Mario Strikers: Battle League is a five versus five
association football/
soccer video game. The game shies away from realism, in favor of chaotic, over-the-top gameplay. However, the game takes many liberties with the sport. Aggressive tackles and attacks are completely allowed, though they give the opposing player "items" to use at their disposal. No "out of bounds" exists on the field, instead, an
electric fence is placed around the field; players can check and knock opponents into this fence to stun them. In the game, the player picks a major
Mario franchise character like
Mario or
Princess Peach - and a team of three other characters to round out the rest of the team. All characters have various strengths and weaknesses, and
Battle League additionally allows for the customization of equipment on characters as well, affecting character's stats for things like speed, strength, and pass accuracy. Up to eight players can play local multiplayer matches, with players using just one
Joy-Con each, allowing for four versus four game, with the computer handling goalkeeping. Online multiplayer is also available, including a "Club Mode" where groups of up to 20 players can create their own game season, with leaderboards tracking scores. ==Development==