Super Mario Strikers

Super Mario Strikers (called Mario Smash Football in Europe and Australia) is a Nintendo GameCube soccer game starring Mario characters. It was released in 2005 in Europe and North America and in 2006 in Japan and Australia. It is the first installment of the , and received a sequel titled Mario Strikers Charged for the Wii on May 25th, 2007.
== Gameplay ==
In comparison to actual soccer, the game features a smaller version of the soccer field, 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 time runs out when scores are level, a Sudden Death follows the regular game time where next goal wins. 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 rail which electrocutes anybody who gets kicked against it by another player or by a power-up. The fence is placed right on the touchlines, preventing the ball and players from leaving the pitch. 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 each time a team member not currently holding the ball is tackled.
The Super Strike is a special ability of the team's captain. By performing it, the player can take a high-powered shot at the goal; if they score with a Super Strike, it counts as two goals instead of one.
==Characters==
There are two types of characters on the game, captains and sidekick. The captains are the leaders of the team, and they play in the matches. The sidekicks are all the other players.
===Captains===
*Mario (Super Strike: Fire Strike)
*Luigi (Super Strike: Vicious Vortex)
*Peach (Super Strike: Royal Strike)
*Daisy (Super Strike: Torpedo Strike)
*Yoshi (Super Strike: Foot of Fury)
*Wario (Super Strike: Belly Blast)
*Waluigi (Super Strike: Drop Rocket)
*Donkey Kong (Super Strike: Power Fist Strike)
===Sidekicks===
*Toad
*Hammer Bros.
*Birdo
*Koopa Troopa
===Unlockable characters===
====The Super Team====
The Super Team is a group of four very advanced robots built by Bowser. Not much is known about them. The way to unlock them is to win against them at the end of the Bowser Cup. The player will also unlock Bowser Stadium by beating them.
== 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 their opponents with bananas or summoning a 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.
Bananas: Bananas are tossed on the floor and stay there until a character slips on it. They come in sets of 1 to 6 peels.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Mega 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.
==Stadiums==
The stadiums are where the soccer matches take place. Three are available at the beginning of the game and four can be unlocked.
===Starting Stadiums===
*The Palace
*Pipeline Central
*The Underground
===Unlockable stadiums===
*Konga Colosseum
*Crater Field
*Battle Dome
*Bowser Stadium
==Cup Battles==
The cup battles is a series of tournaments. you will have to work your way up to unlock the other cups.
*Mushroom Cup: Starting cup.
*Flower Cup: Place in the top 3 in the Mushroom Cup to unlock this cup.
*Star Cup: Place in the top 3 in the Flower Cup to unlock this cup.
*Bowser Cup : Place in the top 3 in the Star Cup to unlock this cup.
Note: at the end of the Bowser Cup, the player will have to fight the Super Team. If they beat them, they will unlock them as a playable character and unlock Bowser Stadium.
== Changes to Outfits ==
Super Mario Strikers provided many characters with different wardrobes for the game. The Mario Bros. both wear t-shirts with their respective colors as well as shorts and gloves. Princess Peach wears her hair in a pony tail, and also wears a two-piece outfit consisting of a skin tight jacket and short shorts that covers her breasts, bottom, and privates only. Her belly is completely bare, revealing a tiny belly button. Daisy wears the same outfit, but in orange as Peach wears hers in pink. Many characters are seen simply wearing t-shirts with their respective colors.
== Trivia ==
*This is the first game where Bowser is voiced by Kenny James.
*This was the last game in the Mario series for the GameCube.
==Gallery==
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de:Mario Smash Football
es:Super Mario Strikers (GCN)
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Category:Nintendo GameCube games
Category:2005 games
Category:Spin-offs
Category:Super Mario Strikers Series