Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this Mario sports game is fast-paced, silly, strange, and cool; but that it bears very little resemblance to real soccer. This is extreme soccer of the red-card variety, making unsportsmanlike mischief part of the fun -- and part of the worry for parents. Each character has a special Team Captain Power; Wario's is the ability to fart green smoke, making everyone sick. This game offers an online component, which Common Sense Media does not recommend for anyone under the age of 12.
Families can talk about how this game differs from real soccer. The characters do loads of things that are unsportsmanlike, so families can talk about the importance of sportsmanship and team play. They can also talk about how, at times, this game mirrors real life because winning this game requires tactics and practice. Do kids like playing these games because they enjoy the characters or the gameplay, or both?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Andrew Bub
Mario has strapped on his soccer cleats to wreak havoc on the soccer pitch in MARIO STIKERS CHARGED for the Wii system. This is a fast-paced, fantasy arcade game of Wii soccer, similar in gameplay to the older Super Mario Strikers GameCube classic.
Gameplay starts when you pick a famous Nintendo character from the Super Mario Bros. series to be your team captain, including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, or Bowser. Then you round out the rest of your team with bit players like Toad, Birdo, and the Hammer Bros. What makes this selection fun is that each character has his or her own strengths and weaknesses, as well as unique special moves.
Both the Wii remote and nunchuck are used to play the game. You move players around with the analog stick on the nunchuck, and pass and shoot the ball with the A and B buttons on the remote. Shaking the remote allows you to tackle the player with the ball. Sidekicks and team captains have different special shots that help them get the ball past the goalie. For instance, the Hammer Bros. toss hammers to temporarily stun the goalie so they can get a free shot and team captains can execute special shots that can send multiple balls to the goal.
But the mayhem doesn't stop there. The team captains have other special powers out on the field, and you can use collected items like bouncing turtle shells or bombs to temporarily distract and thwart the other team's players.
Play options include competing in a tournament to win trophies or trying special challenges to unlock player cards and secret codes. Unfortunately, if you want to switch team captains in the tournament mode, you have to start the whole tournament over again.
If the computer or nearby players (up to 4 players per Wii) don't provide enough of a challenge, you can also play online against strangers using the Wii wireless connection. Playing with friends online is a little harder, as you both need to exchange friend codes that are different than the regular friend codes, and it … takes … a … long … time … to … connect.
The graphics and sound aren't much improved from the GameCube version. But it's still humorous to see the "angrier" Mario characters play soccer. Normally demure Princess Peach has attitude, Bowser brandishes metal claws, and Donkey Kong punches the cameraman. The controls are a little tricky to learn at first, so newbies may want to practice up before playing, because the game's artificial intelligence plays a mean game of soccer, and the online opponents are even tougher.
Mario sports fans might also enjoy Mario Party 8, Wii Sports, and The Bigs.
Reviewed: 09/21/2007
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ViolenceWarner Bros.-style cartoon violence. |
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Social BehaviorCompetition, friendly trash-talking, and team play are emphasized in the mushroom kingdom. But the game models some unsportsmanlike behavior at the same time. |
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CommercialismThis is part of the Nintendo Mario franchise. |
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