GENRE
	Sports
	DEVELOPER
	Next Level Games
	PUBLISHER
	Nintendo
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-4
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	Yes
	DS COMPATIBLE
	No
	BUY NOW AT

With Wii consoles finally making it to shelves after months of shortages, it was up to Mario Strikers: Charged to aid in the re-launch. Promoted by England and Arsenal legend Ian Wright, Strikers was set to be a huge hit for Nintendo. It is football, it is fast, it is Mario and it is online. What could possibly fail?

visuals

Mario Strikers: Charged is visually solid. There’s nothing jaw dropping about the in-game action, but there's a lot of pretty special effects and a lot happening on-screen. Fire balls fall from the sky, lightning strikes the ground, hammers are thrown at pace, whilst cows and tractors are blown across the screen. There's also a change of style for Mario and co. Gone are the cute, bug-eyed lovelies of Mario’s past, and in their place are some mean looking players. Mario’s eyes glow evilly as he performs his mega strike, and Donkey Kong sneers as he pelts the ball at the goal; whereas the goalkeepers (Kritter) are the cruelest looking characters on the pitch.

There are a few issues with presentation, however. The menus can be clumsy, and it is not always clear what you need to select in order to progress. Yet this can be overlooked as it doesn’t pose an obstacle to your enjoyment of the game.

audio

Mario Strikers: Charged is an altogether more adult Mario title, and the menacing soundtrack helps convey this. The drum beat that leads you through the sub-menus adds a level of excitement to the game, whereas the rock music that kicks in during a mega strike fits the moment perfectly. The sound effects are also spot on. The exclamations made by individual characters as they skip, tackle and fry against the electric fence are wonderful, whilst the incessant chanting from the crowd adds to the atmosphere. Although, the beep from the Wii remote is something you could, perhaps, do without.

gameplay

Mario Strikers: Charged is a no rules game of five-a-side football (or soccer, if you prefer). Score as many goals as you can by smacking your opponent against fences, hitting them with shells or performing special attacks. It is violent, relentless, exhausting, but also frustrating.

The control system briefly uses the Wii remote’s special features. Shaking your controller performs an attack upon the nearest foe, whereas wheeling around with the Nunchuck allows you to switch weapons. Aside from that, you use the analog stick to run (with the C button used to fire weapons), the d-pad to tackle and flip, the A button to pass and the B button to shoot. All simple enough, and after progressing through the training mode you’ll consider yourself a master, especially after walking through the fire cup. Yet, beyond this, the learning curve becomes more of a vertical climb.

Suddenly the days where you thumped Donkey Kong 25-0 are gone and performing mega strikes are nigh on impossible. Your opponent will suddenly get all the luck, the lava pits that appear on Bowser’s pitch will only appear to hurt your players, the best items are reserved for your opponent and, after the opposing Kritter has saved multiple powered up strikes, your enemy will score a tame goal from the half way line. These perceived moments of unfair gameplay is even more abundant when you realise the AI can control more than one player at the same time. Watch in vain as your opponent’s captain performs strike after strike as the rest of his team prevent you from getting near him. Now that’s cheating.

It would have been nice to increase your player’s stats as you progressed, and a transfer option would have been appreciated (both exist in EA’s FIFA Street). However if you can look passed this, and the occasional console-breaking frustration, you will find a lot to enjoy here. Completing a string of passes before smacking the ball (which appears to be made of metal) into the top corner is immensely satisfying, as are those last minute wonder strikes. Indeed, a match of Strikers, when it is not being unfair, can be one of the most enjoyable three minutes on Wii.

multiplayer

The reason to purchase Mario Strikers: Charged is for its multiplayer. Your friends won’t have the cheating ability of the AI, and you can turn off power-ups and select the pitch of your choice just to make sure. If you have a spare Wii remote and a spare friend (or three), then you're set for yet another stellar Wii party game.

If you do not have a spare friend or a spare Wii remote (or both), never fear, for Nintendo’s online service offers the ideal solution. Friend codes aside, Mario Strikers: Charged has a rather competent online option. It’s easy to scroll through your friends (all represented by their Miis), and you can choose out of a Ranked or a Friendly game. You can also set seasons, while the leaderboards mark your progress. It may not be perfect, but it’s not a bad first stab at online game from Nintendo.

overall

Ultimately Mario Strikers: Charged is worth buying. The multiplayer alone is worth the asking price and, despite the cheating AI, the single player can be a blast as well. There is plenty to see, do and unlock, and the online option is not nearly as bad as first feared. Just don’t throw your Wii remote out of the window when faced with Yoshi’s special attack.

You’ll understand soon enough.

8/10