Super Mario Strikers is the first soccer game released for Nintendo Wii, and rest assured, there's no need to tape the Wii Remote to your leg to mimic kicking or tie the nunchuk around your skull for headers.
Mario Strikers is the sequel to the surprisingly fun original 'Super Mario Strikers' that appeared on the GameCube a few years back. 'Charged' is everything that your typical Mario-licensed sports game is expected to be - fast and fun and never, ever too serious - though oddly, it doesn't contain nearly as many unlockables as we were expecting.
Charged is also the second online-enabled game (behind Pokemon Battle Revolution) for Wii, and despite Nintendo still seeming hesitant to embrace the online world, this is the best part of the game. Where the single player mode is frustrating and too bare bones, the Nintendo WiFi features are fantastic.
In single player mode, the AI is all over the place. Your computer-controlled teammates are for the most part unbelievably passive, which isn't a good thing in a game like Charged. Your goalie can usually be trusted but hoping that a defenceman will tackle a player before he or she can get off a Mega Strike shot is like David Beckham hoping his wife will eat a sandwich anytime soon - it just ain't gonna happen. Meanwhile, the opposing team will run circles around you, easily completing pass after pass and getting just the right item and using it at just the right time, leaving your team a mass of broken bodies on the field. Keep in mind that almost every game in the playoffs is a one game winner-take-all affair; lose once and you're forced to start all the way back at the beginning of the tournament.
For the most part, the simplicity of Mario Strikers Charged is a good thing. It's meant to be a pick-up-and-play game that can be over and done with in five minutes if you choose and it succeeds there very well. Nonetheless, it would have been nice to have a *little* more character choice and customization. It seemed there were two types of characters - the ones good on offense and the ones good on defence.
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Most of the stadiums are pretty awesome. They're grandiose and electrified (literally) and usually packed with hundreds of screaming fans. You have to be careful when playing, as many of the stadiums use environmental interactivity that could really hurt your team (and sometimes help it) just as you're charging for a goal. Usually these things don't get in the way too much, but sometimes it's just ridiculous, such as the airship stadium that literally blew off my entire team at one point, leaving the other team to wind up for a perfect Mega Strike while my goalie could do nothing but stand helplessly, preparing for the onslaught of shots.
Mario Strikers Charged is far from a perfect game, but it truly is fun when played online. For the casual sports fan who doesn't want to spend hours poring over stats, defensive combinations, matchups, and what's inside the vending machines in their virtual team's arena, this game is very much worth a look.
WHAM! Rating: |
7.0 out of 10 |
ESRB Rating: |
E 10+ (Everyone 10+) |
Official Web Site: |
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