Super Mario Strikers

Super Mario Strikers (also known as Mario Smash Football in Europe and Australia) is Mario's first ever association football game, and the final Mario release for the Nintendo GameCube. The game features a version of soccer without referees and rules, and has Power-Ups and special strikes which count as two goals. It's sequel, Mario Strikers Charged was released for the Wii in 2007.

Gameplay elements
In comparison to actual soccer, the game features a smaller version of the soccer pitch, and each team has only five members, instead of the usual eleven-a-side rule. The match time can be manually set from 2 to 15 minutes, but is defined as 5 minutes by default. If necessary, a sudden death follows the regular game time. With this rule, no game ends as a draw.

Each team consists of a team captain and three sidekicks of the same type, as well as a goalkeeper. Every match of the game can be played in multiplayer. Up to four players can control a single team. If there are less than four players, they can switch their characters on the field, 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. Because of this, the goalies are immune to all attacks by enemies or power-ups, and save most goals easily. The soccer fields are surrounded by an electric 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. Thus, there are no throw-ins, goal kicks, or corner kicks, as seen in actual soccer.

One of the most notable changes is the non-existence of a referee. As such, there is no offside position and fouls are not punished. Players are given a variety of commands to kick or hit each other, which is a major part of the gameplay. Items (also called Power-Ups) exist as a help to the player to score a goal. They serve a function similar to the items in the Mario Kart series. 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.

The so-called Super Strike is a special ability of the team's captain. By performing it, the player can hit the ball straight to the goal. When the player manages to score a goal, it counts as two goals instead of one.

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

Other information such 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, or gets fouled when not holding the ball. They appear at the top of the screen, on a bar displaying up to two items. The player can use the items to get or defend the ball, like tripping his or her opponents with bananas or summoning an huge Chain Chomp to stun them. Power-ups can be disabled at the Gameplay Mode screen. It is notable that the goalkeepers are immune to all sorts of power-ups, as they are to regular attack moves.


 * 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 them. 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 walls. They can be obtained as a single or triplets.


 * 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 a character, they do not 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 its destructive path will merely be bowled over. These shells are only available as a single.


 * Giant Red Shells: The red version of the giant 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 afterwards, they merely act like a giant green shell. Like the green ones, 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. On occasion, the shell will also explode on impact, affecting 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 behind a trail of destruction anywhere they go. Only comes in sets of one.


 * 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 Bob-omb. Their explosion radius is roughly four times larger. Plus, it sends out a shockwave, harming anyone who is 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 appear as a big shadow over the character who has the ball. Once it lands, it begins running around, hunting and stunning all of the opponents' members and destroying everything in its path. Chain Chomps do not 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 settings. The higher the difficulty is set, the more the passing, deking, and Super Strike skills of the CPU increase:
 * Novice (Rookie in the US version): A very easy level. CPU lets the player win and make Super Strikes.
 * Professional: An easy level. CPU will make some unexpected maneuvers, such as dekes and Super Strikes.
 * Superstar: Hard. The CPU takes the ball, and tries to make a goal. Also, the CPU can rumble the player's Super Strike meter to attempt throwing the player off.
 * Legend: Very hard. CPU can try to steal the ball and attack the player. If it has the ball, it can make dekes as soon as the player attempts to attack it. The CPU also attempts Perfect Strikes. It can rumble the player's Super Strike meter to attempt throwing the player off.

Note: In the Super Cups, the Novice (Rookie) setting is not available.

Trophies
Trophies are awards won by achieving a certain number of special actions. Additionally, all cups of the game are trophies, including the Mushroom Cup, the Flower Cup, the Star Cup, the Bowser Cup, the Super Mushroom Cup, the Super Flower Cup, the Super Star Cup and the Super Bowser Cup. The cups' trophies are won by winning the cup. These special trophies can also be unlocked:

Cheats
Cheats are special options available in the cheat menu. They can be unlocked by winning a Super Cup or a Gold trophy. Their effects vary. These only work for free play modes, not for the cups.

Grudge Match
Two teams participate in a series at the field of their choice. They can play for as many games as they want.

Cup Battle
Players choose a single team and participate in one of the four Cups. If they quit their match in the middle, they forfeit the match.

Super Cup Battle
The same as a Cup Battle, but the four Super Cups can be played.

Custom Battle
Three to eight teams play in a league table or knockout bracket. The table can be a single or double round-robin.

Strikers 101
A tutorial menu. Players can learn the basics of the game and hone their skills. More than one player can participate, and the players can choose any character. While scores are counted, there is an infinite time limit. At the beginning of the match, there is a menu that automatically opens, and options show how to do certain techniques. During gameplay, a scrolling bar of information on the bottom shows what button inputs does what. Players can play only on Pipeline Central in this mode.

Spoils
Players can view their awards and records.

This glitch can appear during matches. A character must hold the Soccer Ball and go to the opponent's field. If the player shoots the ball towards the goalie without charging and at the same time is hit by a Blue Shell and frozen, the ball will remain stuck on his or her feet, but keeps emitting the purple ring caused by the kick infinite times while the victim is frozen. Because of that, the goalie responds to block the shot, repeatedly lunging and falling in an attempt to get the ball. In this state, the Ball cannot be taken by the other characters and the glitch wears off once the victim is unfrozen and shoots the ball normally.

If a player 2 rapidly taps the A and B buttons on a captain, as player one pushes A on the locked Super Team on the character select screen, the player can play as Super Team without unlocking them.

References to other games

 * Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island: The Crater Field is located on Yoshi's Island.
 * Donkey Kong 64: This was one of the last titles to feature Kritter with his appearance from this game. Also, the Konga Coliseum is located on Donkey Kong Island.
 * Mario Kart: Double Dash!!: The artwork for many items from this game was recycled in the instruction booklet.

References in later games

 * Mario Strikers Charged: This is the sequel to Super Mario Strikers. Also, a member of the Super Team makes a cameo in the credits.
 * Mario Party 8: Some characters' voice clips were recycled from this game.
 * Mario Kart Wii: Some characters' voice clips were recycled from this game.
 * Mario Party 9: Some characters' voice clips were recycled from this game.

Trivia

 * This is the only Mario Nintendo GameCube game to support 16:9 widescreen as well as 480p.
 * Concept art shows that Mario's team number was ten (10). When the game was finalized, the number 10 was assigned as Peach's team number, while the number 1 was assigned as Mario's team number.
 * This is the first game to feature Kenneth W. James as the voice of Bowser, a role that would become permanent starting with Super Mario Galaxy.
 * Likewise this is the first game where Jen Taylor did not voice Princess Peach or recorded any new voice clips for the character due her leaving Nintendo. Instead, Nichole Mills replaced her.
 * This sports installment for the Mario series received a PG rating in the Australian version, most likely for its levels of violence.
 * This is also the last Mario game for the Nintendo GameCube.
 * If the Super Team scores 3 goals, it says Goal #3 for them instead of a hat trick for super team like if any captain scores 3 goals.
 * The most goals in a single match of Super Mario Strikers is 37, achieved by Fred Popke (USA), in Irvine, California, USA, on 28 October 2013. (See Guinness World Records)