| Anyone familiar with Nintendo Game Cube’s Super Mario Strikers will instantly feel at home when they first strap in to this screwball sequel. Anyone who has not first had a taste of “Soccer, Mario-style” will probably not know what hit them. In both cases, however, you’re in for a wildly entertaining, deliriously crazy, action-packed fun fest. It’s the sort of enjoyment you almost feel guilty having, simply because you know not everyone out there is willing or able to partake in this sort of riotous romp…but you’ll notice I did say you’ll ‘almost feel guilty’. The fact is you’ll be so caught up in the non-stop insanity of Mario and his pals you won’t be thinking of much else except dodging tackles while attempting to perform Mega-strikes, and thrashing your opponents. It’s safe to say that Mario Strikers Charged is one of the best Wii games released in the (so far) short life of this exciting game console, and if you don’t get immense pleasure from playing this game then you really shouldn’t own a Nintendo Wii at all. |  Available Through Amazon.com |
Soccer? What Soccer?
The best part of Mario’s version of soccer is that it barely passes as soccer at all! Sure, you play on a field and you kick a ball around, but that’s pretty much where the familiarity ends. You can start by throwing realism out the door - as turtles and toadstools chase you around the field looking to constantly knock you off the ball. Then you can throw the rule book out the window - there are no referees or red cards to be found here, just plenty of weapons, power-ups, tackles and other random acts of arcade-game absurdity. It comes as almost a surprise then, perhaps, to find an underlying depth to the game, as it uses more strategies and tactics than we’re used to in the Mario universe. You ‘kick things off’ by selecting your team captain, and there are 12 to choose from such as Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, Princess Peach, Wario, etc. Each character has his or her own strengths and weaknesses - so while one may be a fast runner, they may not be so good at passing the ball. It’s up to you to determine which captain is right for the game strategy you’re planning. Mario, of course, is the best all-rounder. Then you choose 3 team mates from a second line-up of characters including Toad, Boo, Monty Mole, Shy Guy, Birdo and more. These too have their own individual strengths and weaknesses, and you can get many varying results based on the combined team you choose. Each Captain also comes with their own Mega-Strike shot - a unique power shot that the goalie usually has a tough time dealing with. Your team mates also have their own individual skill shots - which can send anything from a swarm of hammers to a giant ball of electricity at an opposing goalie to throw them off.
Mega-Meaty-Mario Action!
When it comes to scoring goals, it’s the Mega-Strike that matters most. When pulled off, a Mega-Strike will send anything from 3 to 6 balls at the opposition’s Keeper, with the number of balls and speed of delivery determined by how well timed your button pressing is. If you happen to be on the receiving end of a Mega-Strike, the point of view will change to that of the Keeper, and you’ll use your Wii remote to point at the screen as the balls come flying at you, with good aim and well-timed button pressing the key to making saves. It’s a frantic little mini-game that comes as a clever addition to the hectic hi-jinx of the rest of the match. Be warned though, creating a Mega-Strike shot is not as easy as it sounds when you have multiple opponents, not to mention giant red shells and chain chomps bearing down on you from every angle looking to rearrange your intestines! On top of that you’ve got the pitch to deal with, with 17 different stadiums to choose from, many with their own unique hazard to add to the complexity and difficulty. Hazards such as raging winds, lightning bolts, Thwomps and giant balls that destroy everything in their path are just some of the obstacles that await you should you dare to play one of the booby-trapped playing fields. If it feels like man and God are against your team then you could well be right - all these factors make for a very challenging game of Mario soccer.
Multi-Player Is Where It’s At
Mario Strikers Charged really comes into its own, however, in multi-player mode. Single player is still definitely fun to play, with standard “versus” mode, challenge mode (players have 12 tricky challenges to overcome) and Road To Striker mode (round-robin tournaments to obtain various victory cups), but there’s nothing like playing against real people and having up to 4 players competing at once is a wild blast. Here you have the choice of offline or online modes, and for most people the online mode is the deal-clincher for Mario Strikers Charged. While you still have to deal with the controversial Friend Codes when it comes to playing against specific people, you can choose to skip that and just launch into ranked matches against random opponents from all over the world through the power of WiFi (Wireless networking). Here you get a roster keeping track of your friend’s online status and game progress, a leader-board with daily and amassed stats and easy to use notifications for match requests with other online players.
Not All That Glitters Is Goal!
While there isn’t much to fault at all with this fast-paced thrill ride, I would be neglect in my duties if I didn’t say it isn’t all gravy. The most notable is the Single player mode. While the single player modes are indeed fun to play, there are simply too few of them to create lasting appeal in this area. Also, the computer opponents tend to either be way too easy or way too difficult - a change that can come at the drop of a hat and can get a little frustrating after a while. Maybe the makers are trying to push everyone to use the multi-player/online features by offering sub-standard single player modes. To some degree I see the single player modes as being a tack-on, nothing more, as the majority of people who play this game won’t be interested in single player mode at all, other than to perhaps get accustomed with the game before trekking off to play online gamers from around the globe. The only thing that may sadden some people with the online gaming is there is no voice chat available. Depending on who you are this may be a good or bad thing, as I’m sure some of you wouldn’t have minded a little on-field sledging during play to help thwart your opponents attempts at scoring.
But that’s it really, nothing more I could see to pick at - and believe me I looked. The sound effects and music are great, the graphics are what you’d expect by now from anything Mario. No huge advances here, but then they certainly haven’t slacked off in this department either. All in all Mario Strikers Charged is a fast-paced, action-packed feast of entertainment, which will no doubt have you wondering where all the hours have gone (especially in online mode), and is well deserving of the title of one of the best Wii games on the market.