Joe DiMaggio may be the greatest hitter of all time, but would he have been able to hit one of Bowser's somersaulting Bullet Bills? Even the greats from America's favorite pastime wouldn't have a glimmer of hope against a crew from the Mario universe -- the true baseball champions.

Donkey Kong doesn't feel the need for a bat and simply uses his boxing glove to punch the ball out of the stadium. Watch out for Mario and Luigi's fireball pitches that light on fire or have Diddy Kong throw the almost unhittable, curving banana ball.

Rated E for Everyone, Mario Superstar Baseball is great for family fun. The sparkling character personalities yield a highly entertaining game for both children and adults.

"This easy-to-learn, hard-to-master ballgame features all your favorite characters in absurd rivalries," said George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Even the playing fields offer a glimpse into the characters' personalities, perfectly blending Mario and his crew with the time-honored sport of baseball."

The mechanics of the game are just like real baseball, but with a Nintendo twist. Spinning tornadoes may launch a fly ball into the cheap seats, and a floating item box might obstruct a shot to center. Power up to hit a bomb or be safe and hit the ball in play. Players also should watch out for rolling barrels in the field that will knock them over as they hunt down a ground ball.

Play exhibition games for one or two players, or journey through the land to complete baseball-related missions in Challenge mode on the way to a showdown with Bowser. Players also can beat multiple skill levels and compete against up to three others in mini-games that unlock new characters, features and stadiums. Mario Superstar Baseball builds on the great collection of Nintendo sports games like Mario Golf, Mario Tennis and Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, which has sold nearly 2 million copies. These games revolutionized their sports by embracing the Nintendo universe, subsequently enhancing the experience with creativity and originality.