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Mario Strikers Charged Review
Chris Leyton
22/05/2007
Nintendo delivers plenty of mushroom induced manic action on the football pitch with the first online Wii title...
Nintendo and Next Level Games return with a sequel to the sadly overlooked 2005 GameCube title. More Speedball 2 then Pro Evolution Soccer, the insane items and complete neglect of rules may not have been to PES purists' tastes, but it certainly provided the mainstream appeal that Nintendo likes to go on and on about. Two years later, both teams are back on the pitch with the series debut on Wii. This time around, the mission is more then just providing a few hours of amusement, it's the first Wii title to demonstrate Nintendo's much maligned online strategy.
Like many Wii titles Mario Strikes Charged looks and feels like an abandoned GameCube title. There's little in the way of motion-sensitive gameplay to really justify this as a shining example of Nintendo's Wii-waggling future, instead it's left to a frantic shake of the Wii Remote to slide tackle, a nudge of the Nunchuk to throw off your opponent and precisely pointing at the screen to save the barrage of shots. Providing plenty of 5v5 action, Mario Strikes Charged follows a similar line to its predecessor, with players selecting a Captain from the likes of Mario, Luigi and the rest of the crew, along with three sidekicks from the minions that prop up the rest of the cast. Each of the characters has a range of varying attributes along with varying Skillshots, which lends a slender tactical element when it comes to choosing your team.
A simple control system underpins the entire experience, ensuring the emphasis is always on fun, plenty of goals and non-stop action. Passes and shots are easily modified with the lob button to provide aerial alternatives, whilst the full gambit of Mario items ensures there are plenty of shell-tossing, banana-slipping, chain-chomping shenanigans.
Replacing the Strikes from the original, Captains can now perform MegaStrikes, which employ a classic double-tap technique used in many golf titles to unleash a barrage of shots. Being on the receiving end of a MegaStrike provides one of the rare occasions when you'll need to use the pointing capabilities of the Wii Remote, targeting the balls quickly as they appear on-screen. During the initial stages of the game, it seems as though the introduction of the MegaStrike upsets the balance of the game, resulting in easy wins with scores more akin to a basketball game. Later stages in the Cups against CPU opposition intensifies the challenge however, closing you down quicker and making it a lot harder to perform these shots because of the time it takes to power them up. With the ability to shake the Nunchuk to wobble the gauge and put off the opponent, the apparently overpowered ability soon becomes more manageable and less significant as a result.
Like many Nintendo themed sports titles, there's a severe lack of depth to the game. With a handful of Cups to compete in and Challenge modes to conquer for each character, the overall enjoyment and long-term appeal of Mario Strikers Charged is very much determined by the multiplayer modes of the game. Hooked up with multiple Remotes and Nunchuks, Mario Strikers Charged is one of the most enjoyable multiplayer games currently available on Wii and a shining example of the type of game you just don't get on other systems. Thankfully, it's also the game that ushers in Nintendo's stuttering entrance into the online world of gaming, with full support via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
Undoubtedly, the best thing about Mario Strikers Charged online is Nintendo's decision to ditch its insistence on using Friend Codes, with the exception of playing a 'Friendly' - makes sense. Employing a Ranking system and a Season that resets every week, there's a considerable sense of structure to the game's online mode when compared to the relatively lightweight offline offerings. Although the game restricts play to the continent in which your Wii is registered (casting doubt on their true online strategy), there is the option to play against opponents from across the globe in a friendly, although Nintendo doesn't advice this! Unfortunately, our experiences with the game suggest that Nintendo's online efforts may not be up to scratch quite yet. Despite a high Connection Quality rating, the game often suffers from a stuttering feel that affects the quick-paced flow of the game considerably. It's not enough to ruin the experience and because of the multiplayer nature of the game it's more than a welcome addition, particularly if you haven't got enough remotes and nunchuks, friends, or space to accommodate it all.
As far removed from the likes of FIFA and Pro Evo that can possibly be imagined,
Fast, fun and furious.
Stuttering online play.
Anonymous
Date Added:Wed 15th Aug 2007 03:57
moneyhire
Date Added:Fri 27th Jul 2007 19:41
krisinater
Date Added:Sat 21st Jul 2007 16:37
mario/zelda fan
Date Added:Sat 21st Jul 2007 10:15
SKAM666
Date Added:Wed 4th Jul 2007 21:34
Anonymous
Date Added:Wed 4th Jul 2007 07:49
US: July 30, 2007
Japan: December 31, 2007
Europe: May 25, 2007
Australia: June 7, 2007
Anonymous
Date Added:Wed 4th Jul 2007 07:47
Anonymous
Date Added:Mon 2nd Jul 2007 06:04
mario/zelda fan
Date Added:Mon 25th Jun 2007 11:49
mario/zelda fan
Date Added:Thu 21st Jun 2007 18:06