Mario Strikers Charged Football impressions

[Triv1um]

Via Tech Digest

Today's a momentous day for owners of Nintendo's Wii console – it's finally getting its first online game. Mario Strikers Charged Football is the game, and as you'd guess, it mixes traditional footy with all manner of Mario Kart-esque power-ups.

Players can go online via Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection service and battle it out head-to-head, earning points to send them soaring up (or plummeting down) the online rankings system. I've spent the morning testing it out for WiiWii, and here's the Day One verdict: it's genius. Read on to find out why.

First off, the game. It's not exactly a serious soccer simulation in the Pro Evolution Soccer or FIFA mould, but even po-faced fans of those games should quickly lose their reservations and fall in love with Mario's loony take on the beautiful game.

It uses the Wii's Wiimote and nunchuk controllers to play, and despite fears that the result would be confusing compared to playing footy games using traditional joypads, Mario Strikers Charged Football pulls it off.

Strategy consists of basically passing the ball as fast as you can before you get flattened by a sliding tackle or giant mushroom, while Nintendo's stable of Mario Kart characters are all present, with their own stats and special moves.

Most fun are the megashots, triggered by holding down the shoot button with your captain in the opponent's half – the result is a barrage of balls exploding towards your opponent's goal, with you scoring once for each that goes in. If only Peter Crouch could do this sort of thing.

Anyway, it's great fun played alone, but the Wi-Fi Connection multiplayer mode is a triumph. You can play friendly matches against your registered friends, or Ranked matches to score points in the online rankings. In the latter's case, you'll be automatically matched up with an opponent – and judging by this morning's play, it takes less than 10 seconds to do it. Marvellous.

In-game, there is no noticeable lag, so it feels just like playing the solo mode. Well, apart from the tactics, as they seem noticeably different – less time to trigger megashots for example, and opponents who ping the ball around the pitch at speed much faster than the computer-controlled opponents in the solo mode.

The greatest praise for Mario Strikers Charged Football online? It just works, beautifully and simply. And while I could quibble about missing features – no option to strap on a headset and shout at opponents for example – as a first showing of what the Wii is capable of over the network, it's superb. Assuming you own a Wii and don't despise football, this is an essential purchase. See you online.

[Demolition49]

The game couldnt be any better its well animated and has a great control scheme, the wifi play is outstanding with an absolute no lag.

Nintendos first attempts at wifi on wii are superb. The only downer is friend codes, but to be hones that doesnt bother me that bad, i dont mind entering mindless codes, its the fact i cant talk to my opponent but im hopefull that is to come in the future, but it really plays well and im glad i got my game a day before it came out!!! i pre-ordered from play and it came on thursday lol.

This game is great for muliplayer both online and offline . i couldnt say anything more.

95/100

[Hevyduty]

I loved the original on the Cube. In all honesty, if Nintendo had just made this exactly the same as the Cube version but with online play, I'd still have paid $50 for it. But with more team captains, Wii controls, enhanced graphics, and of course online play, it'll be more than worth the price.

The only problem is that I'm in the US and I have to wait another five weeks to play it. But I have my copy pre-ordered at Gamestop so I'll be playing it on day one. Can't wait.

[hp1]

I agree with everything except the online bit. I played all of yesterday. every match I played had lag (even the ones with 4 stars) and then I couldnt connct at all. All i got was error getting stats message. My brother was the same. You would think Nintendo would ensure adequate capacity for release day!

[werpu]

Well the first game I played online went fine except for the fact that I should have read the manual. I was shot from the field 20:0 hehe.

Now I am better, but yes, Nintendo hat connection problems yesterday, probably due to the heavy load caused by thousands of people trying to hook hin.

Anyway to the game. This one has caused me a blister on my thumb. But the game is good, very good so far with almost no downsides except three. I have not figured out if it is possible to have a zoom into the field, often so much happens on the field that you cannot see the ball (good luck finding a ball a few pixels wide, if left and right bombs drop on your head and half of the field explodes)

Secondly an in game tutorial would have gone miles. Not that I mind reading the docs, but I already was so used to Nindendos in game tutorials that I was quite surprised this game had none!

Ah yes and skipping the power smash animation would go also a long way, after the 40th time seeing mario hammering 6 balls foir 20 seconds you do not want to see it anymore!

But besides that lots of fun.

I would give it a solid 80 due to its unecessary flaws, otherwise it would be a 90!

[werpu]

The only problem is that I'm in the US and I have to wait another five weeks to play it. But I have my copy pre-ordered at Gamestop so I'll be playing it on day one. Can't wait.

Well dont worry, we dont even have a release date for super paper mario, which I would have preferred and not a single release date for any of the other Nintendo titles.
That we got Mario Strikers earler probably is due to higher popularity of soccer/football in europe, it is not standard, our most recent release is elebits, and trauma center has not even been released, we just got metroid prime pinpall and mario vs. luigi march of the minis on the nintendo ds side, so go figure ;-)

[stedaman]

The online didnt get off to a good start, it stopped working after a while and was down all day.

Its back up working now though. I'd say half of the four star connections are wrong as it lags like hell, making it very frustrating trying to tackle and they end up scoring.

[Baboon]

Well the first game I played online went fine except for the fact that I should have read the manual. I was shot from the field 20:0 hehe.

Now I am better, but yes, Nintendo hat connection problems yesterday, probably due to the heavy load caused by thousands of people trying to hook hin.

Anyway to the game. This one has caused me a blister on my thumb. But the game is good, very good so far with almost no downsides except three. I have not figured out if it is possible to have a zoom into the field, often so much happens on the field that you cannot see the ball (good luck finding a ball a few pixels wide, if left and right bombs drop on your head and half of the field explodes)

Secondly an in game tutorial would have gone miles. Not that I mind reading the docs, but I already was so used to Nindendos in game tutorials that I was quite surprised this game had none!

Ah yes and skipping the power smash animation would go also a long way, after the 40th time seeing mario hammering 6 balls foir 20 seconds you do not want to see it anymore!

But besides that lots of fun.

I would give it a solid 80 due to its unecessary flaws, otherwise it would be a 90!

i didnt read the manual either, but i would recomend playing the ingame tutorial/practice to work out the controls.

If anbody wants to play me online drop me a pm with ur details. :thumbup: