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Wii and friends: A Great Match
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Wii_and_friends_A_Great_Match'; Why do we love the Wii with friends? Because we want all to share the splendor and majesty that comes from playing the best home gaming console around. So that's why we set out to bring you a nice, easy package of great multiplayer games for the Wii. Both online and local multiplayer is covered, as well as games that have released and those that are still in production. We hope you find this useful in your own life, in some small way, or at least a good place to link a friend who has no idea what they're getting into with the Wii. So read on and see what we have in store, then come back here and tell us what multiplayer experiences you enjoy most on the Wii!
Best of 2007: First-party games [update]
With the end of 2007 approaching at near lightning-fast speed, we thought it would be nice to check out what you, the excellent reader, thought about the games of this year. First up, we have the obvious: first-party games. We have a good idea which game you're going to say, but in the name of healthy debate, check out all of the choices past the break.
Wii Warm Up: Oh how sweet it is
You know, everyone has been talking about this Metroid thing lately, but we were thinking about the competitive activities one could enjoy on the Wii. Mainly as a tactic of diversion to ease the pain of waiting, we figured we could ask you all about your own best victories. Perhaps you dominated the house champ in Wii Sports, or came back from what seemed to be a sure loss in an online bout of Mario Strikers Charged?
WRUP: Hitting the pitch with Mario edition
With only one game releasing this week, we know it's been on the minds (and in the hands) of many of you fine, oh-so-beautiful-looking readers. It's on our mind, as well. And, what with the weekend approaching, we finally find ourselves having the free time to actually pick this game up. So, you can be sure we plan on picking this up and seeing what it's all about.Are you going to be playing Mario Strikers Charged this weekend, or do you have something else in mind?
Metareview: Mario Strikers Charged
Now that many of you have had the chance to chime in on whether you're going to pick this game up or not, let's check in and see what the critics had to say. Since giving it some play time, those of you who've snatched it off of a store shelf or wherever else you purchase your games, would you agree or disagree with the content of these reviews? GamePro (100/100) compares Mario Strikers Charged to the multiplayer Holy Grail, Goldeneye: "A phenomenal addition to the Wii's library and will rival GoldenEye 64 in terms of the exhilarating multiplayer experiences that it offers up. Don't turn your nose up at it just because you don't like soccer or you'll be missing out on one of the best gaming experiences around. Now, bring on Super Smash Bros. Brawl!" IGN (83/100) finds the game has received a couple of upgrades, changing the experience for the better: "If you thought the original Strikers was good, you haven't seen anything yet. And if you've never played these soccer games before, now is the time to start." GameDaily (80/100) says: "Mario Strikers Charged features enough modes to keep players entertained, as well as a top-notch presentation that really shows off what the Wii can do." GameSpot (75/100) thinks the flavor is in the multiplayer: "Mario's soccer sequel is a markedly more enjoyable game than its predecessor, especially for those who prefer the multiplayer arena." Pro-G (70/100) warns us not to get into the game, expecting something else: "If you approach the game with the mentality that Charged Football is going to be football in the Mario universe you'll find a game that is hard to get on with. If you accept that the emphasis is on flashy moves and fun over skill and precision, you'll find a game that has a place in your collection, even if it's only brought out every now and again."
Wii Warm Up: Did you pick up Mario Strikers Charged?
Being the only release this week, Mario Strikers Charged is undoubtedly a game that has emerged on your radar, bleeping and blooping in the most loud of ways. We were wondering, though, how many of you picked the game up, or intend to? Does the gameplay look fun to you, or are you simply looking for something to play online that isn't Pokemon?
New games this week: Mario Strikers Charged edition
When it comes to new-gen releases this week, the Wii stands alone with the North American release of Mario Strikers Charged and (get this!) it's ... online! That's right, as Nintendo continues its cautious entry into the world of online multiplayer with their Mario-infused soccer title, our Xbox 360s and PS3s go untended. Of course, there's a litany of DS games (including the addictive Picross), and the PSP makes a strong showing with three titles (including Harvest Moon: Boy & Girl) so despite the summer gaming doldrums, there should be a little something for everyone. %Gallery-3412%
Wii releases for the week of July 30th
Like last week, Wii owners are only getting one new game this week. It's a fairly big title, though, as it will allow gamers to do what they want to do most with their Wii: take the game online. This week's release is: Mario Strikers Charged We can't wait to get online right there with you.
Wii Warm Up: Friend code rumor fest
What's the deal with friend codes on the Wii? In the last week or so, we've seen a flurry of rumors and responses-to-rumors, and we don't even know if the system for Mario Strikers Charged will set the standard for the rest of the Wii's WiFi future. Are friend codes Mii specific? Some say yes, but there's also word that the good news about Mii-based codes may be untrue and the result of a mistranslation. We've talked at length about WiFi and the future of Wii online before, but in light of all these recent developments, we can't resist asking what you think.
Super Mario Strikers only lets you play against those in your region?
Joystiq has a scan of the European manual for Mario Strikers: Charged, sent in by reader Joshua Marketis, that documents what could potentially become quite the pain in the backside for those of you trying to take the game online when it releases. According to the scan "you will be able to play only with people within Europe" unless you have the friend code of said opponent outside of your region, citing that the reason behind this choice is due to concerns over lag.When is Nintendo going to get a clue about online gameplay? This kind of thing isn't going to cut it and surely doesn't necessarily even improve the chances that a gamer will not receive lag. We can't be the only ones thinking this, right?
NMS: Scoring goals in Mario Strikers Charged
Joystiq's Nintendo Media Summit coverage just keeps on trucking as they take a look at Mario Strikers: Charged. This is one of the games that Nintendo is stating will appeal to core gamers (or more hardcore games, to be exact), so Reggie and the gang understand the importance of making the title accessible and appealing. But what makes this game different and improved over its predecessor?Well, the gameplay mechanics have been greatly improved, according to one of the game's developers. With tweaks to the game's AI and improved character customization, along with more characters to choose from overall, more is the name of the game here. And, not to mention the implementation of online gameplay.%Gallery-3438%
Nintendo Media Summit: Mario Strikers Charged hands-on (Wii)
During the press conference with Reggie Fils-Aime, the President of Nintendo of America, he mentioned that some people felt that Nintendo was catering too exclusively to casual gamers with titles like Nintendogs and Brain Age. To this he countered that they had a number of games that appeal more to the core players, as he called them, and said he was going to show us one of them today. The title in question was Mario Strikers Charged, a sequel to the generally well received Gamecube original. Seemed kind of dubious to consider it a 'hardcore' game, but I suppose it was when compared to the other titles shown at the event.Before we were able to get a hands-on with the title, Reggie called up one of the developers of Mario Strikers Charged who loaded up the opening cinematic of the game for us to enjoy. The cinematic was a high-energy movie featuring all the major Mario characters kicking ass on the soccer field in some form or another. The characters had an interesting art design, much more anime-esque than the normal Mario designs. One of the highlights of the opening cinematic was seeing all the special moves that each of the characters have, like Donkey Kong's ability to smash the ground and knock everybody out around him. The developer pointed out that even though the opening movie was pre-rendered CG, all the moves are actual ones that the characters themselves have.%Gallery-3412%
Today's goal-reaching videos: Mario Strikers Charged
We collectively yawned a few days ago when the latest Mario Strikers Charged trailer appeared online -- it's a pre-animated video with no in-game footage. But the U.K. Mario Strikers commercial tipped us over the edge, and we're showing those videos in this post, especially after today's news of a U.S. July 30 release.While we're glad that the Wii is getting some online action, we chortled at the tagline of "the first online game on Wii." How about "finally, an online game on Wii"? At least the ad doesn't pretend that Mii Parade is a game.See the videos after the break.
Ian Wright promotes Mario Strikers: Charged
English soccer football star Ian Wright (the guy on the left) has been recruited by Nintendo to advertise Mario Strikers: Charged in the UK. Embedded past the post break is the first television spot for the game, where we're introduced to the darker side of online play against random strangers: losing to a superstar. Not only that, but losing to a superstar who made himself known in the sport you're playing, even if it is a deformed variation of.
Getting your feet dirty in the online mode for Mario Strikers: Charged
IGN had their hands on a playable build of Mario Strikers: Charged and our worst fears have been realized: the game has its own friend code. Sure, we all suspected as such in our last look at the game, but then it wasn't confirmed. Sadly, it is now. And in order to add someone as a friend, you must manually input their 12-digit friend code. This, we understand, is going to be sad, sad news for a lot of you. We feel your pain. Let us all cry together.But, if you can find your way past that, the game looks to be offering a robust experience online and could very well validate itself into anyone's collection regardless of the horribly cumbersome manner in which it handles itself over Wi-Fi. There's still a whole area of online play that they didn't cover, also, where you encounter total strangers and duke it out on the field, so perhaps that mode will offer less hassle.See also: Our experience with the game at GDC 07[Thanks, ShaleX!]
Get a glimpse into online play for Mario Strikers: Charged
The fine folks over at Jeux-France got their hands on an early build of Mario Strikers: Charged, taking care to document the online gameplay capabilities. Considering that the only glimpse into online gameplay on the Wii we've been privileged enough to see so far, we'll take what we can get.The video is past the post break, but we must note that it takes fairly long to load, so make a sandwich or something. You'll be waiting for a bit.
More deets on Super Mario Strikers: Charged
Eurogamer recently got some more explainin' out of a Nintendo UK spokesperson, beating out of them politely asking for some more detail on the latest news that Mario Strikers: Charged would feature online play. And, the online play, it seems will be fun, for the most part. Two players, on the same console, will apparently be able to take on another pair on another console through Wi-Fi Connect, as the UK spokesperson explained to Eurogamer. This made us very excited, of course.The bad news, though, is that the game will support game-specific Friend Codes, adding more credibility to a future online experience on the Wii that is as cumbersome and difficult as that of the DS. As said before, the game will feature ranked and unranked matches, however when jumping into a quick ranked match against random opponent, you'll be region-locked, preventing you from taking on some competition from another country. Perhaps it'll cause less lag that way, but variety is the spice of life.
Online details revealed for Mario Strikers Charged
Add another game to the short list of upcoming Wii titles with WiFi Connection support. Mario Strikers Charged will feature both Ranked and Unranked matches for players all over the world to compete in. Ranked games track your wins and losses, calculating your standing on leaderboards (We can already imagine the problems with early disconnecters.). The Unranked mode allows you to set up a quick round with your friends. Nintendo hasn't announced a date for the US release yet, but Mario Strikers Charged will hit UK shelves on May 25th. Having previewed the wacky soccer title at GDC, we can't wait to see how well the Wii remote has been integrated and how fleshed out the game's online support will be. [Via Joystiq]
GDC 07: Mario Strikers Charged impressions
Mario's extreme soccer game, Mario Strikers Charged was available for play at GDC. The game, a sequel to the Gamecube original, featured some impressive presentation values and some very fun gameplay. The graphics seem relatively unchanged from the original. The game does natively support 480p and widescreen modes, a nice plus for HDTV owners. Although not technically stunning, the game's cute, animated art style certainly goes easy on the eyes.The game's controls are almost too simple, with passing and shooting very easy to perform. Tackling another player comes from simply shaking the nunchuck: it's a simple Wii gesture that doesn't seem too elaborate for its own good. The Wiimote comes into further play when you must defend your goal from an opponent's special shots. They will launch up to five soccer balls, and by using the pointer, you must try to aim at the screen and press A to stop as many as you can. In theory, it's a novel idea, but as is most pointer functionality on the system, it seems like an abrupt change from the rest of the game.Mario Strikers Charged certainly doesn't innovate gaming, but it remained to be quite fun, especially in multiplayer. How it holds up to longer gameplay sessions is still to be seen, but gamers can find out when it releases later this year.
Mario Strikers Charged in the field
Wow, Peach! Now that's what we call a chest trap. And here we thought Nintendo wasn't about exaggerating the female form. But that aside, the game strikes home on the excitement front, particularly after all the screenshots we've seen from this upcoming title since LGC. This video clocks in at just over a minute and includes some decent gameplay footage, though the quality isn't the best.
