Introduction

"Let's play baseball!" chants the opening theme. The light music and vibrant colors are setting the tone early: you won't be seeing any steroids controversies or players attacking cameramen here, but you will see plenty of fireballs and spotted dinosaur eggs!

If you've played the other Mario sports games before, you'll know that while they are not hardcore simulations of sports, they have a strong underlying engine that is no walk in the baseball park to master. Plus, with all the different game modes and extras buried in the little GameCube disc, you may need some help to keep it all straight.

And always, when you're down by one in the bottom of the ninth, you can always count on us at IGN to step up to the plate and pinch hit a homerun... or something like that. Metaphors aside, the point is that it doesn't matter if you're an MVP or a rookie, we'll help you excel and win championships in no time.

In this Mario Baseball guide, you'll find:

• Spring Training: All the basics of Mario Baseball, although we're assuming you know the basic rules of the sport itself.
• Challenge Mode Walkthrough: Team strategies whether you're facing or playing one of the six teams.
• Q & A: One quick stop for instant answers.
• Character Roster: All the players in the game, their strengths and weaknesses, Star Skills, and more!

It says here your interests are "dabut"? Uh huh, dat's da butt. - Ed. Guide by: J. "PyroFalkon" Habib