Review: Mario Strikers Charged Football (Wii)

The arrival of Mario Strikers Charged Football injects a much-needed boost of iconic stature to the drab Wii release schedule. Not only does this mark the debut of Mario and co in a futuristic violent adaptation of football, it represents the first Wii game to venture online.

Those expecting a Mario incarnation of Pro Evolution, or even FIFA, will be thoroughly shocked by Charged Football. The only surviving identifiable core football principles are the kick-off, pitch layout and scoring goals. Apart from these foundations, Next Level Games have ripped out the soul of football and initially this is disconcerting. Such an approach is to be expected as Mario and friends have worked their unique magic on golf, tennis and baseball amongst others.

There is no storyline to digest, rather each of the main characters from the Mario series have been each given their own team. Acting as team captain, they have unique special abilities that come into play during matches. Each captain is also graded, so whereas Mario is the more balanced character, Donkey Kong relies on sheer power and Peach on speed and crisp passing. You can select according to your preference and also tailor your outfield players along similar lines.

If you jump into a match without first tackling the Strikers ABC, which acts as a training mode, then you'll lose badly. Mario Strikers is a lighting-fast take on five-a-side but not as we know it. Having worked your way through the ABC, you will have the fundamentals to then attempt the other modes. Domination allows you to select your team, stadium and captain to play against offline friends. Initially the offerings here are pretty bare, with more selections being unlocked by winning trophies in the Road to the Striker Cup.

Offline, this mode is the main source of gameplay, with various cup formats on offer and prizes to add to your trophy display. The later stages follow the knockout format and this means rising to the challenge to avoid repeating the qualifying rounds once more. If you tire of the cup competitions, then the option exists to overcome challenges from Striker league history, which is heavily influenced by the Pro Evolution Soccer equivalent - yet it lacks enough challenges to be a worthwhile, sustainable option.

Gamestyle is pleased to report that the Wii online offers a fluid experience, albeit one that lacks the options of Xbox Live or PlayStation 3. Matches are plentiful and you are advised of the connection quality before confirming your selection. Gamestyle utilised the USB port to enable a LAN connection and on only one occasion did we note any significant slowdown (whether this ratio increases when playing purely by Wi-Fi is a possibility we cannot rule out). Yet with leader boards, friend rosters and options to tailor your matches, Mario Strikers Charged Football is a confident if not safe step into the online gaming arena.

The biggest challenge for Next Level Games was not a technical one; rather, by modernising the game of football, they risked alienating those who want more than just an American style sport on their Wii. What they have produced is hit and miss. Initially, Gamestyle did not enjoy proceedings, as there is so much more that can happen. Pitches have their own unique dangers, while captains can unleash their own special attacks or the ultimate MegaStrike. The captain can only unleash this attack, and even then they require significant time and space to prompt the attack. Once underway, this will prompt a meter that, in turn, unleashes several shots at the opposition goal. These will be more numerous and faster depending on your reactions when setting up the opportunity.

The MegaStrike is the quickest way to score several goals. Another method of scoring one is by passing the ball promptly and building up the power charge which increases your chances of hitting the back of the net. Other team members have their own attacks, which offer the chance of a single goal. Then, to add more randomness, various items can be utilised during play, including banana peels, shells and mushrooms. On paper, it sounds like a recipe for disaster, but for the first few hours it manages to be entertaining. The option to go online is a must have, as it is fairly easy to defeat the CPU once you establish your tactics through rapid passing and unleashing special shots. It is nigh on impossible to beat the keeper without a special move of some sort, but online foes will not allow you to have this room and space, prompting far more tense and close run matches.

Visually, Mario Strikers Charged Football is an improvement on what we've seen recently on the Wii. Although, with respect, it is only being asked to display a grandstand view of a five-a-side pitch, with no commentary. The sound effects are good with some touching crowd chants, as each match is eagerly anticipated by the masses.

The real surprise is just how little the motion sensing capabilities of the Wii are taken advantage of. Perhaps the brief for this game started life on the Gamecube and one could argue that it is best suited to a standard controller. There are only two instances when you will need to be aware of your own movements: the first comes when an opponent unleashes their own MegaStrike and you have to take the role of the goalkeeper; the other is executed by simply shaking the Wii Remote during play, allowing you to barge a nearby opponent. The strange decision of the A button changing your controlled player, the D-pad prompting tackles and the B button being your main shot, show that the control scheme requires more work overall. It just doesn't match the on-screen action and is more of a hindrance.

Mario Strikers Charged Football is a novelty which, without the inclusion of an online mode, would have been relegated almost instantaneously. At best, it is a more efficient adaption of football than many of the urban street and extreme releases Gamestyle has experienced. For those expecting a triumphant Mario title, you'll have to wait until Mario Party 8 for the next opportunity.

Rating: 6 / 10

Words by Jason Julier