Take to the pitch as Mario Strikers Charged arrives with a new roster of features. The follow-up to "Super Mario Strikers" delivers bigger shots, massive hits and the chance to play gamers around the world. Mario Strikers Charged is high-impact, all the time.

More captains, more playing fields, more sidekicks: It's crush or be crushed in this wild kickfest. Goal Control: Use the skill the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers provide to win the ball, score unstoppable goals and take control of the goal keeper to perform spectacular saves.

Score Big with Mega Strikes: Each captain has his or her own set of skills and super abilities, as well as the ability to perform special shots called Mega Strikes, where the iron ball splits into five balls and flies at the goal. The defending player must use the Wii Remote controller to shoot these balls out of the air to stop a goal. [Nintendo]

Essentially a bizarre quick-fix take on ‘the beautiful game’ Mario Strikers Charged arrives as a frenetic limited-attention-span offering that might not attract the more dedicated and hardcore football fans. However, it probably will pull in a huge action-hungry chunk of the Wii’s existing demographic, and a considerable amount of those who ordinarily wouldn’t be drawn to the sport.

The proof is in the pudding, or – if you prefer – in the back of the net, so let’s see what the gathered critical fans think of Mario Strikers Charged. Does it scuff a clearance into its own goal, or slam in a 30-yard screamer that takes the goalkeeper with it?

Spend or Lend?

100% - GamePro - "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!"

83% - IGN - "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."

80% - EuroGamer - "As the most original, admittedly surreal, take on the sport for years, Mario Strikers is a gem of a game and manages to flawlessly meet Nintendo's brief of appealing to absolutely everybody."

75% - GameSpot - "Mario's soccer sequel is a markedly more enjoyable game than its predecessor, especially for those who prefer the multiplayer arena."

70% - Pro G - "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."

Verdict: Spend

Footage provided by GameTrailers.com.