Mario Strikers: Battle League — Multiplayer and online club guide

Mario Strikers: Battle League is a game that focuses on teamwork as opposing players compete to score goals and get the most points. The game can be enjoyed in both local couch co-op and online Strikers Club modes with the latter only being accessible if players have Nintendo Switch Online. There are some vast differences between the offline and online multiplayer options with Strikers Club offering more serious and competitive options.

Mario Strikers: Battle League Multiplayer game modes

Mario Strikers: Battle League offers three distinct modes outside of the training tutorial to help you play with others. Note that you must be in the same region as any friends you wish to play with in order to play together. The available multiplayer modes are:

• Quick Battle: Allows up to eight players to play a single game locally from one Switch (as long as there are enough of the best controllers to go around) or allows two players to play online from one Switch.
• Cup Battle: Up to four players compete against computer opponents in a tournament. If your team loses twice you're done unless your team spends in-game currency to continue playing.
• Strikers Club: Groups of up to 20 players can join together into a club within this mode. However, to have access to it, players must have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. The club owner can choose the team name and even customize uniforms.

This is ideal for people who don't want to invest time into a lengthy tournament and just want to play a one-off game. Up to eight players can compete together locally with four players on either team. Any opening not occupied by a player will be controlled by the computer. Alternatively, up to two players at a time can compete with others online from the same system.

Here, one to four players go up against computer teams as they compete in a bracketed tournament. This competition has three main phases:

Players compete against other teams to see who the winner is. If a team loses once before getting to the finals, they are placed lower on the bracket. If they lose again in the lower bracket they are eliminated from the competition altogether.

If your team loses twice during the tournament and is eliminated, the team can spend a required number of Coins to challenge the last team they lost to. You can pay for a Revenge Match as many times as you like, but the Coin cost increases each time.

The teams that make it through the Tournament will be placed in the finals to duke it out. If a team was in the lower bracket when they reached the finals (meaning that they lost a match along the way) they will need to win twice whereas a team that makes it to the end and is still in the higher bracket just needs to win once to be the champ.

Strikers Club: Online competitive groups

As long as you have an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription, you'll be able to participate in Strikers Club, an online component that lets you be in a club of as many as 20 players.

You can either join an existing club or create your own, however, you cannot join a club unless it's in the off-season. Club owners will have extra responsibilities for their members, such as:

• Club Name: Choose from a list of pre-approved words.
• Uniform: Customize the color and look of your team's jersey.
• Manage members: Remove members from the club if necessary.
• Stadium: Determine which stadium is your hometown theme and change its appearance with Coins earned after playing matches.
• Region: Select what region the club is established in. Only members of the same region will be able to join a club.
• Club Policy: Decide the overall vibe of your team, whether that means you are looking for cutthroat competitive players eager to improve or just cool people looking to have fun.
• Conditions to Join: Determine if "Anyone," "Approved Only," or "Friends Only" can join your club.

Unfortunately, we all know that playing with others online won't always be a pleasant experience. So if a player isn't playing well, doesn't show up often, or needs to be removed for any other reason, the club owner can do so.

1. Hover over the player's name on the Club Roster.
2. Press Y.
3. Select Remove.

Strikers Club follows a pattern of shifting from on-season to off-season every other week. You can join a club in either season. However, you can only rank and play competitively in the on-season. The off-season is a time for practice matches.

Each club is placed into a division made up of five teams and will compete against each other to see who can earn the most points during a season and rank the highest. Clubs are beholden to the rules of the given season that they are in. You'll want to check the rules and conditions for each season to make sure your team is working toward the proper results. Additionally, you'll always be able to see how much time is left for a given season by looking at the countdown. Open matches are available during the off-season.

Clubs are rewarded points each time they play against an opponent, even if they lose. Of course, you'll gain the most points if you win, the least points if you lose, and both teams are rewarded two points if there's a tie. The more points you have at the end of a season the higher your rank will be within a division.

My favorite Mushroom Kingdom team

There's so much fun to be had playing with others online in Strikers Club. Find other people to play with whether they're your friends or random players online and have a fun time. Just remember that you'll only be able to participate in those competitive matches during the On-Season.