Mario Strikers Charged Reviews

• Another GGGGGOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  
  By A3W4D8XOGLWUN5 on 2007-07-30
  Back in 2005, Nintendo really knew what it was doing by briinging Mario and his whole gang to the wild and outrageous world of sports on the Gamecube. Undoubtingly, the experiments worked beyond expectations. Mario Superstar Baseball, delivered a fun and entertaing home run with baseball madness that was fun & had some excellent minigames. But what really exploded was Super Mario Strikers, a wild and outrageous soccer game that really brought out so many kicks into the game. It really was a delightful treat for gamers everywhere, that a sequel had to be made for a second goal, and it was worth the wait.
  
  Mario Strikers Charged for the Nintendo Wii is the thried Wii title to endure with competing against gamers online through Nintendo's Wi-Fi connection, and the game delivers. The game follows in suit well and brings even more fun that Super Mario Strikers left over. The gameplay includes returning characters Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi, as well as a couple of new playable captains like Bowser, and Diddy Kong. You can also even use your Mii's you've created as captains, as you did before from Mario Party 8. The game includes new arenas that really work beautifully with the Mario experience, ranging from the traditional, to arenas where whomps drop down on you. The control here is a bit different here in the game, as you use the nunchuck controls to move your captain and crew, and you use the Wii remote to block, pass and shoot your soccer balls to score.
  
  There also is a new feature added to the game, a mega strike, where you could shoot as many as six goals at a single time at the goal. There are also new offensive tatics from the players. Wario could let out a foul odor to cause your opponents to hold their breath while your in control for the ball, and Mario could turn into a giant with his new moves. The graphics look wonderful and the gameplay is even more addictive than ever before, but the controls here take a bit to get used to, but once you complete the Strikers 101 training, you'll be able to get the gameplay down easily. There are also a few new characters and trophies that are added to unlock for extra gameplay for exhibition competetions, including Petey Piranha from Super Mario Sunshine, who is making his attempts to score his kicks, but you'd have to unlock certain trophies in the tournaments.
  
  All in all, while there are other great games coming out that have much more hype like Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the Wii, Mario Strikers Charged is worth the wait for sports fans everywhere. If you've loved the Gamecube edition, than you are really going to get your kicks here. I absolutely love the hype of the game, no red cards here, just all goals!!
  
  Graphics: A-
  
  Sound: A-
  
  Control: B+
  
  Fun & Enjoyment: B for solo players; A- for multiplayers
  
  Overall: B+
  
  

• I don't like sports games but I love this game!

  
  By A10O18BTQL8QBE on 2007-08-21
  I am not a fan of sports games - I don't like football, soccer, baseball, etc games on a game console. However Nintendo has managed to make this particular game very fun to play. It will be too "arcady" for real sports games fans, but for people who just want fun gameplay this is the game for you.
  
  

• They almost got it right...

  
  By A13UDAIB4TYB0C on 2007-09-24
  I won't go into detail about what I like, that is covered in detail in other reviews.
  
  I'll focus on the one thing that RUINED the game for us: the MegaStrike. You're playing along and really getting into the flow of the game when someone uses Megastrike. The action stops. The game goes through the same animation cutscene and obnoxious heavy metal riff before getting to the lousy "minigame" of being a goalie and trying to stop 4 to 6 soccer shots. And it takes so looooong to get past this. Every...single...time. And you can't shut off the feature so you have to be careful not to hit the button combo that causes a Megastrike. Very hard to do. In the end everyone would just groan when it came up and we finally just put it in its box and never played again.
  
  We love Maria Golf and Mario Kart and the other wonderful titles but they really blew it on Strikers with the MegaStrike. We sold our Strikers on Amazon for half what we paid for it and were glad to do it.
  
  

• This Plumber's Got Some New Kicks!

  
  By ACECHZNB0QU7H on 2007-07-31
  Mario Strikers Charged needs no introduction; the Wii-iteration is largely based on its Gamecube predecessor but takes this last-generation concept and its respective execution to a new level with increased interactivity, challenge, and connectivity, not to mention a myriad of graphical enhancements, new arenas, side-kicks, and Mushroom Kingdom madness that only the geniuses at Nintendo could provide! In a word, Strikers is brilliant; without question, it stands as one of the Wii's strongest first-party titles, one which gamers will undoubtedly enjoy throughout the duration of the innovative console's lifetime.
  
  Graphically speaking, Strikers can be described as one of the Wii's most attractive - no, downright visually stunning - recent endeavors. With all of the PlayStation 2 software ports currently available on for the system, many gamers have grown disillusioned with the gaming world's publishing houses as well as with the Wii's allegedly 'inferior' graphical abilities (when compared to other next-gen consoles). Thankfully, Nintendo and Next Level games longtime toiled to ensure that Strikers defies this overarching criticism - the game is truly of next-generation make. Mario, Peach, Bowser, heck, the whole cartoon crowd, has never looked or moved better; animations are ridiculously smooth whilst textures are deep and high-resolution. Particle explosions, crowd movements, and lighting effects also aim to please, seeing as all of which have been pain-painstakingly developed so as to appear "wow-worthy" on-screen.
  
  As far as gameplay goes, what makes Strikers a winner is Nintendo's unique ability to push a somewhat generic gaming genre (action sports) beyond its usual restrictions and in doing so, create a title as chaotic as it is frenzied fun to play! Acting as the Mario Kart for soccer, Strikers Charged takes an athletic core concept then radically reforms it into a surreal platformer/party/sporting experience. Matches are short and sweet, lasting just around three minutes time. During your 180 seconds of gameplay, innumerable obstacles (like flying cows, turtleshells, banana peels, bombs, chain-chomps, etc) explosions (lava rushes, artillery fire), special moves (ground-pounds, character enlargements, periods of momentary invincibility or increased agility), and environmental nuisances (think tornadoes and lightning) will plague your efforts to bring home a win. So much action occurs simultaneously that at times, one can hardly determine who's who and to where the ball has disappeared but within the confines of such confusion lies the heart of Strikers; the game is about as bombastic as athletics can get in a fantasy land where nothing is as it seems and little, if anything, goes according to plan.
  
  Lastly, one cannot chronicle this game's successes without describing the microcosm that is the Strikers WiFi Community. Being one of the Wii's first truly "online" gaming titles, users nationwide (the game currently restricts international play) can compete against each other in live, lag-free internet-based matches. The WiFi configuration is especially intuitive and takes less than a minute to auto-select a rival gamer, confirm settings, and launch the match. For online gamers, this is nothing less than unbridled bliss~
  
  If you hold even an acute interest in Mario-based gaming, buy this title; if you somewhat enjoy online gaming, buy this title; heck, even if you customarily loathe sports games, buy this title.
  
  You truly will not be disappointed.
  
  PROS -
  + Beautifully rendered cinematics & in-game graphics; for perhaps the first time on the Wii, the visuals leave absolutely nothing to be desired.
  + Music and sound effects are fitting and succeed in delighting gamers, not annoying them.
  + Action is fast-paced, frenzied, and all too fun; replayability is especially high.
  + Making use of the Wii's WiFi Connection, gamers can now battle online with friends and foes alike.
  + A myriad of gaming modes allow for extended or abbreviated play, depending upon what one's time allows and his or her gaming preferences.
  
  CONS -
  -- WiFi matches lack voice or text communication capabilities so although you may challenge your friends, verbal or textual taunting remains absent.
  -- AI difficulty settings sometimes radically change without reason; one can win a given cup with little to no effort but then during a reprise, can fail to even reach the elimination round.
  
  

• Another solid Mario game

  
  By A1AYN3IIUNQCIA on 2007-08-16
  Mario Strikers Charged is a vast improvement on its original predesesor with more strategy, better Mega-shots, improved sidekicks, and stadiums that fight back.
  
  the basics from the original are still here. you got your captains with their Mega-shots, the sidekicks, tournements, and stadiums but each one is tweaked slightly. for one, new captains are introduced and new sidekicks come into play, each with their own skill rating that adds onto the strategy of building the perfect team. each sidekick also comes equiped with their own little powershot that can have an array of effect and the Mega-shots can now shoot up to six times which means if your the goalie, you have to quick with your pointer to stop the oncoming balls.
  
  another cool feature is the ball, which changes color the more times you hit it or charge it. purple being the lowest and white being the highest, which means you have a better chance to score.
  
  a very cool bonus feature is the inclusion of Wi-Fi, so you can play other players online. great add on but make sure your opponent has a good connection otherwise the game play becomes very sluggish and you could lose connection. other then that, great new feature!
  
  and just like before, you have your tournements composing of the Fire cup, Crystal cup, and Striker cup. this is where my one complaint comes in. while the first two tournements are pretty simple to get through, the Striker cup is near impossible! for one, the enemey AI goes up drastically, not giving players a chance to adjust to the sudden change in gameplay. but what really frusturates me is not the enemy AI but the knock-out round of the competition where one lose and you have to start the tournement all over again. it is so frusturating when you make it to the final knock-out round, only to get sent packing and having to start the tournement all over again! and what makes it worse is you can't simply restart your Wii, otherwise its an automatic lose.
  
  so kudos to the makers for improving the game but they could have at least made the Striker cup a bit fairer, i mean, i don't remember the Star cup being this difficult.
  
  
• Pretty and plays well, but...
  By A1350BLHJ23KBW on 2007-08-14
  This game quickly becomes mind-numbingly frustrating. The first two tournaments are completed quickly and painlessly. But the third, the strikers tournament, is like repeatedly getting stabbed in the eye. The enemy AI is quick to use defensive tackles and steals but all your sidekicks can do is watch and crowd around the ball. Pretty soon you realize that you have to watch your captain (1 person) keep track of three of your sidekicks (add 3 to make 4) all four of your opponents (plus 4 makes 8) and the ball (I don't have nine eyes) in order to make any kind of movement that doesn't result in your opposing captain scoring 6 mega-strike goals because your sidekicks are too stupid to stop him. you'll end up switching characters by button mashing A just to try to get the right character and maybe you'll be lucky and stop the first goal attempt but it doesn't always work out so well. Pretty soon you will be erupting from the mouth with more 4-letter words than...well, you'll swear a lot.
  
  All I can say is thank goodness I got this game used. Save your breath and your sanity and RENT IT. I give it 2.5 stars upped to 3 because even with all these flaws it is great to play in multiplayer and does look pretty good with some nice particle effects and focus blurs. It's just too bad they can't put the sidekicks through brain age or something.
  
  
• The main reason I got the Wii
  By A16LSMIS872D2O on 2007-08-01
  This game is so much fun. Like said, solo mode gets old after you beat it but multi player is where it is at. I was just about to sell my Wii before this game came out but am now going to keep it. I have a PS3, love it, and spent most time with it till this game came out. I hope more Mario sport games or more games in general will support N-WiFi.
  
  
• Way cool!
  By A2FV7DAZPENINZ on 2007-08-10
  If you're like me and think actually playing soccer is like being a euro-trash wannabe and the traveling, cost, type A loser parents living their life thru their kids and ugly jerseys just get you down, then this is the way to go!
  
  Just kidding, of course, the jerseys are actually kinda cool...
  
  Man is this a nice upgrade to the Mario Soccer series. Not much hopping and jumping around like a lot of Wii games. Although the graphics are great and the sounds are very funny. Better players moves and the Captains Special Kick is...well...don't let your kid figure it out before you do...You can score up to six goals in one shot...
  
  Highly recommended.
  
  
• Excellent Choice for Wii Game
  By AOF1JXUTC415Y on 2007-07-31
  I thought this game was great. The controls were very easy to get adjusted to. I thought gameplay was great. The only thing I didn't like was playing multi-player on the same team. It felt like there was to much going on. When playing in multi-player mode play on seperate teams. The power-ups are great. The skill shots rock. The maps are amazing. The graphics are great for the Wii. The online multi-player goes very smooth. I can say if you're looking for a fun game for the Wii this one is it. Unless, you are looking for something that's more integrated with the numchuck and remote. Remember when playing to deal out as many hits as you can give.
  
  
• Best Multiplayer Game for the Wii
  By A11KHD2TPD9BDP on 2007-08-08
  Mario Strikers is the first online multi player game for the wii. This created a bit of hype for the previously under appreciated sports game. Upon its release, the game does not disappoint.
  
  This game provides simple to learn controls, but at the same time creates dynamic and complex team setups and game strategy. The arenas further add to the games charm.
  
  I have very few complaints about the game, which is very rare these days. My biggest complaint is about the single player (cup mode). In this mode you go through rounds of preliminary round robin style qualification matches (between 6-10 matches) followed by 1-3 elimination rounds. If you win every single qualifying round and lose in the first elimination round, you have to start from scratch at the start of the cup, which is very frustrating.
  
  Also in cup mode, the level of difficulty dramatically jumps or falls. You can score a 20-0 win one round and then be knocked out 0-3 the next. The difficulty of the game was poorly designed in single player.
  
  That aside, no one really buys these games for the single player anyway. My only complaint about the core of the game is that there a few things unbalanced. Megastrikes in this game are completely unbalanced (one megastrike can score up to 6 goals). Fortunately, there is an easy to unlock cheat that enables "classic mode" where these megastrikes are disabled.
  
  
  All in All, I HIGHLY recommend this game. It is a much needed breath of fresh air for the Wii, which until now, only had a few good games on release that have now grown stale.
  
  Grading
  Controls: A-, comfortable, easy to learn
  Graphics: B, acceptable, but nothing to blow your socks off
  Sound: B, not annoying like some mario games, but nothing too terribly catchy
  Replayablity: A, Single player will grow stale after a while, but nothing beats knocking your friends around in Domination Mode or over WiFi!
  
  Overall: A-
  A great title to tide you over till games like Mario Galaxy, Smash Brothers Brawl, and Soul Caliber legends. A must have if you're into multiplayer!
  
  
• Do you like Smash Bros?
  By A3O83Z0VAXY0FA on 2007-08-08
  This is the perfect game for me because i love Smash Bros, my only problem there was i'd always fall of the edge. This game reminds me of it in a way because you still get to throw shells, bombs and such. Much like in Mario Kart and Smash Bros to help you advance, only in this case to score a goal.
  
  I like playing this game single player, but also double. I have yet to play with another person in my living room, but online play is definetly fun. There are those people who like to "cheat" and aren't in it for the fun but "points points points" you want to try and avoid those people, unless you are one of them. Then you were made for each other.
  
  Over all i think it's a great game, very entertaining. Now...when is DDR comming out?
  
  
• Wii Reviver
  By A3QL3MQW5DLK0Y on 2007-08-10
  I was skeptical at first with this game, I had read reviews and they were certainly mixed. My Wii had been gathering dust for a while since no games that tickled my fancy had come out, so I decided to go out on a limb and buy this. I have to say, I made the right decision. Don't buy this game if you're looking for a realistic soccer sim. Do buy this if you're looking to have a blast with your favorite Nintendo characters.
  While the single player is fun, the online play is what makes this game shine. When I boot up this game, I don't even think about playing the single player. I go straight to the online play. The friend codes might be a drag, but I prefer to simply play a ranked match against a random player.
  The Wii might have had a dry spell, but this game certainly brought back my admiration for the console, and I don't see myself putting this game down anytime soon.
  
  
  
• Not for large TV's
  By A10DJ8VDMJOWB2 on 2007-08-26
  It is a decent game, half fighting and half soccer. I found it impossible to stop megastrikes on my projection screen (just too far to move to stop them) and that made it impossible to win online or in the cup series.
  
  
• Freakin' Awesome!
  By ABSSYM98F00PN on 2007-10-02
  Now, I'm normally not one to play strict sports games (sans Madden) or soccer games for that matter. But I've come to like the Mario Sports line. So after trying the original Super Mario Strikers, I felt I should get this. I am glad I did. This game is so easy to pick up. I had the controls down in 15 minutes (which is less than I can say for Madden. I've got 2005 at home which I bought when it came out. I'm still learning controls). The game is also fun. Its not like "real" soccer where you're lucky to get a goal in the game. I played a game today that ended 11-0. The game includes something called "Mega Shots" where you can send 2-6 balls at a time at the goalie. But when you do this, you can control the hands of the goalie if you're the other team. The graphics are really good, but nothing like the realism of the 360 or PS3. the audio is goodl the game utilizes the Wiimote speaker in a cool way with different sounds. I also like how the game can be played online via Nintendo's WiFi connection (which apparently is less prone to dropouts and problems). So even if you don't like soccer or sports games, at least rent this. You may be surprised.
  
  
• Fun game
  By A2Y7K8A95V2SJD on 2007-08-08
  I never played the Gamecube version but the Wii version is definitely fun. As others have mentioned, the single player portion is kind of wacky but that's now why you buy this game anyway. Multiplayer is great, whether you play with friends or online.
  
  In response to the comment about the server crashing all the time. This isn't quite true. Most of the time, when this happens, its because of a sore loser that pulls the power cord on their wii so it counts as a disconnect. If they would just give the person that disconnects a loss it would stop this problem immediately.
  
  
• Mario Strikers Charged CK review
  By A1D3U5OXC1FOFC on 2007-10-09
  Two years ago Nintendo and development studio Next Level Games released Super Mario Strikers (a title that married a very untraditional approach to the sport of soccer with the lovable characters from the Mushroom Kingdom) for GameCube. Nobody had any idea what to expect from the endeavor, but it proved to be surprisingly enjoyable, particularly as a multiplayer affair. As a single-player outing, however, it lacked depth. Gamers could select their team captains, but they couldn't pick their sidekicks. Special moves called megastrikes practically guaranteed goals. And the selection of characters and stadiums seemed as light as the CPU-controlled artificial intelligence. Thankfully, for the official Wii sequel, Mario Strikers Charged, many of these criticisms have been addressed, but Next Level Games hasn't stopped there. It's also spruced up the overall graphical presentation and added a full-blown online mode the first one on Nintendo's new console worth mentioning. Charged still has some shortcomings, and yet it's a definite improvement over its predecessor in every facet and ultimately one of the best multiplayer offerings available for Wii, period.
  
  So many developers have taken the easy route when it comes to creating software for Wii. Just take what worked for GameCube and do it again. These lazy undertakings aren't official ports, but they always have that same air about them -- that they might have started out as GCN or PS2 projects until someone got wind of Wii sales and decided to go with a quick, no-fuss port instead. Wii hasn't even been out a year and we've seen too many of these careless releases to count, so it is incredibly refreshing to behold an effort that looks and plays like it was created specifically for Nintendo's new system and not rushed to it, and for that Next Level Games has earned our respect.
  Take, for instance, the game's crisp, detailed and wholly stylized visual presentation, which actually made us wonder if the experience could be duplicated on GameCube; probably not, we think. The title begins with an absolutely stunning pre-rendered intro showcasing characters like Mario and Peach battling it out on the soccer field against Waluigi and Bowser, and not only is the art and choreography beautiful, but there's no artifacting whatsoever, the video couldn't possibly be cleaner. It's a small detail, we know, but it's the first sign that the developer has strived to deliver a completely polished package, and this truth is demonstrated again and again. Slick, intuitive menus revolve around a soccer theme. Compared to the original Strikers, Charged boasts larger environments with crisper, cleaner textures, thoroughly enhanced particle effects, characters who run, jump, kick and perform special moves with very fluid animation, and a host of camera sweeps, screen shakes and environmental effects (wind, lighting, etc.) to add atmosphere to the action. Even the music is catchy, although it's repeated too often. There is the occasional background or stadium texture that looks a little blurrier than we'd like, but for the most part the game looks great and it supports 480p and true 16:9 widescreen (it'll fill your whole screen -- there's no fake stuff here). Everything runs at a pretty solid 30 frames per second with the occasional dip. Obviously, Strikers plays differently from its predecessor, in part because of a brand new controller. The title moves speedily and tightly along at an arcade pace and is responsively controlled with the nunchuk's analog stick. You'll tap the A button to pass to a teammate when on offense and the same will cycle between characters on defense. B trigger will fire off shots or, when held, charge up heavier kicks and megastrikes, the latter of which look superb thanks to some great new in-game animations. You can earn special power-ups, send shells at opponents, drop bombs, etc. By slamming into competitors who don't have the ball or by charging up a kick and releasing at the ideal moment. You'll be able to unleash these specials when needed by tapping the C button. Finally, when held, the Z button enables you to volley passes back and forth to teammates, which can set up some all-pro shots. Novices may never fully explore this function, but for it may change the way dedicated gamers play. These very traditional mechanics come together for a fast-paced and fun soccer romp.
  If you haven't yet noticed, there aren't a lot of motion controls in place. This is because the development studio didn't want to force waggle onto players when it wasn't necessary. When gestures are used, however, they are used well. For instance, to perform bit hits, you now motion in any direction as you near an opponent and your character will knock them off their feet. It may sound like a subtle change over the original control scheme, but trust us when we state that it feels much better because there's significantly more "umph" to acting out the damaging move. On the other hand, thanks to the pointer functionality of the Wii remote, megastrikes are no longer a cheap means to score goals because now you can actually block them. Megastrikes are more powerful than they've ever been. If charged correctly, you can send up to six soccer balls at the goal, so this new measure is a necessity. If you're quick with the pointer and can move the goalie's hand in front of the oncoming soccer balls, you will regularly stop ones that might've been massive scores. In Charged, you can be leading 6-0 one second and find that the game is tied in the next. It can be intense and frustrating at the same time.
  
  Charged continues its predecessor's rule in that only team captains can perform megastrikes, but that doesn't mean that the sidekicks are still more or less useless. Actually, not only do they come equipped with basic attributes some are slow, others fast, others more powerful, etc. but they can each perform one special maneuver. For instance, Boo is able to send the ball directly into the goal in one quick burst if you have the character positioned in exactly the right spot on the field. The Hammer Bros. can hurl hammers toward the goal, knock out the goalie, and then roll the ball in. These moves are executed by charging with the B trigger, just as you would a megastrike. As a result, sidekicks feel like real contributors now, as opposed to the generic stand-ins of the first game. Since you can also specifically choose the sidekicks you want on your team, too, there's inherently more skill involved in building the perfect soccer all-stars this time around.
  What you will eventually notice is that you'll be able to use more skill shots and megastrikes in the single-player mode against easy AI competitors than you will against well-practiced human opponents a disappointment, as far as we're concerned. This is because real-life gamers are relentless, as we've found, and they will stay on you, keep nailing you with big hits and power-ups, and you'll just never have the time to fully charge a kick into a megastrike; and vice-versa, of course. Playing two-dozen matches online, we actually managed to get off only a handful of megastrikes against opponents and our competitors even less that. Perhaps that's why NLG felt compelled to prevent us from being able to skip the admittedlly-fancy megastrike animations, which see characters like Mario hurling themselves into the air before becoming engulfed in flames and eventually kicking the shot these animations can take 10 seconds or more. They look great the first time, or even the first 20 times, but after awhile you'll just want to skip by them and we unfortunately haven't found that option.
  
  Arguably the game's main offering is its Road to the Striker Cup, which enables you to progress through various cups, including Striker, Crystal and Fire. The cups start off ridiculously easy, but eventually become quite challenging, particularly if you start out with a more advanced difficulty. NLG has returned all the classic stadiums from the original game and has added a host of new ones, including Sand Tomb, Thunder Island, the Vice, Lava Pit, the Dump, Galactic Stadium, the Wastelands, Crystal Canyon, Stormship Stadium and the Classroom. The levels are extremely varied and come to life with interactivity for instance, wind that has a bearing on the game and objects that crash onto the fields. The sheer diversity of the levels helps break up the monotony of the cups, which are all too similar. While the difficulty does increase, you will eventually take notice of the repetitive nature of the experience -- maybe that's inherent to any sports game, but it's a consideration nonetheless. What may also be true is that sports games are simply best played by two more or more people, and that, of course, is where Strikers shines.
  And it really shines, actually, because it dishes out a robust four-player mode either off or online. Both are great, which surprised us since our experience with Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is based solely on the rather clumsy and stupid Pokemon Battle Revolution. Strikers is the anti-Pokemon in that it features a very clean, intuitive connection interface and in our experience very little lag, even when playing four players online two per Wii console. The title pulls your system's Miis and saves all your Wi-Fi Connection data to them. When logged into the network you've got the option to battle friends, compete against a randomly selected competitor in a ranked game, look at the leaderboard or evaluate your friend roster.
  
  The megastrikes look great, but after a while you'll just want to skip them and can't.The obvious downer is that, yes, Strikers does use individual friend codes that are completely separate from your Wii system number. Why, we have no idea, since it's not simple or easy in the least. You'll have to call up all your buddies, ask them what their friend codes are, enter them, and they will in turn have to enter yours. With that done, you'll be able to see whenever they are online and you can invite them very quickly to a match. Another real disappointment is that you can't communicate with anybody at all during the online experience. No headset support. No typing via the Wii remote and virtual keyboard. If you want to communicate at all, you better have a phone handy. This is especially unfortunate because in a game like Strikers, as in Smash Bros., half the fun comes with the trash talking that transpires during matches. There are some other minor gripes. You can't set conditions or choose levels in ranked matches -- they are chosen at random. (You can do this against friends, though.) And you will not be able to gain the friend code of someone you play in a ranked match. Only once was lag so unbearable that i felt like i was not even controlling our characters; I actually checked to see if we had mistakenly turned on some unnoticed CPU control option no joke, it was really that bad. But by and large the online experience was excellent, offering no lag whatsoever. When i first got the game, i seemed to be the only ones in America on the network and i could never find anybody to connect with in ranked matches. However, in the days prior to this review, more and more players started to appear online and we found that the process of searching for gamers and eventually connecting to a ranked game usually took no more than 30 seconds and sometimes as few as five. NLG has created a sense of community via online leaderboards. You can log in to see where you rank across the Americas, which is sure to spur competition (sadly, ranked matches cannot be played outside the continent and official Nintendo documentation is very vague and iffy on the subject of whether or not you can play against friends on different continents; we tried and couldn't, but it's allegedly possible, maybe.)
  
  Closing Comments
  Mario Strikers Charged is exactly the kind of sequel I was hoping for. It plays similarly to its predecessor, which means that it's got tight control and it moves at a quick, arcade-style pace. But it's also got a lot of mechanical and aesthetic enhancements, from new Wii gesture controls that feel great to truly polished graphics. There's added content. More characters to choose from than ever before. You can select sidekicks, who now come with special moves of their own. There are wealth of new interactive stages. And there are even some supplemental single-player modes. When you're done with Road to the Striker Cup, you can try out the Striker Challenges, which throw you into situations and test you to come out the victor; as you win, you'll unlock cheats that can be used in the offline multiplayer mode.
  
  There are, though, some lingering issues. Despite the added depth, the single-player mode again takes a distant back seat to the multiplayer one, as the CPU-controlled characters just don't match up with human opponents. After awhile, you'll begin to notice the inevitable repetitive wave of matches. And there are also some issues with the online interface -- namely, that you still have to use unintuitive friend codes and that there's no way to communicate with each other while playing.
  
  Despite these criticisms, whether you're playing against friends or in random ranked matches, the online mode is fast and if you've got a good connection lag free, successfully nurturing the high-action nature of the game. And since you can play four-players online Wii Charged truly is one of the best multiplayer experiences that can be found on the system. I've connected every night since I first started playing and this game has me convinced that there is a very bright future for Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
  
  If you thought the original Strikers was good, you haven't seen anything yet. And if you've never played these soccer games before, now is the time to start.
  
  
  
  
• Gooooood Soccer Game
  By AY66M9F3SV0M5 on 2007-09-20
  el juego es divertido, como ya sabran no es el tradicional juego de futbol porque no tiene reglas :-), y ademas se puede jugar online, que mas se puede pedir....
  
  
• Great Concept, Difficulty Scaling is Awful
  By A1GJ37YT0SZETJ on 2008-02-09
  Nintendo almost had this game perfected. If you can find 3 other people to play with (who are of similar skill levels), then it can be ridiculously fun. It is a hectic, fast paced, quasi-soccer game that is great to play. However, the Cup mode is far too difficult, and the A.I. seems dirty in much play. Whether it is the cherry-picking shots which often occur on the 3rd level of difficulty and above, or just the level of frustration that occurs from their perfectly placed defense, it's a bit much.
  
  Online play is great, but there aren't many options at all. Matchmaking and opponents closer to your skill level (as well as voice chat) would have been nice.
  
  This game gets a solid 3, with a 4 in concept and innovation, but the difficultly level and only decent online play limit it from being something amazing.
  
  
• Not bad
  By A2QZ36LCF7XX0C on 2007-10-07
  I in no way consider myself a soccer fan. In fact knowing that soccer (or futbol for all you foreign types) is the most popular sport in the world baffles me to the point that it keeps me up at night!! With that said, Mario Strikers Charged is a fun game. The graphics, game play, and controls are about as good as it gets on the Wii. MSC is more fun (obviously) with friends playing along with you. Though I had fun playing this game I had no problem returning it to the rental store.
  
  
• not bad
  By A32HO2WCUFXRJ4 on 2007-10-10
  I liked this game at first, and it is fun. However, after a while the game becomes repetitive and a little boring. The animations start to become a little stale after you've seen them a few times. The online play is a little complicated to set up. You have to trade codes to actually play against anyone; there's no just jumping online to play.
  
  Overall, I would say this game is a rent not a buy.
  
  
• Pretty darn fun
  By A22I7MG9SDFKOO on 2007-11-21
  I bought this game on the advice of a local game addict in Brooklyn. I know the Olympics and Galaxy games had just come out but I wanted something fun for my roommate and I to play or for parties besides Sports. Galaxy is an one-person game was out, and Olympics seemed slightly kid-like, so I went with the Strikers recommendation. (I was told FIFA was pretty boring and it is true this totally rocks over it.) Plus, I wanted a great party game for 20&30somethings which all of my friends are. Strikers is perfect for that. All of my friends who have game skills (as in they can pick up Madden or Woods in an hour) love it, but my friends who find mastering tennis or bowling on wiiSports difficult are a little frustrated that there's so much functionality. Overall, we are huge fans in the household and just more determined to teach the new gamers. Getting to play as a Mario character is a ton of fun and I really enjoy being able to use the mushrooms to grow into a giant and stomp other characters, or knock them off the floating playing field, or throw hammers as the turtle before scoring a goal. The skill levels don't seem to differ too much which I hope they improve in another version, but playing online is awesome. Unfortunately, my roommate and I stink compared to the folks playing online, so there's a lot more (enjoyable) effort to be put into this for the both of us. Plus, bragging rights have not yet been settled.
  
  
• A great Mario game....with some flaws
  By A1S64QMF03MCCJ on 2007-11-22
  Overall, this game is lots of fun. There are 12 Captains for each team (you start out with 9, but you unlock 3 more), and 8 Sidekicks. For every team that has five players on it, the Captain, 3 Sidekicks, and the goalie, named Kritter. There are 5 different difficulty levels, with about 20 stadiums. There is a one-player mode that takes you through 3 different tournaments, which constantly get harder and harder. Each sidekick has their own special type of kick and deke. The captains have their own special ability different from any other player- Bowser can shoot fire, Waluigi can put out out this special wall of thorns that make him move much faster and blocks players and items from getting through the wall. There are four different types of stats- Defense, Shooting, Passing and Movement(how fast your player can go with the ball). The Captains have this special type of shot called a Megastrike. This launches from 3 to six balls at three different speeds at the opposite goalie. If you are defending the Megastrike, you point at the balls and click the A button when they pop up, blocking the Megastrike.
  
  Pros-
  Tons of characters and stadiums to choose from.
  Lots of useful items
  Creative Gameplay - There is more than one different type of mode.
  Its Funny!! - You can just smash into people that are nowhere near the ball! It's really entertaining.
  
  Cons-
  The goalies can miss the easiest shots, sometimes they will just trickle by Kritter.
  The tournament is annoying, for if you lost just once in the knockout rounds, or if you restart the Wii without saving, you're disqualified.
  It gets kinda boring pretty fast, but is really fun to play in moderation.
  
  Overall-
  This game is great. I would definitely recommend it to any Mario fan.
  
  
• Wi-fi Rocks
  By on 2007-11-25
  This is the best game to play with people all over the world. The only thing it needs is a headphone to trash talk with the other players and it can get a little annoying when a person gets a super strike.
  
  
• GREAT Game!
  By A6SDNQSNYEH5L on 2007-12-01
  -First of all, I loved this game, and recommend it to all people of all ages.
  
  -You may think that the graphics for the Nintendo Wii really aren't that great. This game opens an entire new era to graphics on the Wii. Realistic fields, backgrounds, and characters makes this Mario product lovable.
  
  -Single Player-
  
  -When you're a newbie, being your first time playing this game, It's REALLY fun. You pick up the controls really easily, ranging from 10-20 minutes. Once you pick up the fast tempo of the game, you can start taking on higher levels of AI, harder stadiums, etc. All and all for single player though, It doesn't quite compare to multiplayer. Computer players really don't knock you out of your socks like your friend would.
  
  -Multiplayer-
  
  -Lovely. Very, very lovely. It's fun, challenging, and really irritating at the same time. Competing head to head with someone just brings up the bloodthirsty side of you for the thirst for competition. You can play over the internet on the Wi-Fi connection for great gameplay and competition. See your rank, friend list, and much more over the internet with absolutely no lag in clear, crisp, games for a ton of fun.
  
  -Extra-
  
  -Learn to play the game with the Mario 101 guide.
  -In single player, play different levels of computers leading up to the almost impossible to beat Strikers cup!
  -Have a ton of fun by yourself, with your friends, or as a family with the excellent graphics, controls, gamplays, stadiums, characters, and more.
  -Your sidekicks now have their own special shots and work really well from different parts of the field.
  -You can charge B to unleash a Megastrike, which launches 3-6 balls at 3 different speeds at the goalie. If you're on the goalie side of the ball, you can move the Wii remote over the ball and block it with A.
  -Use special abilities, powerups, to have an ultimate experience.
  -You can really never get bored of this game, unless you play it for 5 hours straight.
  
  -Ratings-
  
  Graphics: A
  Controls: A+
  Fun: A+
  Single Player: B-
  Multiplayer Via internet: A-
  Multiplayer: B+
  
  Enjoy!
  
  
• All-Around Good Game
  By A3QDFUJKJOZ3UZ on 2008-01-08
  I've had this game for less than a week, but I'm really enjoying it. I've told countless people that any kind of Nintendo sports game is bound to be better than its "official" counterparts, because of what Nintendo focuses on. There's a lot to be said for the gameplay here, and though it does get a bit repetitive at times, that isn't to say that the fun stops coming.
  
  Almost straight-away, the AI is very difficult. I played through the tutorial, learned all the fancy maneuvers, and thought I was good to go. Way off. I had to play the first "Cup" once before I won it on my second try. Normally, I up the difficulty level from the default settings in games, but man, this game is one of the few games where you can actually improve by playing against the AI. (By the way, there are only two difficulty settings to begin with, don't expect them to cater much to your needs)
  
  I played online once, and was absolutely crushed. I suppose that may be Nintendo's fault, though, for not pairing me up with a partner whose skills were matched to my own. You'll get the pros, you'll get the people who are just as bad as myself. All in all, you won't be disappointed. If you're not going to bother with online play, then you would be better off renting the game, as I don't believe that there is enough content to warrant $50+ on this game.
  
  
• good game, but not great
  By A3ISW15TAJZ1NG on 2008-01-20
  I bought it for my kids (7&6), who love soccer and Mario, so they like it a lot. Graphics are good, Peach looks kinda sexy, hours of fun. Not on my greatest games list, but pretty good for a Nintendo game.
  
  
• Superb multiplayer game!
  By A2B4I683L4CKJG on 2008-01-26
  Mario Strikers Charged is an absolute blast to play, especially in multiplayer. The single-player experience is a great way to learn the game and unlock all courses/characters. But once you've beaten that and won all of the trophies there's no reason to go back to it. The real draw with this game is the multiplayer. It supports up to 4 players locally but it also has Wi-Fi play on Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, Nintendo's free online service. You have the option to play with a random person or to play with a friend. There's a friends roster and the game will also tell you how many friends are online. While there aren't an overwhelming amount of people online, it's still relatively easy to find and join a game. Once you do the experience is generally quite good. There's occasional lag but it's not too bad. Just be warned, the people online are ridiculously good.
  
  Mario Strikers Charged is well worth a purchase. It's the kind of game you'll want to hold on to and revisit months from now.
  
  
• Good but frustrating.
  By A294V014ZQ32Y1 on 2008-02-08
  First I will say that I do enjoy soccer games. I am not a huge sports fan but for some reason that I am unable to explain I enjoy watching and playing soccer games. I found that the graphics for the game were good and the sounds were not too bad either but the animations did get repetitive after playing through about half of the tournament. I also found it very difficult to get off the striker kick without it being interrupted. I found that once you beat the first tournament the AI suddenly became extremely difficult to the point of swearing and finally giving up completely on the game. I have not played it in probably about 6+ months and I might just sell it. I highly recommend that you rent this game before buying it and play for a while.
  
  
• I can't compete
  By A37U0Y35VCINGM on 2008-05-31
  My record online is 3-56. I can't beat anyone..and the one or 2 times i actually am winning..they shut off the game on me. It's only fun playing against friends.
  
  
• really fun game
  By A1FAXEI99FD7M0 on 2008-06-29
  I never played the previous versions of this game, the Wii version was the first time I've ever heard of it. I bought this after being disappointed with the newest FIFA game for Wii. This game was suggested as a great soccer game. It is so much fun to play. It's a good challenge. I'm still having trouble winning all the cup games, which is good, it keeps me more interested. The controls are simple and the game is simple, but challenging. Very, very fun to play.
  
  

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