gold -150 Gold
ALWAYS save before an attempt. There's really no reason to waste gold and an
attempt on a loss, so reload and retry if you're failing when you need gold.
++CHAIN CHOMP SPRINT++
Each green gem is 1 point, each red gem is 10 points, Chain Chomp biting you
makes you lose half your points, and mushrooms make you dash around the bases
extremely fast, but severely hinder your ability to stop.
Use Y and/or X rapidly to dash around the bases collecting gems, press the other
to grind to a halt whenever you hear/see the snap of the Chain Chomp waking up.
If you didn't guess already, the faster your character, the more gems you're
likely to collect. Pick someone speedy like Yoshi or Paragoomba. Just be careful
when getting the mushroom! If Chomp wakes up while you're at warp speed, it's
unlikely you can stop in time to be safe.
++BARREL BATTER++
Yellow, Red and Blue barrels are stacked randomly. You earn points for each
barrel you hit, and adjacent barrels of the same color will break together to
increase your points. As you break more, a Barrel meter rises. Once full, a
flashing barrel appears for one pitch. If hit, all barrels are destroyed for
huge points (around 800, I believe). If not, it turns into a brown barrel that
gives no extra points, and does not break with other adjacent red, blue or
yellow barrels.
Hold Up to aim at the barrels on the bottom row, and hold Down to aim at
barrels on the top row, swing with A.
This is people's least favorite minigame because of its very high difficulty
compared to others. The flashing barrel must be hit to help rack up enough
points to beat most modes, usually multiple times for Hard. The character you
choose makes no difference, so just choose a character you're comfortable
batting with.
++WALL BALL++
Hold A and release to pitch in hopes of having the musical note block be the
last you hit. There are 7 blocks, if the musical note block is the last you hit,
you get 100 coins for the turn. If a Bowser block is the last you hit, you
lose half your coins, which get divided among the other players. If you hit a
brick wall last, you get 5 points per wall destroyed.
It's important first, to pick a good pitcher. Second, look at the power bar and
think of it as being in six parts. The last wall can only be destroyed by a
max power pitch (release A when the bar flashes). The first wall is possibly
the trickiest, forcing you to hold A and release before the bar moves too far.
If you tap A or don't hold long enough, it harmlessly taps the wall for zero
points. This one takes practice to predict where you should stop the bar.
++BOB-OMB DERBY++
Probably the one I used most often when I needed money, I found this game to be
pretty simple and non-hectic. Quite simply, all you do is charge A, and release
to hit the pitch for a home run. As long as it is hit in fair territory, you
get points for the distance it is hit, plus increasing bonus points for
consecutive home runs. The only stat that matters for a high score on this game
is Batting, so break out the power hitters like Bowser, Petey, DK etc. for this.
There are six options for pitches to come up. Practice the timing of each to
win this game with ease.
Mushroom: Slow pitch
Fire Flower: Medium speed pitch
Star: Fast pitch
Fireball: Very fast pitch
Big Bomb-Omb: Large bob-omb gives +200 points for a home run. It is randomly
pitched at Mushroom, Fire Flower or Star pitch speed
?: Will randomly pick one of the five pitch types
With a little practice, this one should be very, very easy to rack upwards of
400+ coins with per game.
++PIRANHA PANIC++
This is a pretty hectic game, but I've rarely had any difficulties winning it.
This is due in part to the fact that you can use your Bob-ombs for points,
while computer players tend to drop theirs in attempts to attack each other.
Hold left, up and right to aim at plants, hit Down to duck to avoid fireballs
from plants and bob-ombs discarded from other players.
You have one minute to throw as many eggs and bob-ombs into the piranha plants
as possible. You get zero points for an egg of mismatched color, 1 points for
hitting a plant with the same color egg, and 3 points for hitting one with a
bob-omb. When the purple plant emerges, every color counts and points are
doubled, so mash the A button while watching out for its Fireballs and
other players' Bob-ombs.
General strategies for this one: Try your best to throw to at the right color
plant, but I still recommend throwing the egg even if they don't match, as
hitting B to discard seems to throw off my rhythm. Plants fade after getting hit
enough, so when you get a bob-omb, be sure you're throwing at a plant that
isn't about to fade. Don't stop throwing, but be very careful to duck every time
something's coming.
++TOY FIELD++
Of the options for minigames, I'd say this is the least desireable to do for
the sake of money, as it is time consuming and very highly dependent on luck.
However, Luigi and Wario both have Star Missions here, so it's worth noting.
Most importantly, in my mind, is if you're in the field, try your VERY hardest
to either catch the ball for an out, or pick it up after it's landed. Unless
the batter gets a bonus swing, doing this ensures that you will get to bat
next, and being at bat is the surest way to earn coins on the field. It's
quite difficult to get strikeouts if you're pitcher, but do your best anyhow.
There are too many possibilities of things to happen on the field here for me
to list here, so if you need further info, check out a Toy Field FAQ =)
~To unlock toy field in challenge mode~
Beat each of the minigames at least once, then go to Toad's Shop and buy the
Secret Map for 500 Gold. Take the warp pipe that shows up.
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viii. Stars Missions: Methods & Strategies
Since it's too difficult to organize by character, mode, and type of star, they
are currently listed in no particular order. Either scroll down and hunt to find
the star you're having trouble with, or use Ctrl+F and type in the exact phrase
of the star requirement as it appears in game. If it's not found, try putting
_____ (five underscores) in place of the character's name, special pitch/bat, or
item.
For specific lists of the stars needed, go to section ix., or start searching
immediately by using Ctrl+F and typing the character's name in parentheses.
Onto the list!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. "Get a Hit!"
METHOD: ...get a hit!
ALTERNATE: A home run of course works too.
2. "Crack a long hit!"
METHOD: Get a hit that lands deep in the outfield.
STRATEGY: This star is often for characters with a low batting rating, so it
will require a charge-swing and some good aim.
ALTERNATE: A Home Run counts as well.
PROBLEMS: Ugh. Annoyingly, if you hit it deep into the outfield, but it hits the
back wall or Thwomp before it hits the ground, it will not register your star.
A silly oversight, but oh well.
3. "Get a hit with _____!"
METHOD: Play _____'s team. _____ will pitch, get a hit against them.
ALTERNATE: Home Run
4. "Make a jumping catch!!"
METHOD: The player must get the ball in his hands during a high leap.
STRATEGY: Good to set this up as an outfielder or 2nd/3rd/SS. Get in front of
the ball and hit A. This star is only on characters with the super jump, so make
sure you compensate. It can be easy or very annoying, very dependent on luck.
ALTERNATE: Humorously, you don't have to catch them out, or even catch the ball
in air really. If you jump and land on the ball to catch it... it still counts!
An easy exploit, as long as A makes you jump and not dive...
5. "Steal a Base!"
METHOD: Successfully steal a base.
STRATEGY: Usually it's fast players, so this is pretty easy. Get your player to
first, and when the pitcher winds up, start mashing Y or Up+Y. Ignore the
batter, just take the strike. Dash your way to second and hopefully you'll be
safe. To make it more likely, wait for them to do a charge pitch... either the
wind-up or the slow change-up will make it more likely to get there in time.
ALTERNATE: Buy the speed shoes enhancement. Should be even easier.
PROBLEMS: Make sure if you're on two outs, don't do this on the third strike or
send two players... if the other player's out, your steal doesn't count.
6. "Smack more than 3 hits in a game!"
METHOD: Get 3 hits or more.
STRATEGY: See #1 and #41, repeat in longer games if necessary. Still, not
that difficult.
ALTERNATE: Easier with Koopa Troopa. Use DK's squad, and both Koopa's hits will
count towards the total.
7. "Get an MVP!!"
METHOD: Win a match and have that character be named the MVP.
STRATEGY: Make the person the pitcher. Strikeouts help a lot. If not, you'll
want to rely on RBIs and Home Runs, so drive as many runs in as possible, and if
you can't get a home-run with that character, try not to get home runs with
anyone else.
8. "Catch the Ball!"
METHOD: Catch a ball that's been hit.
STRATEGY: Tell me you're not reading this for anything other than morbid
curiosity.
9. "Cross Home Plate!"
METHOD: Have that player score a run.
10. "Cross the plate more than 3 times in a game!"
METHOD: Again, three times is okay.
STRATEGY: This is generally star cup and on, so unless you can get one heck of a
batting rally, save this attempt for Bowser's or Special Cup's five-inning
battles. Drag the match out with extra innings if necessary.
ALTERNATE: Noki has this easier than Monty/Yoshi. Simply keep all three Nokis
in, and every base they each get counts to the total. If they're the runners
while you go for Mario's Grand Slam star, you can get both at the same time!
11. "Reach base on a bunt with the bases empty!"
METHOD: Bunt, and make it to first base safely, with the bases empty.
STRATEGY: Try to aim gently down the third base line to buy you some time.
Keep it on the ground if you can, pop-up bunts are easy outs.
ALTERNATE: Buy speed shoes to help out.
12. "Drop a squeeze bunt!"
METHOD: Have a runner on third base steal home and score as you bunt and dash
for first base. The bases cannot be loaded (this makes the third base runner
forced to run on the bunt, which eliminates the point of this technique).
STRATEGY: Only annoying thing is the setup. You need a runner on third but the
bases not loaded, with your player up to bat, and having zero or one out only is
a big help. Steal home as the pitcher winds up, lay down a bunt and dash for
first. If the run scores, as long as the inning doesn't end, you get the star
regardless of whether you're safe or thrown out at first.
ALTERNATE: The bases are loaded with your otherwise golden opportunity arrived,
and thus you're sad... but if you have an out to spare, waste one of the runners
by having only the first or second base runners steal. They won't be able to get
on base so they'll be thrown out, the force is eliminated and you can pull off a
squeeze bunt.
13. "Hit a Home Run!"
METHOD: Smash a hit out of the park.
STRATEGY: For the power hitters, this is fairly simple. Best to do on Yoshi's
field, where there are no obstructions, and one pirahna plant can even help you
get a Homer! Check the second question under the FAQ/Support section iii.
ALTERNATE: Buy the Power Bat.
14. "Get a _____ (item name)"
METHOD: Buy said item from Toad's shop. Only main characters will require this
star. The item becomes available when that character joins your team.
15. "Drive in a run!"
METHOD: Get an RBI.
STRATEGY: When you know this batter's coming up soon, play it safe and hit some
regular, non-charged hits between the fielders, then get on base. Depending on
how your bases look, get a regular hit, smack a charge hit, or even easier, use
a main character's special power to send some guys home. Easy.
16. "Drive in more than 3 runs in a game!"
METHOD: Get at least 3 RBIs within the course of the game.
STRATEGY: Wait for 5 inning games if needed. Or get lucky like I did and get a
Grand Slam.
17. "Beat _____'s team!"
METHOD: Put this player in your lineup and beat _____'s team.
18. "Make a big play!"
METHOD: Get an out that says "Big Play!" with it.
STRATEGY: This requires you either make a long diving catch, or use a special
ability to catch the opponent out. It can either be by catching them out with
these techniques, or catching a ball with these techniques and then throwing a
runner out on a force. Outfield, Second Base and Shortstop are ideal positions
for this. Occasionally this counts if you jump to catch them out, but not always
19. "Collect more than 30 gems!"
METHOD: Get Birdo in the Chain Chomp minigame, put difficulty on Easy and run
around till you get 30+ gems. Then just stand there if you want, or keep beating
the opponents.
20. "Strike 'em out!"
METHOD: Have this player pitch and get a strikeout.
21. "Drive in a run with a _____ swing!"
METHOD: Use the character's R+A swing and get an RBI with it. Fairly easy since
these are generally quite difficult for the computer to catch.
22. "Drive in runs vs. _____!"
METHOD: Get multiple RBI's while playing _____'s team.
23. "Get a runner out with a Laser Beam throw!"
METHOD: Use the "Laser Beam" talent and have the player forced/tagged out.
STRATEGY: Easiest way to do this is make your Laser Thrower Shortstop. When a
ball's hit to outfield, use L+A to throw to the cutoff man, which should be your
shortstop, or simply field as the shortstop with the bases loaded, and press
Down+A simultaneously. The throw is very fast and should be an easy out/star.
ALTERNATE: Outfield also works but is a little trickier to time.
ALTERNATE 2: Put your Laser Beamers in the outfield, wait for a fly to outfield
and intentionally let it drop. Catch the ball, then throw home if they've
rounded third, or run towards the back wall until they head for home, and
immediately hit Down+A to throw them out. Waluigi is often not strong enough to
do this from the outfield though. (Strategy suggested by Dustin Capehart)
24. "Pitch and bat with the _____ ball and win the game!"
METHOD: Within the course of the game you win, have this player both connect a
swing and use a pitch with their special power.
STRATEGY: This is easy. You don't have to get on base with the hit, or strike
somebody out or anything. Just use R+A while pitching (you can swap them out as
pitcher immediately after), then connect a swing with R+A while at bat. You have
to win the game you do this in.
25. "Smack a hit with a charge swing!"
METHOD: Get a hit from a charged up swing. Easy.
26. "Get a Team Star!"
METHOD: Have that player batting and get a hit, or pitching and get an out
during a "Star Chance"
STRATEGY: If "Star Chance" comes up when you're pitching, just put this player
in to pitch. Get an out, and you're done. If you're batting and this happens to
come up on their turn, just make a nice, safe hit.
ALTERNATE: If at bat, you can also get win this star by hitting and connecting
with a star in the field. You will get the star even if thrown/tagged out.
(Alternate strategy submitted by Aaron Davidson)
27. "Become a captain and win more than 900 coins!"
METHOD: Pick Wario as your captain, and get rich with 900+ coins by winning
minigames and/or beating Bowser Jr.'s team.
28. "Strike out _____!"
METHOD: Have this player pitching and get a strikeout on _____.
STRATEGY: This one varies wildly in difficulty. Sometimes _____ player will
decide he/she will get a hit whether you like it or not. Just be persistent and
use whatever sources needed to eventually get the strikeout. You don't have to
win the game, so you can let all their batters go repeatedly in a game.
ALTERNATE #1: If you're having trouble doing this specifically (I couldn't
strike Birdo out with Diddy to save my life), don't forget only the third strike
counts for the star, so you can sub another picture in for the first two
strikes, then swap the star-getter in. Peach's special is good for strikes.
(Strategy suggested by Daniel Swinny)
29. "Place first in Piranha Panic!"
METHOD: Put Petey in, win Piranha Panic. Easy mode is fine.
30. "Get more than 100 points in Piranha Panic!"
METHOD: Easy mode, put Yoshi in, get 100 or more points.
31. "Win Piranha Panic without taking damage!"
METHOD: Easy mode, put Baby Luigi in and be very careful to duck every time a
fireball or bob-omb comes your way. If you're hit, you don't get the star.
PROBLEMS: This ticked me off. Make sure you hold down at the end... because I
got hit with a bob-omb well after it said "Time!" was over, and I didn't get
my star x_x
32. "Win with a shutout!"
METHOD: Pitch the entire game with this character and win without the opponent's
team scoring a run.
33. "Shut out the _____ team and win!"
METHOD: Same thing as winning with a shutout, just specifically do it to _____'s
team.
34. "Blast more than 2,000-points worth of Bob-ombs!"
METHOD: Put Mario in Bob-omb Derby and get a score of 2,000 or more. Use Hard
mode.
35. "Let someone go shopping for you!"
METHOD: Once Toad's on your team, go buy something from Toad's Shop for the team
36. "Belt a 2-run homer or better!"
METHOD: Knock one out of the park with one to three players on base.
37. "Score over 2,000 points and clear Barrel Batter!"
METHOD: Take Luigi in and win Barrel Batter with a score of 2,000 or more.
This likely will require you to hit the flashing barrel twice or more, so this
may take practice, and some luck. Use Hard mode.
38. "Win in the Toy Field!"
METHOD: Take Luigi in to the Toy Field and get first place.
STRATEGY: To unlock the Toy field, beat all minigames, then go to Toad's Shop
and buy the Secret Map, which will create a Warp Pipe. Use the Warp Pipe to get
to the Toy Field.
39. "Score over 300 points by breaking walls!"
METHOD: Take Peach to Wall Ball, and score 300 or more points. Easy mode works.
40. "Belt either a triple or a home run!"
METHOD: Just as it says.
STRATEGY: As Yoshi, you can at times get really lucky with the Egg power and
get a triple off that hit if it bounces well. Otherwise just go for a Home Run.
41. "Smack more than 2 hits in a game!"
METHOD: Get at least 2 hits in the course of the game.
42. "Cross the plate more than twice in a game!"
METHOD: Self-explanatory.
STRATEGY: Pretty easy, make them early in the batting lineup to ease this.
43. "Steal a base more than twice in a game!"
METHOD: Steal a base two times or more in a game. Again with that poor wording!
44. "Pitch a whole game and win!"
METHOD: Keep this player pitching from the start to the end and win the game.
The easier version of "Win with a shutout!"
45. "Get 3 strikeouts in a game!"
METHOD: Get at least three strikeouts with this player pitching in a game. The
easier version of five and harder version of "Strike ‘em out!"
46. "Belt more than 1,000 points worth of Bob-ombs!"
METHOD: Take Shyguy into Bob-omb derby and get 1,000 or more points. Very easy,
and moreso than Mario's version.
47. "Get 5 strikeouts!"
METHOD: Get 5 strikeouts in one game.
STRATEGY: Well, wait for a 5 inning game more than likely. This is not an easy
star at all really, but at least Peach isn't as bad as doing this with Shyguy.
Requires a lot of luck, sadly. Make Peach your captain and use your special
pitch for the third strike... sub characters tend to get struck out this way.
Black Shyguy also has a very fast star pitch that is worth noting.
ALTERNATE #1: For Shyguy, you could sub someone in for two strikes, then put
Shyguy in for the third. May or may not be helpful.
ALTERNATE #2: Buy the Super Ball, it can help, but was not necessary for me.
48. "Drop a sacrifice bunt!"
METHOD: Bunt with a player on base, but get yourself out in the process.
STRATEGY: With one or zero out, and at least one runner on base, bunt, but be
thrown out at first. Fairly easy.
ALTERNATE: Oddly, a reader named Jeb stated that he got this star without being
thrown out at first. I don't understand how that works, but hey, it might!
49. "Beat Toad in Wall Ball!"
METHOD: Take Goomba into Wall Ball and win.
50. "Get a red gem in Chain Chomp Sprint!"
METHOD: Use Wario and collect a Red colored Gem during this game. Easy mode!
51. "Get more than 200 coins in the Toy Field!"
METHOD: See #38 for details on unlocking. Use Wario here and get 200 or more
coins. Takes some luck.
52. "Belt a home run with Mario!"
METHOD: Knock one out of the park with Wario while Mario is pitching.
STRATEGY: Put Wario as your first batter, play Mario's team. Give up if you
don't get the home run. Very quick to try, and should be an easy star.
53. "Make a double play with Peach!"
METHOD: Involve both Daisy and Peach in a double play.
STRATEGY: Daisy on second or shortstop, Peach oh first. There's no 'win the
game' requirement, so play and let them hit again and again until you can get a
double play. One of the easiest final stars.
54. "Be the MVP in the last game!"
METHOD: Same as getting an MVP, but make sure it happens at Bowser's Castle.
STRATEGY: Annoying, this one, since multiple characters require it, and it's
a long game to be focusing on one character's performance. One solution? Put
everyone in that has this requirement and hopefully whittle them down as such.
Keep close track of this character's RBIs versus others on the team.
55. "Catch the ball more than 5 times in a game!"
METHOD: just as it says, but 5 times is enough.
STRATEGY: You don't have to win the game. So put this person in outfield and
just pitch straight every time so they drill them into outfield, repeat until
you catch 5. Note that you don't have to catch them out, so this may happen
automatically during one of your longer games.
56. "Crush someone with a body check!"
METHOD: Successfully use the Body Check ability.
STRATEGY: Dash to a plate when not on a force. If the basemen catches the ball
and doesn't leave the plate, your player should ram them out of the way, and you
get your star. Requires a bit of timing, and sadly doesn't always work or
activate. Simply charge for a base when you don't think you'd quite make it.
Refer to the FAQ section if you're still confused on this one.
57. "Belt a grand slam!"
METHOD: Knock a home run out of the park with bases loaded.
STRATEGY: Significantly easier for Bowser than Mario, but still, not -that- bad
Best way to set this up is grab Mario/Bowser, go to Yoshi's (or DK's) field and
set up so five Speed characters bat first, and Mario/Bowser six. Within the
five batters, get three on base. This will give you a cushion of two outs if you
make a mistake. If not, strike out remaining batters until Mario/Bowser are up,
then go for the homer. Chemistry can help as well.
(This strategy was altered by a suggestion from Craig Temple)
ALTERNATE #1: Buy the Power Bat, and soft reset whenever you fail. Giving Up
and restarting is faster than soft resetting, but having the Power Bat will
make a home run a bit easier to hit.
ALTERNATE #2: Conveniently they're speed characters, but try to fill the first
three batters with people who need the "Cross the plate 3 times or more!" star.
That way when you succeed with the grand slam, they're all 1/3 of the way done
with their goal. If the bases are loaded with Nokis, you can get their star with
just that one hit!
58. "Get more than 5 RBIs in the game!"
METHOD: Just as it says, except 5 is enough.
STRATEGY: Ouch, not the easiest by any means. You can get this in a long game
with some luck, but consider using the same strategy as Mario's "Hit a Grand
Slam!" star (#57) to start off with a few RBIs. Then just send two more home
by the end of the game.
ALTERNATE: It's risky, but batting with the Phony Ball has a 50% chance of
rendering the outfield useless if you hit to the sides. If it succeeds and
you're advancing runners (start stealing too!), you should be able to get all
the runners home for an easy 1-3 RBIs.
59. "Get more than 3 outs in a game using the tongue catch!"
METHOD: Using Yoshi, get three or more outs using his tongue technique,
triggered by the A button.
STRATEGY: Stick him in outfield, let the opponents get hits, and purposely
stay a few steps away from the ball's landing point when they fly out to Yoshi.
Press A and the direction of the ball to catch it with his tongue. Repeat until
you get the star. Or, use Shorstop/Second base to make quick snatch-catches,
better against teams with weak hitters. You may want to buy the Lucky Glove, as
I've noticed a tendency of him to get errors doing this.
60. "Climb up the wall and make a catch!"
METHOD: Catch a ball mid-air using the 'Clamber' skill.
STRATEGY: The hardest part of this is getting the opponent to hit exactly to the
back wall and being there in time. Dash to the wall and press A to hang on the
wall, use the analog stick or D-pad to move left or right, catch the ball out.
Stick them in center field and hope for the best. A very annoying star, given
that it's entirely dependent on luck of opponent's hits.
61. "Pitch a perfect game & win!"
METHOD: Make Mario pitch a No-hitter and win. You cannot walk a batter either.
STRATEGY: Sweet mother of!... *ahem* Okay, this star is awful. You have to be at
least on Star Mode (for the love of all that's good and holy, be on Star Mode!)
and pitch such that you strike every batter out, catch their hits out, or throw
them out at first base. Very difficult, as the computer tends to eventually get
hits regardless of how well you pitch.
My best advice is to fill your team with as many strong infielders and speedy
outfielders as possible (chemistry helps in the infield!). Definitely buy the
Superstar, it will make things a lot better. Now, either try to get 10 runs by
the first or second inning, and go for a Mercy win, or get 1 run, then throw
the rest of the game and just field/pitch well. Check the Q & A section if you
want more detail on how I personally got the star.
ALTERNATE: Submitted by Diana Doherty, who says another way is to focus on
pitching entirely. She says by alternating a "Nice"! fast pitch to the outside
of the plate, followed by a regular pitch that curves to the corner or just
outside the corner of the plate. She says if you throw a Ball intentionally
between these pitches, it's a reliable manner to get strikeouts without a
Super Ball or Superstar.
62. "Clear all minigames!"
METHOD: Beat Chain Chomp Sprint, Bob-omb Derby, Barrel Blaster, Wall Ball and
iranha Panic using Waluigi/Toadsworth
STRATEGY: Easy mode is okay, so this is easy. You don't even need to do Toy
Field, just do them all on the same file.
63. "Tag someone out while carrying the ball!"
METHOD: Get a Tag-Out with Monty fielding.
STRATEGY: Give him an infield position, and once the character catches the ball,
try dashing into the player rather than throwing them out on a force. I made
Monty second base, and he dashes like mad when he catches the ball, so this was
very easy.
64. "Make a big play with a magical catch!"
METHOD: Get a Big Play that results from the use of Magikoopa's Magic ability.
STRATEGY: The Magical Catch is triggered the same as Yoshi's Tongue or a Diving
catch, simply press A when moving to the ball. Put him in outfield, dash to a
ball and catch it just before it lands with A.
ALTERNATE: Use the infield, either catch it out with magic, or catch the ball
with magic and quickly throw a runner out.
65. "Become a captain and round everyone up!"
METHOD: Pick Peach as your captain on Special difficulty and recruit all the
characters.
STRATEGY: Not too bad, just remember to battle Bowser Jr. whenever you recruit a
captain but missed a character on a captain's team.
66. "Catch a booted ball!"
METHOD: Catch a ball out from an error.
STRATEGY: This one sucks! Basically, put Baby Mario as shortstop or Second Base.
Now hope that a line drive smacks him in the face and it pops up in error. Then
catch the ball before it lands to get the out. You should hopefully get the
star. It is hugely dependent on luck... try against Mario's team since his and
Luigi's special swings generally cause errors.
ALTERNATE: Put Baby Mario in the outfield and always try to dive for catches.
His fielding can cause it to pop up very slightly but still leave an easy catch
for you to get the star. (Strategy submitted by jamesbondmi6)
67. "Belt a back-to-back homer with Bowser!"
METHOD: Have Bowser and Bowser Jr. hit consecutive home runs in a game.
STRATEGY: Unique, and requires luck, but is a very quick setup. Put Bowser
first batting, Jr. second, start game, if they don't both hit homers, give up
and try again. Or buy the Power Bat and soft reset. Note that it doesn't matter
who hits the homerun first, and they do not have to bat one right after another
to get the star. quincy0191 reminded me to mention that they don't even have to
hit homers in the same inning, so you can get this star kind of casually too.
68. "Hit a ? block with the ball!" (Musical Note block)
METHOD: Get a hit that connects with a floating ? block in Peach's level.
STRATEGY: Wow! Very annoying, because not only is it pretty random, you actually
have to take the time to specifically recruit Toadette away from Peach's squad
before you can attempt this star. Once you do, put her as the first batter, hold
Down on the Analog Stick/D-pad when you swing and hope you pop one into the
musical note block. Easiest to do with Bowser as your captain, where you can get
Toadette and then play Peach as many times as you want.
ALTERNATE: Turns out you can also recruit Toadette normally, then battle with
Bowser Jr.'s team near Peach's Castle to play there, where you can get the star.
(Submitted by Pal3_99)
69. "Belt a homer with Diddy and Dixie Kong as runners!"
METHOD: Hit a home run with Diddy and Dixie on base.
STRATEGY: Not near as bad as it could be. Set Dixie, Diddy and DK as batters 1,
2 and 3, then Give up and retry if you don't get two hits and a Homer.
70. "Belt 2 homers in 1 game!"
METHOD: Just as it says.
STRATEGY: Use the same as you would for getting one home run, just this time
you're going to be a little more reliant on luck. Put this player in every game
near the start of the order until you can nail one twice.
ALTERNATE: With Hammer Bro this is even easier, because you don't have to hit
the home run with the same bro... if Fire bro and Hammer bro both get one for
instance, you still get the star.
71. "Smash the bonus barrel in Barrel Batter!"
METHOD: Hit the Flashing barrel that appears in the minigame.
STRATEGY: Again, easy mode works. It just requires you have pretty precise
timing. Don't forget to hold up to hit the bottom row and down to hit the
top row.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
ix. Character Star Mission & Talent List
The following is a listing of all characters and the star missions they require
on their path to superstardom. To check for a specific character, use Ctrl+F and
include parentheses around their name, such as (WIGGLER)
To the side of each is the minimum difficulty you must be playing Challenge mode
in to obtain the star. The trend is the same for all characters that have the
same number of missions.
* - indicates this mission type is unique to this character only
~{(MARIO)}~
Talents: Sliding Catch, Wall Jump
Starts off easy to lull you into a false sense of security. Then our famous
hero requires one of the most difficult and annoying stars in the game. Thank
him later by "accidentally" walking him off into pits in his many games.
1) Strike 'em out! Mushroom
2) Win MVP!! Mushroom
3) Get a Red Fireball! Mushroom
4) Blast more than 2,000-points worth of Bob-ombs! * Flower
5) Drive in a run with a Fireball swing! Flower
6) Make a big play! Flower
7) Belt a 2-run homer or better! Star
8) Drive in more than 3 runs in a game! Star
9) Pitch a perfect game & win! * Star
10) Belt a grand slam! Special
~{(LUIGI)}~
Talents: Super Jump, Wall Jump
Ahhh, good ol' Luigi. Proving himself once again to be lower maintenance than
his brother, Luigi comes with two less stars and a simpler set of missions...
as long as you don't hate Barrel Batter too much.
1) Smack a hit! Mushroom
2) Win MVP!! Mushroom
3) Get a Green Fireball! Mushroom
4) Make a jumping catch! Flower
5) Score over 2,000 points and clear Barrel Batter! * Flower
6) Win in the Toy Field! * Star
7) Win with a shutout! Star
8) Be the MVP in the last game! Special
~{(DONKEY KONG)}~
Talents: Clamber, Laser Beam
As you might expect with his hulking physique, almost all of DK's star missions
revolve around him hitting the ball as hard as possible. The rest? Throwing the
ball as hard as possible. Subtlety was never this villain-turned-mascot's strong
suit... Overall, not a bad set of missions, as long as you can hit homers fine!
1) Crack a long hit! Mushroom
2) Win MVP!! Mushroom
3) Get a King Banana! Mushroom
4) Hit a home run! Flower
5) Score a run with a Banana Ball swing! Flower
6) Drive in runs vs. Mario! Flower
7) Get 3 strikeouts in a game! Star
8) Belt more than 2 homers in a game! Star
9) Get a runner out with a laser beam throw! Star
10) Belt a homer with Diddy and Dixie Kong as runners! Special
11) Enrage your opponent with the Poo-Throw!
Okay, fine, I made that last one up. But you have to admit, it'd be awesome.
~{(DIDDY KONG)}~
Talents: Clamber, Super Catch
Nintendo's gymnast of the monkey kingdom has left me unimpressed in previous
Mario sports titles. This time he throws poo at me by having good stats and a
quite simple set of star missions... until the last one, whereupon if your luck
is bad, you may want to reconsider your stance on animal testing.
1) Cross home plate! Mushroom
2) Win MVP!! Mushroom
3) Get a Chimp Banana! Mushroom
4) Pitch and bat with the Boomerang Ball and win the game! Flower
5) Strike out Baby Mario! Flower
6) Strike out Birdo! Star
7) Get a hit with Mario! Star
8) Climb up the wall and make a catch! Special
~{(PEACH)}~
Talents: Quick Throw, Super Catch
In between her royal duties of getting kidnapped, getting kidnapped, and getting
kidnapped, Peach has managed to develop good baseball skills that make the
majority of her stars a walk in the park. She makes up for the annoyance of two
of her later star missions by finishing off with an easy one.
1) Strike 'em out! Mushroom
2) Win MVP!! Mushroom
3) Get a Lovely Heart! Mushroom
4) Strike out Bowser! Flower
5) Pitch and bat with the Heart Ball and win the game! Flower
6) Make a big play! Flower
7) Get 5 strikeouts! Star
8) Score over 300 points by breaking walls! * Star
9) Shut out the Bowser team and win! Star
(She's really asking for it isn't she?)
10) Become a captain and round everyone up! * Special
~{(DAISY)}~
Talents: Quick Throw, Sliding Catch
Daisy comes to us with a world of different between her counterpart, Peach.
While Peach is out being abducted time and time again, Daisy is nowhere to be
found, most likely at the "Mushroom" Kingdom raves with her motorcycle
boyfriend she cheats on Luigi with. Oh, and her star missions are easier.
1) Smack a hit! Mushroom
2) Win MVP!! Mushroom
3) Get a Pretty Flower! Mushroom
4) Drive in a run! Flower
5) Pitch and bat with the Flower Ball and win the game! Flower
6) Smash the bonus barrel in Barrel Batter! * Star
7) Smack more than 3 hits in a game! Star
8) Make a double play with Peach! * Special
(No, Peach and Daisy will not 'double up' on anything else. Sickos.)
~{(YOSHI)}~
Talents: Clamber, Tongue Catch
Fresh from an age where dinosaurs didn't just bounce around on Public
Broadcasting singing about how much they love children, Yoshi's risen to the
ranks of captain with his trademark speed and tongue (Sorry ladies, he's taken!)
His star missions are of moderate difficulty, and come with three unique ones.
1) Steal a base! Mushroom
2) Win MVP!! Mushroom
3) Get an Egg! Mushroom
4) Pitch and bat with the Egg Ball and win the game! Flower
5) Reach base on a bunt with the bases empty! Flower
6) Belt either a triple or a home run! * Flower
7) Smack more than 2 hits in a game! Star
8) Score over 100 points in Piranha Panic! * Star
9) Cross the plate more than 3 times in a game! Star
10) Get more than 3 outs in a game using the tongue catch! * Special
~{(BABY MARIO)}~
Talent: Wall Jump
Good news if you've always hated this severely misproportioned time travelling
abomination of nature: one of his stars involves him getting slammed in the face
by the ball! If you're a fan, disregard what I said about this adorable little
scamp who's climbed out of the crib and into our hearts. *vomits*
1) Smack a hit! Mushroom
2) Strike 'em out! Mushroom
3) Beat Bowser Jr.'s team! Flower
4) Cross the plate more than twice in a game! Flower
5) Drive in runs vs. Mario! Star
(Go Baby Mario! Kick your future's butt!)
6) Catch a booted ball! * Star
~{(BABY LUIGI)}~
Talent: Wall Jump
Half of this guy's star missions revolve around his natural speed, which I can
only assume is a product of him fleeing in horror from the stench of his diaper
that I'm pretty sure no one has ever changed. Enjoy his simple star missions!
1) Steal a base! Mushroom
2) Drop a squeeze bunt! Mushroom
3) Get a Team Star! Flower
4) Win Piranha Panic with no damage! Flower
5) Strike out Luigi! Star
6) Steal a base more than twice in a game! Star
~{(BOWSER)}~
Talents: Body Check, Laser Beam
This predictable villain has come a long way from the menacing turtle beast
who could be defeated by a few fireballs while he uh... breathed fireballs...
yeah... By far the most power-focused of characters with a lot of stars, his
shouldn't pose too much of a problem until the very end. No uniques, oddly.
1) Drive in a run! Mushroom
2) Win MVP!! Mushroom
3) Get a Bullet Bill! Mushroom
4) Smack a hit with a charge swing! Flower
5) Win with a shutout! Flower
6) Bat in a run with the Killer Ball swing! Flower
7) Crush someone with a body check! Star
8) Hit a home run! Star
9) Belt 2 homers in 1 game! Star
10) Belt a grand slam! Special
~{(WARIO)}~
Talents: Body Check, Sliding Catch
A shining example for everyone who thinks you can't be the star of a game just
because you have a huge nose, ridiculous mustache, gigantic chin, pointed ears
despite not being an elf, being overweight, having garlic breath... geez this
guy's ugly o_O Yet makes up for it with sensible missions, despite 5 uniques.
1) Smack more than 2 hits in a game! Mushroom
2) Become a captain and win more than 900 coins! * Mushroom
3) Get a Gnarly Garlic! Mushroom
4) Get a hit with Mario! Flower
5) Pitch and bat with the Phony Ball and win the game! Flower
6) Strike out Mario! Flower
7) Get a red gem in Chain Chomp Sprint! * Star
8) Get more than 200 coins in the Toy Field! * Star
9) Belt a home run with Mario! * Star
10) Get more than 5 RBIs in the game! * Special
~{(WALUIGI)}~
Talents: Super Jump, Laser Beam
Wario's brother and two-time winner of the beauty pageant of Uglytown, Waluigi
arrives in the world of baseball, this time using his stilt-like appendages to
pitch like a pro. Arguably has the easiest overall set of missions for a "main"
character.
1) Strike 'em out! Mushroom
2) Win MVP!! Mushroom
3) Get a Whiskered Eggplant! Mushroom
4) Win with a shutout! Flower
5) Strike out Luigi! Flower
6) Get a runner out with a laser beam throw! Star
7) Smack more than 3 hits in a game! Star
8) Clear all minigames! Special
~{(KOOPA TROOPA)}~
Talent: Sliding Catch
Beginning the trend of very easy to obtain superstars, this speedy... turtle?..
huh... has a very, very simple set of stars. Could very well be your first
superstar with ease.
1) Drive in a run! Mushroom
2) Pitch a whole game and win! Mushroom
3) Crack a long hit! Flower
4) Smack more than 3 hits in a game! Star
~{(TOAD)}~
Talent: Body Check
Toad, the mushroom man... which sounds stranger having written it out, has sadly
slowed down and weakened from the beefy speedster from Super Mario 2 after he
was mass produced and bred to come out of hiding and cheer at mushroom kingdom's
parades. Another simple set gets him to superstardom.
1) Let someone go shopping for you! * Mushroom
2) Win MVP!! Mushroom
3) Hit a home run! Flower
4) Crush someone with a body check! Star
~{(BOO)}~
Talent: Super Jump
Finally getting over his shyness once introduced to competitive sports, Boo
joins with an excellent pitching skill and a complete inability to turn
invisible when it'd actually be useful. Go figure. Again, not a bad set at all.
1) Smack a hit! Mushroom
2) Get 3 strikeouts in a game! Mushroom
3) Smack more than 2 hits in a game! Flower
4) Win with a shutout! Star
~{(TOADETTE)}~
Talents: Wall Jump, Sliding Catch (Why does she get two??)
Zillions of Toad characters in the Mushroom Kingdom, and ONE Toadette. No wonder
she's able to run so fast. Unfortunately her unique star mission is one of the
strangest and most awkward missions to complete.
1) Smack a hit! Mushroom
2) Strike 'em out! Mushroom
3) Make a big play! Flower
4) Win with a shutout! Flower
5) Win MVP! Star
6) Hit a ? block with the ball! (Musical Note block) * Star
~{(SHY GUY)}~
Talent: Sliding Catch
Two-time winner of American Idol with his hit song: "WEEONT!" Shyguy sadly
requires a nasty strikeout star mission for someone with average pitching.
Otherwise, he's cake.
1) Smack a hit! Mushroom
2) Belt more than 1,000-points worth of Bob-ombs! * Mushroom
3) Make a big play! Flower
4) Get 5 strikeouts! Star
~{(BIRDO)}~
Talents: Body Check, Suction
Birdo scares me. I don't really mean that as a joke. I mean I am literally
terrified at this bizarre beast every time it launches huge eggs out it's face
hole after blowing a kiss from it. *shudder* Thankfully, Birdo's star missions
shouldn't terrify you in the same realm, they're tame for a good character.
1) Drive in a run! Mushroom
2) Win MVP!! Mushroom
3) Get a Pink Egg! Mushroom
4) Make a big play! Flower
5) Beat Peach's team! Flower
6) Collect more than 30 gems! * Star
7) Hit a home run! Star
8) Be the MVP in the last game! Special
~{(MONTY MOLE)}~
Talent: Ball Dash
Faster than a speeding turtle!... Monty's got a pretty simplistic set, and one
of the easiest unique star missions out there. Gopher the gold!
1) Steal a base! Mushroom
2) Drop a squeeze bunt! Mushroom
3) Get a Team Star! Flower
4) Reach base on a bunt with the bases empty! Flower
5) Tag someone out while carrying the ball! * Star
6) Cross the plate more than 3 times in a game! Star
~{(BOWSER JR.)}~
Talents: Body Check, Wall Jump
The Isle Delfino Maintenance Crew's worst nightmare is back and has once again
returned with a change in form. Now he's a powerhouse again, but sadly still
wearing the ugly bandana. He has an interesting unique star mission, but by
time you have access to him, you should be used to the rest of his.
1) Smack a hit! Mushroom
2) Cross home plate! Mushroom
3) Get a Jr. Mask! Mushroom
4) Pitch and bat with the Killer Jr. ball and win the game! Flower
5) Hit a home run! Flower
6) Strike out Mario! Star
7) Belt a back-to-back homer with Bowser! * Star
8) Be the MVP in the last game! Special
~{(PARATROOPA)}~
Talent: Super Jump
My favorite character in the Mario Sports titles just happens to be another
candidate for easiest road to Superstar status. Why he appears to walk as he
around the bases will forever remain a mystery.
1) Smack a hit! Mushroom
2) Cross home plate! Mushroom
3) Pitch a whole game and win! Flower
4) Make a jumping catch! Star
~{(PIANTA)}~
This guy sure doesn't have many fans these days. Just remember that he comes to
us with an easy set of Star Missions. And if you still hate him, play Mario
Sunshine and get to where you find one running around on fire. Comic gold.
Talent: Laser Beam
1) Crack a long hit! Mushroom
2) Drive in a run! Mushroom
3) Hit a home run! Flower
4) Get a runner out with the laser beam throw! Star
~{(NOKI)}~
There's weird characters, and then there's Noki. The speedy dude blesses us
with a relatively easy set of star missions, and a truly bizarre noise while
charging up a swing.
Talent: Sliding Catch
1) Smack a hit! Mushroom
2) Steal a base! Mushroom
3) Pitch a whole game and win! Flower
4) Cross the plate more than 3 times in a game! Star
~{(HAMMER BRO)}~
He ticked you off in the original Super Mario Bros, he had the suit we wanted
the most in Super Mario 3, and now he's back to tick you off whenever he belts
yet another home run for Bowser's team. Big shocker, all of his missions
involve batting! They should be a pushover by time you've unlocked him.
Talent: Body Check
1) Smack a hit! Mushroom
2) Crack a long hit! Mushroom
3) Hit a home run! Flower
4) Belt 2 homers in 1 game! Star
~{(TOADSWORTH)}~
The #1 draft from the Geriatric Mushroom League (GML) joins up for his first
foray into the Mario sports world. They must want us to go easy on the old man,
because he has easily the simplest set of missions for someone with 6 to unlock.
Talent: Super Catch
1) Catch the ball! Mushroom
2) Smack a hit! Mushroom
3) Make a big play! Flower
4) Steal a base! Flower
5) Win MVP!! Star
6) Clear all minigames! Star
~{(MAGIKOOPA)}~
Talent: Magical Catch
Give a turtle wings and it's a speed demon. Teach a turtle magic and it slows
down to a crawl. I'm pretty sure that's a chinese proverb. Anyhow, despite his
fielding being amazing, only one of his star missions involves it, and the rest
are ridiculously easy. Another "first superstar" candidate.
1) Drop a sacrifice bunt! Mushroom
2) Strike 'em out! Mushroom
3) Make a big play with a magical catch! * Flower
4) Win MVP!! Star
~{(KING BOO)}~
Talent: Super Jump
Apparently wearing a small crown is enough to make you king, but ones from
Burger King aren't enough to make your girlfriend call you her majesty. I
suppose that's another story. The ghost king is powerful with a wicked curve
on his hits, and made a royal decree that his star missions be pretty simple.
1) Smack a hit! Mushroom
2) Get a Team Star! Mushroom
3) Smack a hit with a charge swing! Flower
4) Make a jumping catch! Flower
5) Hit a home run! Star
6) Be the MVP in the last game! Star
~{(PETEY PIRAHNA)}~
Talent: Body Check
Is it any wonder that this gigantic ugly beast is good friends with Wario in
this game? Using his leaves... err.. arms.. er... wings? o_O to hit with
impressive power, his missions oddly are only 1/3 based on batting. Still,
though one seems particularly tough, he was one of my earlier superstars.
1) Crack a long hit! Mushroom
2) Place first in Piranha Panic! * Mushroom
3) Hit a home run! Flower
4) Shut out Mario's team and win! Flower
5) Crush someone with a body check! Star
6) Catch the ball more than 5 times in a game! *Star
~{(DIXIE KONG)}~
Talent: Clamber
The monkey with the most impressive head of hair you'll ever see in action has
not made a fan of me. Much like the other lesser Kong, her stars start easy,
then finish off with a very annoying one. I was never into monkey chicks anyway.
1) Smack a hit! Mushroom
2) Strike 'em out! Mushroom
3) Make a big play! Flower
4) Crack a long hit! Flower
5) Beat Peach's team! Star
6) Climb up the wall and make a catch! Star
~{(GOOMBA)}~
Talent: Ball Dash
Nevermind the fact that he somehow swings a bat and holds onto a glove with no
arms, kudos to this guy from rising up from a life of being the worst
henchman ever to compete with his killers. Additional kudos for winning my
"easiest superstar" award!
1) Smack a hit! Mushroom
2) Drop a sacrifice bunt! Mushroom
3) Beat Toad in Wall Ball! * Flower
4) Steal a base more than twice in a game! Star
~{(PARAGOOMBA)}~
Talent: Super Jump
Wings! The perfect defense against your foes, provided they aren't all famous
for their ability to jump high!... OOPS! Well, like Goomba, his stars are
pretty simple, but his weak batting makes his set just slightly more difficult.
1) Drop a squeeze bunt! Mushroom
2) Crack a long hit! Mushroom
3) Make a jumping catch! Flower
4) Drive in more than 3 runs in a game! Star
~{(DRY BONES)}~
Talent: Sliding Catch
..too easy. Very, very easy set of missions, especially considering how far
you'll have come when he's unlocked.
1) Drive in a run! Mushroom
2) Make a big play! Mushroom
3) Win MVP!! Flower
4) Get 3 strikeouts in a game! Star
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x. MVP records! (and thoughts)
Well, my fanboyism towards Mario sports games knows no bounds. Thus, when I got
my first MVP Record from Exhibition mode and noticed the cool paragraph
description/interview with the character, I decided to get them all! This may
not have anything to do with challenge mode, but these are pretty cool and I've
yet to see someone list these out. So here I go!
TO UNLOCK THESE: You have to beat the computer in Exhibition mode. I noticed
that you will not get a record if you try to shorten the game by decreasing the
number of innings, so you likely can't change the game settings to anything but
more difficult settings. However, you can make the opponent's team as terrible
as you want, put them in completely wrong positions, -and- make all of your
characters superstars and none of theirs!
Then, winning and getting MVPs should be cake. Just set it up so the only, or
bulk of your RBIs come from the player you want to be MVP, then have them pitch
the rest of the game too. Without further ado, here's each character's MVP
Record, viewable in the Records section once earned.
MARIO:
"Everyone's favorite hero. When Peach is in trouble, he always saves the day! A
kart racer, tennis player, golf enthusiast, doctor... The list goes on and on,
showing he's a jack-of-all-trades. His trademark Fireball will help him in his
first foray into baseball"
Not to mention a soccer player, basketball player, melee fighter and
snowboarder! There's no bounds to this versatile hero, it seeems, and in
general, always plays as a solid character in these titles.
LUIGI:
"The younger Mario bro. He's a better jumper than Mario but lacks good
traction. Always in Mario's shadow, Luigi tends to be low-key but is always a
dark horse in athletic contests. Despite perpetually finishing second, his
excellent form and green Fireball make him a force."
He generally tends to have stats much like Mario in these games, and this is no
exception. I generally prefer to play as him though, and many consider him
superior to Mario in Super Mario DS... so he's getting his due, at least.
DONKEY KONG:
"A gorilla known for raw power, DK leads a pretty carefree jungle life...
unless someone messes with his bananas, in which case he just loses it. His
ancestor, the original Donkey Kong, wore no necktie. His talents lie in
beating on primate foes and kart-racing. Fear his Banana Ball!"
Well, I don't fear his Banana Ball, but I do fear his power. Generally, DK is
the brute of the game with long arms packing a mean punch, but always a little
less than Bowser. No exception here.
DIDDY KONG:
"DK's partner and buddy. Diddy's trademark is his red baseball hat. While
Donkey Kong boasts incredible power, Diddy's forte is his nimbleness. Using
his prehensile tail to great effect, Diddy Kong is a natural fielder who won't
ever boot routine balls."
This of course references all of Diddy's talents: quickness, ability to climb
walls, and Super Catch which prevents him from making errors. To me, this is
his best showing in recent Mario sports titles.
PEACH:
"The Mushroom Kingdom's princess. Mario has come to her rescue every time she's
been kidnapped...which has happened no less than 10 times! Some speculate that
an all-Toad security force may be the problem... She joins the game with a
Heart Ball as her weapon."
Ahaha, that all-Toad security force line is priceless. Nintendo seems content
on having fun with her constant kidnapping, then making it up by having her be
a dominating force in these titles. She even gets her own action title now!
DAISY:
"Sarasara Land's princess. Mario rescued Daisy from the nasty villain Tatanga.
While often compared to Peach, Daisy is both stronger and more tomboyish than
her blonde counterpart. She uses a Flower Ball that scatters confusing petals."
And how. Maybe it's just my luck, but I tend to have no problem cracking hits
out of the park with her. Which is nice, because I thought she was generally
among the weakest characters in the tennis titles. Retribution!
YOSHI:
"A denizen of Yoshi's Island. Mario's dependable buddy always helps him out of
jams. Yoshis use their tongues to eat anything and everything. It's said that
Yoshis can turn anything they swallow into eggs. On the diamond, Yoshi's fast
legs and accurate tongue make him a great fielder."
No kidding. Once a speedster, always a speedster, though once again not
sacrificing too much power. Between his good Egg powers, natural stats and the
ultra-useful Tongue Catch, Yoshi is top-tier.
BABY MARIO:
"The elder of the baby Mario brothers. After arriving in a stork-related
calamity, he and Yoshi rescued his little bro. Though he's supposed to be Mario
in his youth, you can play them both at the same time for some reason. He has
excellent foot speed but lacks power due to his diminuitive size."
He's actually taken a rather marked change in style, as in this game he's
pretty feeble in power, in the original Mario Tennis for N64, Baby Mario
packed quite a punch. He's been toned down a lot as a supporting character.
BABY LUIGI:
"The younger of the baby Mario brothers. After being abducted by Kamek, he was
rescued by Yoshi and Baby Mario. If you see him and Luigi in the same game, try
to ignored the temporal paradox. Baby Luigi is quick around the bases but
doesn't hit for power. He is, after all, a baby."
Still a heck of a lost faster than any baby I know. Pretty much plays just like
Baby Mario here, as he did in Mario Kart. Only I find his "Oh yeah!" and similar
phrases to be much more amusing.
BOWSER:
"Mario's archrival and the king of the Koopa clan. He's challenged Mario and his
friends to battles countless times, but his ambitions tend to get crushed every
time. His lethal Killer Ball is powerful enough to drag anyone catching it
across the field!"
Yeah, but who needs it when he can hit home runs in his sleep? Once again the
most powerful player, Bowser to me, also checks out as being the best player
overall. Powerful, a great pitcher, and his size and reach make up for his
speed while fielding. Throw in Body Checks amd Laser Throws... he's amazing.
WARIO:
"According to Wario, he's both Mario's rival and childhood friend. (This is
unconfirmed.) He actually runs his own video-game company and has produced
many hot sellers. Garlic is Wario's favorite food. It may lend him his
incredible stamina, which makes him excellent at daring plays."
Wario's gaining more and more fans these days, and for good reason. While his
stats may not appear impressive, he plays pretty well, is a great home run
hitter, and has highly unpredictable specials.
WALUIGI:
"Luigi's eccentric rival. Waluigi is a hardworking player who has been
training night and day to gain enough power to best Luigi. The eggplant that
his Liar Ball delivers is said to have the power to make those who touch it
lose their lunches."
Ahh, the Vomit Ball, how pleasant. Waluigi tends to enter sports titles these
days with unique talents, due largely to his unique stature. For baseball,
they've made him arguably the best pitcher.
KOOPA TROOPA:
"A familiar face of the Mario series, this member of the Koopa clan can pull
his feet inside his shell to protect himself. Long ago, he didn't even walk
upright, but now he's even playing baseball! Though he can do just about
everything, he's slow because...well, you know."
Because he's a turtle! I get it! However, Namco seems to have not been playing
Mario games of recent time. Between the rideable Koopa shells of Mario 64 to
Koopa being the -fastest- player in Mario Power Tennis, there's a bit of
inconsistency in making him a regular balanced player. Oh well.
TOAD:
"Princess Peach's subject. Though he tries to protect the princess from the evil
Bowser, she gets kidnapped with disturbing regularity. There are many Toads who
look just alike, and though they are generally small and look cute, they are
actually quite powerful."
I think everyone misses the fast, powerful Toad from the days of Super Mario 2.
They've added some macho-ness back to him in the form of Body Checking, and a
better power rating than his feeble Mario Tennis 64 persona. It's a start!
BOO:
"Bowser's underling ghost. Behind the scary face lies a very shy soul. Look
most Boos in the eyes and they'll cover their faces...but turn around and
they'll attack you! Boos confuse their enemies by flickering in and out of the
visible realm, appearing at inconvenient times."
Boo has become a series standard due to his quirky and likeable nature as a
bumbling villain, and workable niche in being able to manipulate balls with
vicious curves. Thus the focus on pitching ability has come natural.
TOADETTE:
"A cute Toad girl with plaited locks. Though her profile is relatively unknown,
she is definitely a cheery, upbeat girl who's full of energy. Taking advantage
of her fast legs and light weight, Toadette can make all sorts of difficult
playes look completely routine."
A recent inclusion to the sports realm, Toadette seems to be finding her niche
as stated above: a lightweight speedster. Watch her zoom around the bsaes and
I think you'll agree.
SHY GUY:
"A charming, masked soldier. Shy Guys used to serve an evil king named Wart,
but they nowadays make a lot of cameo appearances as friendly rivals of Mario.
That said, they aren't always good... On the baseball mound, Shy Guys are
consistent players with a few weaknesses."
Technically they served Bowser, or rather Baby Bowser first, being common
enemies in Yoshi's Island... Making strong showings in the Tennis series as a
Technique player, they've streamlined him to be all-around in baseball.
BIRDO:
"A dinosaur that spits eggs from her huge mouth. Birdo is very particular when
it comes to fashion, though her reliance on the color pink is a bit limiting.
Her bow and ring are her pride and joy. Birdo's mouth has massive suction that
can even catch a ball by sucking it in."
Indeed, the suction power is very useful, however creepy it may be. Regardless,
through ambiguous gender confusions, Birdo's shown here as a bit of a strong
player, tending to get a lot of home runs when I use him/her/it.
MONTY MOLE:
"A lively, sometimes surly mole who lives underground and leaps out whenever
someone approaches his den. He usually keeps to himself but always gets fired
up for a good baseball game. In fact, when he gets the ball, he almost gets
TOO fired up."
That of course references his excellent Ball Dash ability. No longer a general
nuisance, he steps up to the plate as a speedster with a unique playstyle and
useful talent. However, I've never seen a character make as many errors as him.
BOWSER JR.:
"Bowser's exuberant son. Bowser lied to him and convinced Jr. that Peach was
his mom, resulting in a chaotic adventure for Mario and company. Bowser thinks
the Koopa clan is in good hands with his son. He's not just powerful but also
surprisingly skilled."
Another slight change in form! Jr. was more of a speedy, tricky character in
Power Tennis, and now has turned into a less speedy, power character. Just
working his way towards being more like his dad, it seems.
KOOPA PARATROOPA:
"Another longtime underling of Bowser. Paratroopa flies through the sky and
delivers body shecks to Mario and others, but he's vulnerable to a good
stomping, which takes away his wings and turns him into a garden-variety
Koopa. His wings allow him to leap up and make great catches."
Garden-variety indeed. My favorite character in Tennis and Kart has been
turned from a uniquely talented player to a stunningly average one. Booo...
PIANTA:
"A cheerful islander living on the southern paradise called Delfino Island.
Piantas are said to be born on the mountains and they are distinguished by
the palm tree growing from their heads. Their power makes them flashy, but
they're clumsy and slow runners."
Unless you light them on fire! That definitely gets them moving. Not much to
say about these unpopular players. They're good batters and strong throwers,
something Mario Sunshine fans should remember... but not much else.
NOKI:
"A mysterious member of a clan living on the southern paradise of Delfino
Island. Nokis evolved from shellfish, and their ancestors are believed to have
lived in the sea. While they are skillful and fast runners, they are hampered
by a lack of power."
Ehhh. Basically the opposite of Pianta, these excessively weird dudes are
basically all speed, and not much else. Boring, and probably my least favorite
character in the game.
HAMMER BRO:
"One of Mario's oldest and most annoying foes. The Hammer Bro is said to be the
mightiest warrior of Bowser's army. Besides the hammer-throwing variety, there
are also Boomerang and Fire Bros as wel. Teames fear his aggressive play and
lethal bat."
And surely after a few first tries facing Bowser's team, you feared their bat
too. Unassuming as they may seem, they're brutally powerful hitters, and like
the other brutally powerful sub-character, come with the useful Body Check too.
TOADSWORTH:
"Princess Peach's attendant. Though he says his life gets shorter every time
Princess Peach gets abducted, he is always in good health and full of energy.
While he lacks in stamina, he makes up for it by making cool plays that take
advantage of his long life's worth of experience."
Not much to say here, he's new to sports titles, and with very balanced stats
and a very useful talent, he's a solid choice among sub-characters.
MAGIKOOPA:
"A resident magician of the Koopa clan. The best of the Magikoopas, Kamek, once
attempted to abduct the baby Mario brothers, but Yoshi and Baby Mario thwarted
his sinister plan. The magic powers of the Magikoopa wand also come in handy in
the game of baseball."
You bet they do. Given that Magikoopas use their wands and thus never actually
touch the ball, they're fantastic fielders who I've yet to see make a single
error. The magical catch is great too, but they're balanced by being very slow.
KING BOO:
"The king of the Boos. The golden crown is his trademark, and while he looks
similar to other Boos, it's obvious that he's much larger than the others. Not
only is he powerful, but he's also a faster runner that gets his speed by
hovering over the base paths."
Well, running is actually his lowest stat, but still. Becoming more prominent a
character as of late, King Boo makes a great showing here. Great power, a
wicked curve on hits, and high stats overall make him top-tier for subs.
PETEY PIRANHA:
"A mutation created this boss of the Piranha Plants. Petey can fly in the air
for a short while, flapping the leaves that he has developed into primitive
arms. When Petey spits a ball out of his toothy mouth, it is lightning-fast."
Very true. He throws incredibly fast and is an insane home-run hitter when he
doesn't pop out. Nintendo seems to like this guy more than the fans do, but I'd
say he's starting to grow on me as a solid and unique power player.
DIXIE KONG:
"Diddy Kong's partner and girlfriend. Her trademark golden ponytail is
familiar to monkey fans everywhere. Dixie Kong is just as adventurous as both
Diddy Kong and Donkey Kong. Combining great techniques with fast legs, she is
a very dependable player."
Until she comes to bat. Granted, I can get hits with her, but her poor power
and short bat are annoyances to many. Otherwise she plays just like an inferior
Diddy Kong. Not a favorite, but she gets the job done.
GOOMBA:
"Though Goombas once lived in peace in the Mushroom Kingdom, they betrayed their
homeland to side with Bowser. Exactly how Goomba uses his baseball gear is a bit
of a mystery. Maybe you can spot the secret technique if you watch closely as
he makes plays in the field..."
Don't know what that references, so I'll leave it as a mystery. Goombas are
getting more face time thanks to Paper Mario games of late, which is fun,
because they're kind of cool. As a baseball player, he's uh... got Ball Dash!
PARAGOOMBA:
"A Goomba with wings. Just like Koopa Paratroopa, Paragoombas lose their wings
and turn into Goobmas if they get stepped on. The Goomba family is made up of
expert bunters, although no one really makes a big deal about it. Bunting, after
all, isn't all that glamorous."
Not much to say about him either as a baseball player. He's very fast, has the
worst pitching, and though he hits okayish, I find batting with him to be very
awkward. Yet I still like him as a novelty speed player, more than say, Noki.
DRY BONES:
"A bony underling of Bowser. Some mysterious power binds the skeletal bodies of
Dry Bones together, but they shatter to pieces when they take damage. Of course,
over time, they go right back to the way they were without ill effect. Dry Bones
throws cursed balls when he pitches."
..cursed.. balls? No idea. Well, sadly other than looking different (and the
Red/Black spiked shell version looks cool), they offer basically nothing
different than Koopa Troopa. Just a new novelty addition, it seems.
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xi. Contribute to the FAQ
This is the final version of the FAQ. Most of the crowd still playing this has
slimmed down, and I think most bases have been covered. If there's something
-major- I've failed to include, feel free to contact me. Otherwise, thanks for
reading and supporting me in this effort =)
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xii. Contact Info / Thanks:
Remember to reference this FAQ or Mario Baseball in the subject title.
An e-mail may appear to be spam if it doesn't include a note of that sort.
[email protected] - E-mail
MjrDragon - AIM name
cap10sarcasm - Yahoo Messenger (rarely on this, but I still check messages)
GreenHammer, for getting me information on the stars for Bowser, Bowser Jr.,
Dry Bones and Hammer Bros.
Cjayc for hosting this FAQ and the other reviews/FAQs I've written in the past.
Aaron Davidson for his alternate Team Star (#26) suggestion.
Pal3_99 for his alertnate Toadette block strategy (#68)
Ted, for catching a dumb mistake I made in "Steal a base!" (#5)
Daniel Swinney for notifying me that an "Inside the park" homer can still count
for a star mission.
Space Moose for his suggestion for the Belt a grand slam star (#57)
puddingboy for pointing out a typo in the items section.
Diana Doherty for her strategy on pitching for Mario's Perfect Game star (#61)
Dustin Capehart for his strategy on getting the Laser Beam throw star (#23)
Dan Hermann for multiple useful suggestions for FAQ questions and the new
challenge mode tips section.
quincy0191 for pointing out an additional note about the back-to-back homers.
All information in this FAQ is copyright Anthony Nelson, unless otherwise noted.
Any duplication of material in this FAQ is strictly prohibited without
authorization from the author. Any site given permission to host this FAQ must
keep all information in its entirety and in its original form.
Only the following sites have permission to host this FAQ:
www.gamefaqs.com
www.neoseeker.com
www.1up.com
faqs.ign.com
Feel free to contact me if you wish to host this FAQ elsewhere.
