The Next Reason to Own a Wii

So, Mario Galaxy still isn't out, which is a bummer, but Nintendo keeps sliding out little bonuses in the Mario franchise, filling in that void until we finally get to play a Mario platformer. First, there was Super Paper Mario, and now we get Mario Strikers Charged. While it still isn't the Mario game Wii owners are waiting for, this will whet appetites for some time.

Firstly, I never played Mario Strikers on the Gamecube, so you won't find comparisons here, instead you'll just find a review judging this game standing on its own merits, of which it has many.

Let's start with the most basic overview. Mario Strikers Charged, in keeping with Mario tradition, is not a traditional soccer game. It simply does for soccer what Mario Kart did for racing. It takes the most basic premise of the genre, strips it down to what at first seems like the most basic controls, and adds in a lot of Nintendo flavor.

The first thing you'll notice about this game is that, by Wii standards, it is truly a graphical standout. The opening movie lets you know that Mario has officially hit the next generation. The characters look better than they ever have, and the environments are one of the first signs that Nintendo is listening when people ask that the system at least use its graphical power every now and then.

The gameplay itself is really just plain fun. If you're like me, you'll just jump right in, expecting no brainer controls and an easygoing time, but if you do that, you'll be underestimating the depth of this game. You start off by choosing your team captain from a list of Mario regulars: Mario of course, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Yoshi, etc., each with their own unique play style. Choose wisely. Next, you'll get to pick your team, which, suprisingly, also have their own unique abilities. Then, head onto the field and have fun.

Again, at first glance, it doesn't appear that there's much to this, and there's really not, per se. The controls are pulled off so seamlessly that you'll forget you're using Nintendo's weird controller. You move with the nunchuk, pass with A button, and shoot with the B button. But, the developers decided to throw in some extra Wii bonuses. Flicking your Wii remote in the direction of an opponent activates a big hit, something that seems small but has saved me points numerous times. Also, you can control your goalie in a first person mode when your opponent performs a Megastrike.

The Megastrike, a Captain exclusive maneuver, is a move done by simply holding down the shoot button. A meter appears, and depending on your timing, allows you to make numerous goals with kick. Here's where the Megasave comes in. When the opposing Captain lets off a Megastrike, you have a chance to save it. Your remote becomes the goalie's hands, and you move it around and block the shots as they come out you. So a Megastrike with six balls could easily turn into a missed goal attempt, adding some balance.

Another balancing element is the fact that the Megastrikes can be hard to pull off. True, if you get your unsuspecting friends to join you, you can pull off a few before they get wise, but once they learn that Megastrikes can easily be interrupted by a hit or a steal, your opportunities for a Megastrike will thankfully few and far between. I say thankfully because the animations for the Strikes are long, and if you have a player constantly pulling them off, it can break up the flow of the game.

Though the Megastrike is the most powerful maneuver, your teammates aren't without their uses. They also have unique manuevers they can perform. The Hammer Brothers have a particularly nasty one.

The stages also play an integral part in the fun. Not one of them looks the same, and some even have a few surprises. The Sand Tomb has Thwomps that mow down players from both sides with reckless abandon, and others have no border, making kicking your opponents off the stage both fun and a useful strategy, as they'll be stunned for those few moments needed to pull off a Megastrike. Also, in the tradition of Mario Kart, you can pick up items, such as shells, bombs, and banana peels that you can release at inopportune moments for the opposition. It's soccer Mario style, and I love it.

Now, for the big question that will be on everybody's mind, what about the multiplayer? Well, I generally don't haunt the realms of the multiplayer world, but Strikers is an absolute blast online. You can play online with friends, or join one of the ranked matches to see if you can work your way up the leaderboard. Nintendo has shown that they can do great, non gimmicky, no frills online multiplayer with the best of them.

However, some people will undoubtedly complain about the fact that you can't communicate with other players. The Wii has no headset of course, so no talking, and who wants to tap out a message by pointing and clicking? Yes, the smack talking is absent, which may raise a few hackles. However, for someone who has grown tired of hearing the idiots in Halo 2 using their headsets primarily to take jabs at their opponents sexual preferences, I find the lack of voice quite refreshing. It lets you focus on the game itself.

I've mentioned the graphics once already, but I should mention them again. They're great. No, you won't see any truly amazing visuals like in Zelda, but you get something that goes beyond being easy on the eyes, and strays into the realm of actually being pretty.

The sound does have its standard Nintendo fare, but a less of it than usual. No, you won't hear too many officialy soccer sounds, but you do get some voices, and music that doesn't distract, and at times is actually good. Thumbs up here.

Oops. There is a single player here that I almost forgot. The Road to the Striker Cup is simply Mario's version of a career mode. It's not terribly deep, and doesn't play different from the core game itself, but it does offer some challenge. There is also a Striker's Challenge, in which you can participate in, well...challenges for each character, and gives you some unlockables. Nothing fantastic, but in a game like this, that hardly matters.

Here's the Deal: Those looking for a solid, traditional sports game for the Wii won't find it here. What they will find is a great deal of surprising, and refreshing arcade style fun. Throw in excellent online play, and this is a winning package, bringing Mario into the next generation in more ways than one, showing that he's not only been here for a long time, but he's here to stay.

You may note that I didn't mention too many cons. I mentioned my minor little annoyances within the review, instead of setting aside a whole section strictly for complaining. I think I'm writing a five star review without realizing it. This game is truly one of the reasons to own a Wii.

Parent's Note: Nothing offensive here, and with no ability to communicate online, the ESRB's "Game Content May Change During Online Play" warning seems pointless.