Nintendo Van pays a visit, leaves us with jones for Super Mario Strikers

by Vladimir Cole { Nov 14th 2005 at 9:30AM }

Last week, a large, unmarked white van with curtained windows rolled up outside Joystiq HQ and a man I had never seen before encouraged me to step inside to play games with him. Before I could run and find an adult, I found myself in the back of the van gripping the best controller made prior to 2005 (a Nintendo WaveBird, naturally) playing a game of Super Mario Strikers for the GameCube.

The game is good, folks.

Not since my wacky college roommate stayed up nightly until 5am playing FIFA something or another and screaming "Maradona! Hah hah hah hah!" whenever he scored against the other slacker I roomed with have I dreamt of soccer in my sleep.

We didn't get to spend much time in the van, but here's what's nice about Strikers, and why we intend to give it a full play-test and review. First, the controls are simple. There are just a few buttons that matter and every time I mashed one, the game responded instantly with a clear, visual change, be it switching to a different player, passing the ball, or moving a player around on the field.

Second, the arena is perhaps half the size of a normal soccer field bounded by walls with no out-of-bounds zone. That�s a plus because it makes for constant action. There are no great big patches of grass vacant of players; the whole game feels closer and more immediate, like basketball or indoor soccer.

Combine this immediacy with the visceral special tackles and complete absence of any referees, and the game quickly falls into a back-and-forth rhythm of comical violence punctuated by shots on goal.

I�ve always felt that there was something missing with the FIFA line of soccer games. In their attempts at verisimilitude, they succeeded in reminding me of bygone misery playing the position of �defender� (quoted, because I never effectively defended anything, except, perhaps, the bench from cold). It�s not that the other games suck: they do a great job at depicting a game that is itself perhaps a little slow and boring (yes, it has its moments, but Ritalin is even more expensive than stadium food). Strikers takes all the boring stuff out and gives more of what makes soccer fun: goals, tackles, and acrobatics.

Check out an official gameplay clip here.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

striegs @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM

Dissing soccer? You're a bold kid, Vlad. The last time I implied anything about soccer I was beset by people claiming I was a fat American who could hardly comprehend the subtle nuances of the sport, not realizing that I played it myself for seven years (unlike you, I kicked ass at defense, though only if you redefine "defense" as "tackling whomever has the ball, not excluding your own teammates").

JRM @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM

Soccer isn't boring. But I'm just hoping this is better than FIFA street.

hedgehoggy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM

It does look like fine, but I think those special moves will get annoying after a while.
There was another attempt to make a fast moving cartoon soccer game that worked well a few years ago with Lego Soccer Mania which was a lot more entertaining than it had any right to be.

R @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM

How. Dare. You. The greatest sport ever invented as "slow and boring"? Only if you cannot appreciate the sheer orgasmic brilliance of a deft flick, a cheeky chip or a defence splitting through ball; or the tension of a perfect tackle to rob the opposition of a seemingly certain goal. The best score line in football: 2-1 with the winner in the 87th minute!

It's these facts that mean proper footie just can't be captured in videogame format.

Still I suppose I understand American sentiments after watching your woeful national team (7th in the world my botty).

naxoman @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM

Did you played Sega Soccer Slam? I think it's exactly the same concept, but sega's game was a little too limited and was only fun in multiplayer mode.

Greetings from Spain.

Imp @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM

I think you are trying in insult Americans about their poor performance in soccer recently. But I'm not sure, because I couldn't give a rats ass about soccer. And insulting someone about something they could care less about... doesn't exactly work.

Nathan @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM

naxoman, this is made by the same team that made Sega Soccer Slam.

R @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM

Now, now Imp. Calm down. For someone who doesn't give a "rats ass" (where is your puctuation) you seem slightly heated. Actually I'm saying a Mario type footie game could well be more interesting than the FIFA/Pro Evo type game as long as you don't actually like football. For those of us with a true love of the sport (i.e. the part of the world that isn't the USA, Australia or Canada) it'll just seem wrong and won't encapsulate anything that we actually enjoy about the sport. Let's see how it sells in Europe.

Btw, am I not allowed to have a dig at the US national team when we lowly Scots managed to draw with you despite being placed 55 spots below you in FIFA's dodgy rankings?

KBrew @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM

What the US/Scotland game was missing was big players. Bruce Arena was giving a chance to a lot of younger players (Eddie Gaven started for christs sake). Would have loved to see Claudio really stick it to Bazza. We still should have wrecked you guys, though.

ReyBrujo @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM

There, there. I am from Argentina, and while I love soccer, I cannot stand EA FIFA games. Neither the managing ones. I prefer playing outdoors with friends than doing the same in a simulator that shows even how the players are sweating.

I welcome Mario and his willingness to try new fields. Just wondering, would he play in the japanese or the italian national team? ;-)