Mario Strikers Charged

As I've gotten more time with the game, I've learned more advanced moves and tricks. Items - gained by being hit - are used with the nunchuk's C button. Holding Z while passing will lob the ball in the air. Holding down the B button will charge your shot, giving it more speed, or culminating in a power-shot unique to each character. The D-pad can be used for character-specific deke moves (some players will move ahead, others will perform an offensive move) while you have the ball, or while you don't, to do a slide-tackle and a steal.

Charging and passing are integral to success as the AI (or human) opposition becomes more difficult. A charged lob, if intercepted with the B button, can be headbutted or air-kicked for a super goal shot. Charging makes the ball go faster, so volleying before an attempt on the goal helps too. And some of the dekes can actually be used to skip past the otherwise-inpenetrable goalie and into the net.

The game is kept lively by a great amount of variety. In items - there are green shells, red shells, ice shells, bananas, chain chomps, and even bob-ombs. In characters - in addition to team captains (Mario, Peach, and DK to name a few) with superpowerful special abilities, each of the selectable team members (including Dry Bones, Toad, and Monty Mole) has its own moves, and everyone has different stats for running speed, tackling, passing and shooting. And in stadiums - every one has its own special tricks, from the slow turf and dropping Thwomps in Sand Tomb, to the wall-less and windy Thunder Island, in which the occasional flying tractor or fish will knock players off for a period of time.

Strikers Charged has great, fast and fun gameplay, with a fantastic challenge, and enormous multiplayer potential. Unfortunately it doesn't look like you can play online with more than two Wiis, but this is a perfect companion to your other party games.

Progress: Gave Up -- Lost to Diddy Kong