Super Mario Strikers
Since Nintendo announced that they would release a new game in the Mario Strikers franchise in June, I'll pay a little tribute to this saga by doing an article with the game that started it all: Super Mario Strikers, I hope you like it :).
Super Mario Strikers is a multiplayer sports video game released for the Nintendo GameCube (2005) with a sequel 2 years later for the Wii, which is basically the same as the first but with some extra features. This game is not a simple soccer game because it focuses on indoor soccer or called by some, street soccer.
Controls:
If you have played Fifa or Pes this game is not going to be a challenge for you, although if you are a novice there is an excellent way to practice the controls and moves I am talking about "Training" there it explains most of the basic techniques that you must learn even with a video tutorial, very educational.
> Basic Controls: Pass (A), Shoot/Sweep (B), Dribble/Push (Y), Sprint (R), Use Object (X), Lob Pass (L+A) and lastly Hat (L+ B). I will make an extra mention for the controls or plays that I consider a bit more advanced.
> Goal passes: These are made when you are in the opposite area and you make a pass to your partner who is in the same area, making this pass turn green, increasing the chances of scoring a goal.
> Super Whiplash:It is a shot that can only be made by the team captain, it is done by keeping the B (shoot) until a gauge appears where you must be exact in pressing the green areas, if you did it right you will make an unstoppable shot that will leave the goalkeeper stunned.
Captains and Players:
First we will talk about the team players that in total are 5, 1 captain , 3 normal players and 1 goalkeeper , the latter is the only one that we cannot customize, always being the Crocodile Kritter (fun fact: Kritter is one of the most common enemies of the Donkey Kong series).
Regarding the "normal players" or companions, they can be of 4 types: Toad , Hammer Bros , Birdo and Koopa, each one of these possessing different abilities although this is not told by the game as Toad has a degree more speed than the others and so on. Lastly and most importantly, the captains or rather main characters, without any surprise the captains are all of the Mario universe except one.
> Starting characters: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Wario, Waluigi, DK and Yoshi.
> Hidden characters: This point was greatly improved by its sequel to the Wii, with 3 hidden characters instead, this one only with 1, we are talking about the "Max Team" a team of robots that are achieved by winning the last cup.
Cups/Super Cups:
There are 4 cups and 4 super cups (they only differ by the number of days):
> Mushroom Cup and Super Cup: 4 teams, 3 and 6 days respectively.
> Flower Cup and Super Cup: 6 teams, 5 and 10 days respectively.
> Star Cup and Super Cup: 8 teams, 7 and 14 games respectively.
> Bowser Cup and Super Cup: 8 teams, 7 and 14 games respectively.
In this last cup and super cup, at the end of the days, the first 4 teams go to the semifinals, defining the absolute champion there. I must add that by winning some cups and super cups we unlock some stadiums, The Max team, and the tricks section (contains "Infallible Whiplash", "Lazy Goalkeepers", "Inclined Terrain" among others) that will make our game much more dynamic and fun.
Conclution:
In conclusion, Super Mario Strikers is a good sports game if you are a Nintendo lover and tired of playing fifa or pes, things like not having fouls in the game make the action everywhere, although what it lacks to this game is a more copious soundtrack and game modes since it only has Cup, Super Cup, Pachanga and Liguilla (the first 2 being practically the same). Another thing that I forgot to mention but I don't think it deserves a section is the track record (individual player trophies), this means that we have a goal to play for in addition to the cups.