Mario Strikers (series)

The Mario Football series, also known as the Mario Strikers series in North America, is a series of Mario soccer games. It is a Nintendo-exclusive series that launched its first game in 2005. The series only contains two games to date: Mario Smash Football and Mario Strikers Charged Football. The game can be played from one to up to four players at one time. Mario Strikers Charged Football also features Wi-Fi capability.

Mario Smash Football (Nintendo Gamecube)


Mario Strikers Football, the first game in the series, was a hit on the Nintendo Gamecube. It featured the basics of soccer; however, there were no referees. From the start, there were eight different playable team captains, four different sidekick players, and two different goalies. The game was so incredibly popular, that it spawned a sequel, Mario Strikers Charged.

Mario Strikers Charged Football (Nintendo Wii)


Mario Strikers Charged Football, the second and most recent installment in the series, was released on the Wii in 2007. The game appeared to be just as popular as its predecessor. Wi-fi capability was a new addition to the game, allowing players to compete across the world. The game featured four new team captains, (Bowser, Bowser Jr., Diddy Kong, and Petey Piranha), as well as four new types of sidekicks, (Boos, Dry Bones, Monty Moles, and Shy Guys). Gameplay was relatively similar, as the basic rules of soccer applied, but featured the typical Mario series changes.