Many of the significant issues with Mario Strikers Charged lie with Super Mario Strikers on the Gamecube. Out of the Mario sports games, this is the least compelling, fun, and inventive. While Mario Golf and Mario Tennis take a backseat, Strikers is the spin-off to gain an unnecessary sequel that fails to advance this series, with the exception of online play.
This is a fast paced, hectic game of soccer. The Mushroom Kingdom and its inhabitants lead to a number of quirky challenges and pitfalls, which is generally what helps this sports franchise separate itself from other arcade styled competitors. Generally, Mario is golden.
The exception to that rule is here in Strikers. Additions to Charged include some environmental hazards, and the ability to choose every player on your team instead of a generic set of teammates. The latter was a desperately needed and common sense update that should have been included in the original. It expands the personality of the game and the recognizable gaming icons look superb on the field.
Other issues remain unfixed. The field of play is cramped, and as such, games degrade into tackling fests. On-field hazards such as Thwomps fail to add to the style, but instead serve to further condense the game play. Getting the opportunity for a clean shot doesn’t feel rewarding. It feels lucky.
Strikers is fixated with Megastikes, charged up shots that send the player into the sky to rain down multiple balls onto the goalie. This leads the only real use of the Wii’s control capabilities, opening a mini-game in which the player points to incoming shots to block them. It’s brief, though a nice way to add some balance to a game that desperately needs it.
The Megastrikes are also out of place in terms of looks, as is much of the game. This is a surprisingly dark, somewhat harder edged affair. The Megastrikes lead to a cinematic of blank, white-eyed character bathed in a single color and limited light caused by heavy lightning. Stadiums, filled to capacity with an impressive polygonal crowd, are also sadly drab and blah. It’s as if the Mushroom Kingdom suddenly lost its colorful luster once soccer became the chosen sport.
Article comments
1 - Ken Edwards
I just think you hate soccer Matt. I don't know of anyone to hate on this game this much.
You forgot about the absolutely hard to play Mario Hoops created by Square, BTW.
2 - MSCguy
This does not look like a video game review, this looks like a movie review. You haven't even touched on how fun the game actually is. maybe you should try playing the game, hm? sorry Matt, I don't think the game is the lost cause here.
3 - Matt Paprocki
Like a movie review?
4 - WOW22
You must not have played the game. Sad...bad media!
5 - gogey
1. he hasn't played it
2. he hasn't played it in multiplayer
3. he probably doesn't like the wiifest