Super Mario Strikers


 * For other uses see Mario Strikers.

Super Mario Strikers, known as Mario Smash Football in Europe and Australia, is Mario's first ever soccer game. The game features a version of soccer without referees and rules, and has Power-Ups and special strikes which count as two goals.

Unlike other Mario video games that were created in Japan, Super Mario Strikers was created in Europe, which Japan was the one of the last countries to receive the launch of the game. A sequel was made for Super Mario Strikers, called Mario Strikers Charged (Mario Strikers Charged Football in Europe) for the Wii.

Gameplay Elements
Each team consists of a team captain and three sidekicks of the same type. Additionally, the goalie of each team is a Kritter. Up to four players can control a single team. If there are less than four players, they can switch their characters on the field by pressing A, and the game switches control automatically to the next player when the ball is passed. Players can only control the goalie for a short time when he has the ball in hand.

The soccer fields are surrounded by an electrical fence which electrocutes anybody who gets kicked against it by another player or by a power-up. The fence also prevents the ball and players from leaving the field. Items (also called Power-Ups) are a help to the player to score a goal. To obtain an item, the player has to shoot the ball fiercely towards the goalposts. A player also gets an item when one of his players, who does not hold the ball, is fouled.

On random occasions, Bowser appears on the field. He can breathe fire, stomp the field or attack players with items. Bowser's appearance can be disabled in the game mode sub menu. One of the most radical features of the game is the possibility of make a 2-points goal, called Super Strikes. Only captains (and all Super Team members) can perform Super Strikes, similar to a charged shot, but focussing its energy to make a powerful shot to obtain two points in one goal.

The match time can be set from 2:00 to 15:00 minutes. When the time limit is up and both teams have the same score, a Sudden Death starts, with the team who scores the first goal winning the entire match. In a tournament played in the table system, teams get three points for a win, one point for losing in a Sudden Death, and zero points for losing without a Sudden Death.

Goalies

 * Kritter, a Kremling from Donkey Kong Country.
 * Robo-Kritter on the Super Team.

Player's Skills
Within this game, is necessary to know some basic and advanced skills. There are some explanations about these according to the Mario Strikers tutorial, Strikers 101.

Other information as Super Strikes and Power-ups are explained aside.

Power-Ups
Power-Ups are items that are obtained when the player attempts to make a goal. Power-ups appear at the top of the screen, on a bar displaying up to two items. The player can use the items to increase help them get or defend the ball, like tripping your opponents with bananas or summoning an huge Chain Chomp to stun them.Power-Ups can be disabled at the Gameplay Mode.
 * Banana Peels: Bananas are tossed on the floor and stay there until a character slips on it. They come in sets of 1 to 6 peels.


 * Normal Green Shells: Green shells fly in a straight line, bouncing off the walls and harming anybody who gets hit by it. They can be obtained as a single or triplets.


 * Normal Red Shells: When red shells are shot they home in on the nearest character, tripping or knocking them over. Red shells are destroyed if they bump into the walls. They come in sets of 1 or 3.


 * Normal Blue Shells: Blue shells act just like green shells, but with one difference: they freeze their victims, rather than just knocking them over. Like the green and red shells, they come as singles or sets of three.


 * Normal Spiny Shells: Spiny shells act in a similar manner to green shells. However, when they come into contact with the player, they don't disappear, instead continuing until they either hit another item or bounce off the wall twice. This shell as usual, can be obtained as either singles or triplets.


 * Giant Green Shells: Essentially, a larger version of the green shell. Anything standing in the way of it's destructive path will merely be bowled over. These shells are only available as a single.


 * Giant Red Shells: The red brother of the Giant green shell, unlike the small version, they continue to move after bumping into a wall. When initially shot off, they will home in on the nearest character, but after words, they merely act like a giant green shell. Like the greens, they only come in sets of one shell.


 * Giant Blue Shells: Acts in the same manner as the giant green shells, with the exception of freezing characters on impact. Also, on occasion, the shell will also explode on impact, effecting any nearby characters, as well. Like the other giant shells, they only come in sets of one.


 * Giant Spiny Shells: These shells are completely unstoppable. Leaving a trail of destruction anywhere they go. Interestingly, Kritters are immune to them, however.


 * Bob-ombs: After being thrown, these living explosives will stand still for a second, then blow up, affecting anyone who is too close to it. They can be obtained in sets of one or three.


 * Giant Bob-omb: Essentially a larger Bom-omb. Their explosion radius is roughly four times larger, plus it sends out a shockwave, harming anyone that's even near it.


 * Mushroom: Doubles the user's speed.


 * Star: Doubles the user's speed, as well as harming anyone they come in contact with. Can only be obtained by the losing team.


 * Chain Chomp: This all-powerful huge monster will appears as a big shadow over the character who has the ball. Once it lands, it begins running around, hunting and stunning all of the opponent's members and destroying everything in it's path. It is impossible to avoid, Chain Chomps don't go away without having stunned at least one character. Only the losing team can come into possession of a Chain chomp.

Fields
The Fields in Super Mario Strikers do not affect gameplay, and thus are only cosmetic changes.

Difficulties
There are four difficulty types. The more the player chooses the skills levels more hard will be to defeat CPUs rivals due their extremely perfect passing and deking skills:
 * Rookie: A very easy level. CPU lets somebody to win and make Super Strikes. This level only appears in the Cup Battle mode. This skill level is called Novice in the European and Australian versions of the game.
 * Professional: An easy level. CPU will make some unexpected maneuvers as dekes and Super Strikes.
 * Superstar: Hard. The CPU takes the ball, and tries to make a goal. Also, it rumbles your Super Strike meter to lose the player's accuracy.
 * Legend: Very hard. CPU wants steal the ball and attack to the player. If they have the ball, they can make dekes as soon as the player go to attack them and trying to make a Perfect Strike. They still rumbling the Super Strike's meter to lose the player's accuracy.

Voiceovers

 * Charles Martinet as Mario, Luigi, Wario and Waluigi
 * Nicole Mills as Peach
 * Kazumi Totaka as Yoshi
 * Deanna Mustard as Daisy
 * Scott Burns as Hammer Bros. and Bowser
 * Kelsey Hutchinson as Toad

Trivia

 * Super Mario Strikers was the last Mario game to be released on the Nintendo GameCube.
 * Prototype screenshots show Donkey Kong wearing his red bow tie.
 * The Super Team didn't make an appearance as playable characters in Mario Strikers Charged. They have been reduced to janitors in the game.