| Mario Strikers Charged | |
| Developer: | Next Level Games |
| Publisher: | Nintendo |
| Director: | Mike Inglehart |
| Producer: | Justin Dowdeswell Ken Yeeloy Kensuke Tanabe |
| Designer: | Matt McTavish |
| Programmer: | David Catlin |
| Artist: | Kalvin Lyle Dave Chambers |
| Composer: | Mike Peacock Darren Radtke Chad York Scott McFadyen Davor Vulama |
| Series: | Mario Strikers |
| Genre: | Sports |
| Modes: | Single player, multiplayer, online |
| Platforms: | Wii |
Mario Strikers Charged is a 2007 sports video game developed by Canadian developer Next Level Games and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is a sequel to Super Mario Strikers for the GameCube. It was released on May 25, 2007 in Europe, June 7, 2007 in Australia, July 30, 2007 in North America, September 20, 2007 in Japan, and March 18, 2010 in Korea.
The game supported the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, which permitted players to participate in online matches and tournaments. Upon its European release, it became the first Wii online game to be available outside Japan. The game, like its predecessor, received generally positive reviews from critics who praised the visual style, multiplayer, and addition of online play, though the game's single player offerings were criticized.
A sequel, , was announced in a Nintendo Direct in February 2022, and was released on June 10, 2022 for the Nintendo Switch.[1]
The gameplay of Mario Strikers Charged is similar to that of the Super Mario Strikers with the player playing an exaggerated and arcade-like version of the game of football. A new element for the game is the powerful shot possible is the "Mega Strike", which only the captain can perform and accounts for a varying number of points ranging from three to six. In addition, sidekicks are able to perform a special shot—known as a "Skillshot"—that occurs if sufficiently charged and results in the character releasing a shot that is either able to paralyze or bypass the goalkeeper. Defensively, characters not in possession can hit others with or without the ball, although doing so to others without it will give the opposing team an item.
The power-up system returns from other Mario sports titles. The player can use these items—red shells, bananas, etc.—to impede the opponent and gain an advantage. Some power-ups aid the player by immobilising and hindering the opponent, while others grant temporary invulnerability and allow the user to score a goal more easily. A "Super Ability" item has been implemented into the game, which only the captain can use and grants unique abilities; notably, some like Mario and Luigi will grow to immense size, while others such as Donkey Kong will impede other characters in a large radius.
Strikers features multiple gameplay modes, such as the "Domination Mode," in which the player faces an opponent of the player's choosing. They can also adjust match settings to limit or expand the match time or number of goals which are necessary for victory. The player can also play through "Striker Challenges", where they select a session with certain obstructions, such as missing characters or a susceptible goalkeeper. If they are successful in passing, they are given further adjustments called "cheats", that can render shooting easier and turn off physical elements of the fields in the game. Training sessions appear in the form of "Strikers 101," where the player can practice individual aspects such as shooting and tackling. "Road to the Striker Cup" allows the player to compete in matches against the computer to gain rewards. The player can also partake in online matches with others around the world.[2] [3]
There are a total of twelve captains and eight sidekicks to choose from to form a five-player team, which consists of a captain, three sidekicks, and a goalie. All characters, except for the goalies, are separated into five categories: Balanced (balanced in all areas), Playmaker (speedy with good passing ability), Power (good shooting and defensive ability), Offensive (good shooting and passing ability), and Defensive (speedy with good defensive ability). A team may consist of any combination of different sidekicks (e.g. two Koopa Troopas and a Shy Guy). Kritters appear as goalies and can be controlled to stop the opponent's Mega Strike.
Captains:[4]
Sidekicks:
Goalies:
Crowd:
Road to the Strikers Cup is a standard-set tournament. It is a mode for 1-4 players. The players are challenged by CPU teams along the three cups: The Fire Cup, the Crystal Cup, and the Striker Cup. The gameplay gets difficult as the players progress through the cups. Extreme Mode is added in this game, and makes the game very difficult from the start. Unlike other Mario sports games, players must restart the cup from the beginning when they lose in the elimination round, rather than being given the option to replay the match that they lost in.
This mode allows players to split into two teams. Up to four players can play, and the players can play 1 vs. 1, 2 vs. 2, 1 vs. 2, and 1 vs. 3 matches. The players can also cooperate against a CPU player.
This mode is for one player only. Every character has one challenge, amounting to 12 challenges in total. A lot of challenges require the player to win such as the goalie not being able to catch the ball because of being weak to charged shots, or the opposing team leading by 5 points by the start of the match. The challenges are separated by difficulty and get more difficult as the player progresses.
Players can access the Internet to play with friends online in their region. Matches are available for any combination of four players on two teams as long as at least one player controls each team. Points earned in ranked matches are determined on their position for "Striker of the Day". Players earn 10 points for winning a match, one point for each goal they score (up to a maximum of 10), and staying online and losing gives them one point. However, if the player disconnects, they will lose points.
In this mode, any captain is selectable, no matter if they are unlocked or not.
Like its predecessor, the game received generally positive reviews from critics ("generally favorable reviews" according to video game review aggregator Metacritic). Still, the visual style, reminiscent of Kazuto Nakazawa was praised, as well as the multiplayer and improvements. However, some had little praise for its single-player offerings and noted shallow gameplay. Official Nintendo Magazine praised the pick-up and play feel of the game, giving the game a 91%.[5] Hypers Rico Shavez commended the game for its "great net code" and being "immediately fun". However, he criticised it for its "lack of options, being shallow and its lightweight single player".[6]
As of March 31, 2008, 1.77 million copies of the game have been sold worldwide, with 240,000 being sold in Japan.[7] It received a "Gold" sales award from the ELSPA,[8] indicating sales of at least 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[9]