Mario Baseball: Homerun Sluggers

Gameplay
Mario Baseball: Homerun Sluggers can be played using three different control methods


 * Joy Con: (Vertical)
 * Joy Con (Horizontal)
 * Switch Controller and screen

Just like in Mario Supper Sluggers, before a game starts, a roulette will start in order to show which team will be batting first. This is different from the previous game, in which the player could choose which team would be batting first.

Assuming that players are using the Joy Con (vertical) or the Wii Joycon and Gamepad combination, in order to bat or pitch, players must hold the A (or X) button and the Joycon must be swung at the appropriate time. The more precise the hit/pitch, the further/faster the ball will go. To charge up a pitch or swing, players must pull the Joy Con back. They can also do curve balls as well by twisting the Joy Con while pitching. Once the ball is in a fielder's hand, the Joycon must be swung so that the fielder can pitch the ball at one of the basemen.

In the outfield, players can create special moves if there is chemistry between outfielders:


 * One outfielder tackles the ball and the ball rolls towards the outfielder with chemistry. The outfielder that holds the ball can then throw a very fast ball towards a base from the outfield.
 * When a possible home run is hit, players can initiate a Buddy Jump. Upon jumping around another outfielder's head and pressing A (or X) twice, one of the players will jump incredibly high to catch home run balls. This must be done with precise timing.

Superstar Matchups return; however, it is set for captains only and occurs when the team captain is not batting first and when one runner is on second or third and two or all three runners on base (only when the runs exceed to 4 or more on the scoreboard). This also applies to RBI chance screens.

While pitching, however, players will have to pay attention to the pitcher's stamina. If the character that's pitching is showing signs of fatigue (depicted by a water droplet in a bubble), their pitches will start to behave in an erratic manner. When the current pitcher has fatigue, players will have to decide to adjust the defense so that a new character plays pitcher instead. On a side note, pitchers can get exhausted even quicker if the batting team manages to make a lot of successful Home Runs or a Superstar Run. Even a Grand Slam or a Superstar Slam can cause a pitcher to become fully fatigued right off the bat.

Exhibition Mode
Exhibition mode is a standard one or two player game of baseball. Players fill out a roster and play a game. There are six different, unique stadiums in which players can choose to play in. The player, before playing in a stadium, can adjust options such as number of innings, mercy, which player bats first, and turning Star Skills on and off. Players can also adjust field settings, running, drop spots, and batting cursors.

Superstar Skill
A new feature in this game is the ability to use a Superstar Skill. Superstar Skills an be activated either while pitching or while batting. Anyone in this game can use a Star Skill, but a team captain's Star Skill is superior to a sub-character's Star Skill. Team Captains have mostly different Star Skills, however, captains that usually pair with each other (Mario and Luigi, Peach and Daisy) have similar Star Skills. The amount of Star Skills that can be used is represented by 5 Team Stars in a meter. The amount of starting Team Stars depend on the sub-characters' chemistry with the team captain.

Star Skills can be replenished by hitting ball park features. They can also be replenished by striking a player out or making a batter reach a base safely when the words, "Star Chance!" appear. Team captains and sub-characters use up one Team Star while captains as members use up two Team Stars.

Homerun Skill
A new feature in this game is the ability to use a Homerun Skill. Homerun Skills can only be used when you are not using a Superstar Skill, and can only be used once

Homerun Adventure mode
In Homerun Adventure, the player plays as Mario, Luigi, Peach or Toad. Starting with a basic amount of experience, the player can earn experience points by participating in practices and matches. Doing so grants the player skill points that can be used to upgrade their stats, such as Power (how far the ball can be driven), Power (how much strength the player uses when pitching or batting), Speed (how fast the player can run), Control (how straight the player can hit the ball), and Eye contact (how much the player can keep an eye on the ball when catching the ball), while experience points upgrade their level and overall Lead Rank. In the overworld, the player can interact with several characters, such as Goomba, Koopa Troopa, or Shy Guy, who may provide the player with challenges. There will also be matches against the playable characters and boss fights. The player will also be able to collect coins. By winning tournaments, players will be able to obtain new clubs and outfits.

Playable Characters
Character stats displayed here are taken from the listings in the game.

Stadiums
There are a total of 14 stadiums in all. Every Team Captain (excluding Waluigi, Birdo, and Diddy Kong) has a stadium which is based on his or her character's unique persona. Most of the nine stadiums can be played in daytime or nighttime. Mario Stadium is the only one not to feature any gimmicks in the field, making for the most realistic baseball experience. The Bowser Jr Playroom is only accessible during the day, while Luigi's Mansion and Bowser Castle can only be accessed at night.