Super Mario Strikers

Super Mario Strikers
North American cover art
North American box art
Developer(s)Next Level Games
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Mike Inglehart
Producer(s)Justin Dowdeswell
Ken Yeeloy
Kensuke Tanabe
Designer(s)Brandon Gill
Programmer(s)David Catlin
Artist(s)Cassidy Scott
Composer(s)Graig Robertson
Kyle Nordman
SeriesMario Strikers
Platform(s)GameCube
Release
  • EU: November 18, 2005
  • NA: December 5, 2005
  • JP: January 11, 2006
  • AU: April 6, 2006
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Super Mario Strikers, known in Europe and Australia as Mario Smash Football, is a 2005 sports video game developed by Next Level Games and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. The game's developers had worked on NHL Hitz Pro before development of Strikers, which served as an influence for the fast-paced and physical nature of the game.[1] This was also the last Mario game to be released on the GameCube in Japan and North America.

Strikers is a sports game incorporating characters and themes from the Mario franchise. The game features the basic aspects and objectives of a football game, although no referees are present and characters can legitimately shove others out of possession of the ball. As in other games such as Mario Power Tennis, the player can use Mario-themed items such as bananas and red shells to hinder the opposition and gain the advantage.[2] Each team's captain can use "Super Strikes" that, if timed accurately, will result in two points scored for the striker's team. Each team comprises a goal keeper, a main Mario character (captain), and three of the same secondary Mario characters known as "sidekicks".[3]

The game received "generally favorable reviews" according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[4] In general, reviewers lauded Strikers' accessibility and multiplayer gameplay, but criticised the lack of gameplay modes and single-player offerings.[5][6] A sequel, Mario Strikers Charged, was released for the Wii in 2007.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Interview was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference IGN review was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Eurogamer review was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Super Mario Strikers for GameCube Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 4, 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  5. ^ McGarvey, Sterling (December 6, 2005). "GameSpy: Super Mario Strikers". GameSpy. Archived from the original on September 21, 2008. Retrieved September 1, 2008.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference NWP review was invoked but never defined (see the help page).