Summary
- A Mario Strikers clone named Mariostro Strikers: Soccer League has recently surfaced on the Xbox Store, bearing a striking resemblance to the Nintendo franchise.
- The game’s cover art features a main character who appears to be a near carbon copy of Mario, while the game boasts a completely different artstyle.
- Microsoft is expected to delist the game in the near future, with similar clones surfacing before and quickly being struck down by Nintendo or Microsoft.
A blatant clone of Nintendo’s popular Super Mario Strikers series has surfaced on the Xbox Store recently, bearing a suspiciously similar name to the popular sports series. The soccer series starring Nintendo’s iconic plumber has been a fan-favorite since the original game debuted on the GameCube, receiving multiple new games in the years since. The franchise most recently saw its long-awaited return on Switch with the release of Mario Strikers: Battle League in 2022. Now, a lookalike clone of the game has appeared on the Xbox Store.
“Clones” and lookalike games are nothing new within the gaming industry, with many smaller developers looking to piggyback off more recognizable brands. Beloved indie game Unpacking recently railed against the Switch eShop for a litany of copycat games being hosted on the platform without any action from Nintendo. Nintendo has often dealt with its own franchises being copied as well, even taking legal actions against perceived “clones” like Palworld. Now, Super Mario Strikers is the next Nintendo franchise being ripped off on another platform.
![Super Mario vs Pengullet Nintendo vs Palworld red background 2x1 composite](https://esportvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/1731082034_Palworld-Issues-Statement-on-Nintendo-Patent-Lawsuit.jpg)
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Mario Strikers Clone Surfaces on Xbox Store
As reported by PureXbox, a Super Mario Strikers clone named Mariostro Strikers: Soccer League has recently surfaced on the Xbox Store. The game, clearly intended to be a ripoff of Mario Strikers, boasts a main character bearing a striking resemblance to Mario on its cover art. The screenshots of the game show a markedly different style from its cover art, with the Mario Strikers resemblance likely intended to draw in fans of the Mario soccer franchise. The game is currently still available on the Xbox Store, with neither Microsoft nor Nintendo striking it from the marketplace as of yet.
The amusing Mario Strikers clone is not expected to last long before it is taken down, with Nintendo typically being very strict with its copyright enforcement. Nintendo has frequently taken down everything from fan games to emulation websites in order to protect its own brands, with Mario being among its most important properties. Nintendo even tried to sue a grocery store in Costa Rica for using the “Super Mario” name, though the lawsuit was ultimately unsuccessful due to Costa Rican trademark laws.
The blatant clone of Super Mario Strikers comes as many of Nintendo’s most popular games have been adapted into their own formats by other developers. Super Smash Bros. helped to popularize the platform fighter genre, with games like Nickelodeon All-Stars Brawl and MultiVersus looking to capitalize on Smash‘s popularity. Mario Kart‘s success has also seen other developers follow in Nintendo’s footsteps, inspiring games like Chocobo GP and Crash Team Racing. Nintendo’s continued success with its games will likely see more copycat and clone games looking to cash in on the Nintendo craze.
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