Mario Strikers: Charged Football sees the return of the long serving and much loved Nintendo characters of Super Mario Bros. fame. They have become pretty much unavoidable on any Nintendo console, but that's okay since the games they are in exemplify the simple fun that Nintendo, especially with the Wii and DS, are known for. And as usual, they do not disappoint.

In essence Mario Strikers is a football game, but it's one that's unlike any other. Indeed, the term 'football' should be used very loosely. Okay, so most players kick the ball and there are two goals, but that's about where the similarity ends, because this game is not about being an accurate simulation, but rather pure unadulterated fun.

The game is five-a-side and each team has a captain who is taken from a list of the main characters, such as Mario, Luigi, Wario, Donkey Kong and Princess Peach. Each character is radically different, with various strengths and weaknesses. These differences are quite entertaining too; for example, Wario cheats and carries the ball rather than kicking it, plus he amusingly breaks wind to put off defenders! The rest of your team are chosen from a range of generic models, again all characters from previous Mario games. Each has widely different capabilities that are best suited to a certain style of play. This has substantial impact on the gameplay and consequently, making good choices before the whistle blows is as important as your performance on the pitch. One player might be able to shoot very well but not run very fast, so if you have one of these players and give him the ball then he'll probably score. Pick three of this type however the opposition will literally run rings around you. Pick only fast players who cannot shoot and you'll keep the ball but never be able to score. However, it's not just balance you need, but a style of play you are comfortable with, remembering all the time that your special skills can be use to compensate for any particular weakness.

These special skills make up one of the funniest elements in the game. When fully charged up, you can for example turn your captain into a giant that literally walks all over the opposition. With pick-ups from the pitch it is possible to fire shells at the opposition and knock them down before you shoot. Careful use of these is essential; everything must be done at the right moment to ensure success. Knock a player down just as he is about to shoot, or hit the keeper right before unleashing a shot of your own will help. Knocking a player down at any other time though has little impact, because they get back up pretty quickly.

As you may have gathered by now, the normal rules of football do not really apply here. You can take players down with sliding tackles, kick them off the ball, shoot them or even push them off the edge of a cliff (on one particular pitch)! This absolute carnage and a maddening fast pace to the gameplay with no corners, free kicks or throw-ins makes this experience both exciting and engrossing. Add in the special powers, which can suddenly strike at any moment, and scenery that fights back (on one pitch pistons hammer down from the sky and flatten players at random, on another the wind picks up and will literally blow you away) and you have a truly superb game!

Having said that, the erratic nature of the gameplay and the simple controls do detract from the depth a little. There are no complicated moves to learn or devious tactics, just sheer action. Because of this, Mario Strikers isn't really intended to be a single player experience - at least not in the long run. You will tire of it sooner rather than later, unless you take on a human opponent - but that's no problem, because Mario Strikers not only allows you to play multiple players on the same console, but you can go online too, with up to four players in a single game. Nintendo have finally got their act together and launched a game with full online play - and they couldn't have picked a better title to begin with! Kicking down your friends and knocking in goal after goal just never gets old. In fact, I've spent far more time playing other people online than I have in the various single player modes.

The controls are simple and intuitive, although the Wii controllers haven't really been exploited; the only real use of its abilities come from shaking the Wiimote in order to put in an extra hard tackle. It would have been nice perhaps for more other special functions to be controlled by gestures, but then I guess the game could have been harder to play - I'd rather have a great game with traditional controls than a poor game with full Wiimote capabilities.

The graphics are the best I have seen from a game featuring Mario and company, with all the bright colours you could dream of, hilarious animations and some really lovely special effects for the many special moves and environmental hazards that occur. The pitches look lovely too, being well-drawn, vivid and carefully thought out. The sound is on a par with the visuals too; the sound of balls flying in and people being knocked down are satisfying as you could hope for. Add to that some players' flatulence and peculiar grunts and you have a fantastic and funny package.

Mario Strikers: Charged Football is yet another game that sums up the ethos of the Wii - pure, unadulterated, accessible fun. The frantic action never fails to entertain and the range of character types and special moves on offer do add just a slight tactical element into the mix. With gorgeous visuals and fun sounds that combine to complete the atmosphere, the beautiful game has never been so beautifully crazy - and for those times when you don't have a few mates kicking around, there's the full online play to get stuck into. Yep, Mario Strikers has got it all - and you should all get it!

Reviewed by Gavin Udall for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).