Super Mario Strikers (GameCube) Preview

Fans of football (or soccer, whatever floats your proverbial) will perhaps not be impressed with this somewhat bastardised interpretation of the game. No throw ins, no corners, no free kicks, this is just non-stop, ultra violent football action, and we love it! The basic premise of the game remains unchanged; you have to score more goals than your opponent. A goal is scored by kicking the ball into your opponents goal, but on this note, football becomes something of a peripheral aspect in Super Mario Strikers. We played a two-player match between Mario and Donkey Kong's respective teams, each one containing the captain (the plumber and the monkey) and a number of Nintendo-themed minions. By hitting the Y-button you can perform a running charge on your opponents, knocking them off the ball in a flying array of sparks and fireworks, which is fantastic game.

But whilst seasoned professionals can enjoy the games hidden subtleties and complexities, more casual players can get enjoy it for its simplicity. Anyone can pick up a pad and play this title; you just have to work out the buttons as you go along. Before long you'll be running about the pitch like a madman (or mushroom), scoring goals, performing miracle saves and having a right laugh. Unlike Mario Baseball, this game displays oodles of that much-vaunted 'Nintendo magic'. Some people have complained that Nintendo are whoring out Mario to sell games, but if all the games he is whored to are this good, who are we to complain?

The controls are tight and intuitive meaning that what you want to do on the pitch always happens. There are a number of options to allow you to score the best goals, from special power shots to overhead kicks or simple passing football, the choice is yours. In charging up a special shot, the action slows down and focuses on the play in control of the ball in a Matrix-esque bullet-style moment, before speeding up again for the pile-driver of a hit towards the top corner. Games are short, fast and furious, there is little point in trying to make intricate passing moves, as you'll simply getting hammered off the ball and lose 8-0, the aim of the game here is to play faster, more furiously and with more flair than your opponent. Baiting, insults and 'waaayheee'-ing are all called for when playing Super Mario Strikers.

Graphically this game looks awesome, and the sound is pretty nice too. All the characters are nice and detailed, and the effects put into the game are similar to those that impressed us so much in Mario Power Tennis. Sparks fly in all manner of different colours as tackles and shots create a veritable fireworks display. Sounds wise, expect all the usual character catch phrases coupled with some classic Nintendo music and SFX that will bring a smile to the face of even the most hardened gamer.

With loads of different game modes packed in to make this a more comprehensive and extensive title, we are confident that this title will prove to be much more than just a party title. One problem with games of this ilk is that when your mates have gone home and your left with the hangover to end all hangovers, they lose their spark and fun factor in an instant. But with extensive work being done on opponent AI and extra game modes and minigames, we can only think positive things about one of the best GameCube games on show at the Post E3 Tour 2005.