"Not Your Aveage Soccer Game"

Intro:
You may be thinking, well, Mario is starting to appear in many sports titles, but how do they compare to real life (FIFA) soccer. Well, there isn't much to compare. The Nintendo team is taking completely different approaches then what you would see in real life. The rules are mixed up and powerups and items are also available. In short, if you want a soccer game like one that you may have played before, you are in the wrong place so stop reading now. If, on the other hand, you are ready for a new experience, keep reading.

Sound/Music: 7/10
This game doesn't stick out in this category. The sound is mainly heard in the menu selection and when you score a goal/or do something exciting. The menu selection screen(s) have a nice little melody going on but it is very repetitive, and the menu isn't where you'll be spending your gaming time. Some tunes are then heard at the start of the game. Each character has his/her own theme so at least the spiced it up a bit. Other than this, all you really hear are sound effects. You will hear the sound of dribbling, passing, and even being electrocuted by a fence. Then when a goal is scored or a nice save is made, the crowd usually erupts into applause and a horn and quick sound sequence is heard.

Graphics: 7/10
After first lookin at the cover to the game, you may think Mario and Co. have taken a different attitude. In reality, the cover is just a marketing stratagy. There isn't really anything special here; the graphics are exactly what you would expect from any Mario game. The graphics look just like what Nintendo usually churns out. Not incredibly realistic, but good looking anyway. At a glance of the cover, you may think that the characters will look very realistic, but once you look in, it's the same Mario we've learned to love. The uniforms look professional, except for of course Peach and Daisy's. Nintendo didn't give them real uniforms, but they look great.

Gameplay: 9/10
If you live alone and will never have the chance to play with a friend, this game isn't for you. The greatness of Super Mario Strikers comes from the fact there is a multiplayer option. One of the best sports game multiplayer on the GC, you will have tons of fun.

The basics of Mario Strikers are a little like regular soccer. The object is to score and to defend. That is about all they have in common. There aren't any penalties, which allows for huge hits. You can knock the ball from the opponent by hitting him/her or using a slide tackle. If you are near the wall when hitting the opponent, watch them scream as they hit the wall and are electrocuted. Now let's go to the offensive side. You can do one move (spin-move), can make lob and perfect passes, and can shoot. The ultimate shot of Mario Strikers is the super strike. This is when the character strikes a pose then pounds the ball into the net for a 2 point goal. Oh, and remember those big hits I mentioned. Get hit without the ball (cheap hit) and you get items. Use these to create mass destruction on the field.

Now that you know how Strikers is played, let's look at the different modes. You can play 1-player cup battles, or multiplayer. The cup battles aren't very good. The computer AI is really stupid on the easy difficulties, and nothing changes from cup to cup. The only differences between the cups are the number of matches you play. Only one team is unlockable, and a few fields. This makes the 1-player not worthwhile. Let us get past this and look at the finer aspect of the gameplay, multiplayer. Here you have to hone your skills to beat a much better and less predictable person. You will have many rematches because the gameplay feel is so different. You just want to keep playing.

A flaw that the sequel fixes are the lack of a general stratagy. You only select a character based on whether you like him/her or not. None of the characters have a special technique or ability that could lend an advantage or disadvantage. Your side-kicks are the same way, and you have no ability to mix and match your sidekicks. Without stratagy, you sometimes feel like your only plowing opponents into the ground to get off the best shot.

Replayability: 8/10
Multiplayer never gets old, so you can have this game forever and still love it. The only problem is that only a few things are unlockable, and all of them are by playing single player. If you can pull through this, you will have loads of fun.

Rent or Buy
I say buy if you have friends, and rent if not. The best part is the multiplayer, and if that didn't exist, this game would get somewhere around a 5 or 4 from me.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/16/06, Updated 11/30/07

Game Release: Super Mario Strikers (US, 12/05/05)