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Mario Strikers Charged Preview - Page 1
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| - Luke, Staff Writer |
| Tuesday, September 19, 2006 |
| | Title:
Mario Strikers Charged
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System:
Nintendo Wii
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Genre:
Sports
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Publisher:
Nintendo
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Developer:
Next Level Games
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Release:
2007
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Online:
No
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ESRB:
Rating Pending (RP)
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Just how many quintessential sequels are going to be announced from Nintendo? After the hardly surprising announcement of Battalion Wars getting a Nintendo Wii effort, everybody’s favorite plumber, Mario, was revealed to the press; albeit donning a different outfit than we’re used to. From platforming to playing tennis, you name it Nintendo will create it if it can star their iconic poster boy in all his Italian glory. Whereas in the last generation Mario games started slumping, and evidently showed a lack of creative drive behind them, this time things have changed. Nintendo, whilst trying to stick to Mario’s roots as much as possible, have made sure that he will return better than ever.
And thus we come to Mario’s second foray into the next-generation market. Although Super Mario Strikers on the GameCube had some neat ideas and well executed features, it just didn’t deliver that almost unquenchable gameplay that so many Nintendo gamers have come to love and cherish over the years. But again, with the Wii now in full driving force ahead and near release, development studio Next Level Games are pushing the sequel to completely new heights and aiming to get the game out for launch title buyers to enjoy. Mario Strikers Charged is looking to become faster and more refined than ever.
Before delving into the game itself, it must be said that, although this is a soccer title, it will not deliver on the realism front. If you are looking for quick, efficient passing with a clean finish at the other end of the pitch, you might as well go do the real thing. This game is strictly made for sheer fun, and I’m sure that, like the original, it will easily deliver on that statement.
Gameplay wise, Mario Strikers Charged is as simplistic as anybody is going to get for a soccer game. While it does now use the Wiimote and nunchuk attachment, the controls are very similar to the original. This may put you off at first, considering so many other Wii titles now have completely different controlling dynamics, but the original was so tightly put together and so seamless in gameplay, that it doesn’t really need to be changed that much. Stealing from an old cliché; why fix something that isn’t broken?
When sprinting across the pitch itself, you can see why this is true. The game is so incredibly simple that the developers couldn’t have changed the scheme, because of the limited options and effective playing techniques you use. Basically, you’ll just pass and shoot. There are no fancy flicking techniques, nor are there any amazing physics involved, it’s just the word ‘simple’ at its best. You can, however, now do some pretty unique and quirky things in the game, which will certainly help when in a frantic fight for a goal.
In the original, you could charge up a shot and release it at a lightning-quick velocity. It sounded pretty exciting, but really it was rather drab and fairly unnecessary, given how easy it was to score goals from open play anyway. This time around, the rules have completely changed. When you do charge up the shot, the AI will have to successfully fend off the incoming ball, from the perspective of the goalkeepers hands. It is almost like a succession of timed saves which must be carried out in order to prevent a goal. Likewise, the AI can do exactly the same to you, but in that case, you’ll need to move the Wiimote in order to block the shots yourself.
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