Mario Strikers Charged for the Wii is an action packed, over-the-top arcade soccer game. As the name implies the game features Mario and the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom Gang, which in itself is probably already reason enough for your kids to want the game. If you and your kids enjoyed the original Mario Strikers on the GameCube you can safely stop reading and hit the buy button for this sequel.
Still here? Then chances are that you are either new to the franchise or that you became weary and tired of paying a lot of money for mediocre Wii games. Mario Strikers Charged is (one of very few) enjoyable Wii games to date. Mario Strikers Charged features single online, offline and multiplayer game-modes. All playable characters (think Princess Peach, Bowser, Yoshi etc) come with unique special abilities to ensure plenty of action and goals – lots of goals… Each Team consists of a Team Captain and “Sidekicks” (team mates). Fans of the series will be excited to hear that the Sidekicks have been given special abilities too. We had great fun exploring all of the different power-ups and abilities, however once we unlocked all characters and mastered their abilities the game was hardly recognizable as a soccer game anymore; It turned into a full blown cartoon action battle of special moves and action gimmicks. Kids will love it, but if you were planning on playing soccer you are better off pulling your trusted Konami Winning Eleven from the shelf.
Due to its cooperative nature, Mario Strikers Charged is best played with friends and family. The game is WiFi enabled and allows your kids to play with friends online. Children will definitely need parent assistance to retrieve and enter the (cumbersome) 12 digit friend code. The Wii does not offer communication (like Xbox Live) while being connected – so keep the phone close by.
Mario Strikers single player career mode “Road to Striker Cup” is a fun way to play if no other person is available to play with. We enjoyed the different opponents and arenas but found that the level of difficulty switches from easy to frustrating from one level to the next. This is especially disappointing considering the young target audience for a game like this.
Overall we recommend the game as a family fun game. The Wii controls work well and are not overly complicated. Kids ages 8 and up should be able to enjoy Mario Strikers Charged without problems.
Visit our Mario Strikers Charged Review Page for Screenshots, Member Reviews, Tips and more.