Next Level Games is seemingly on a hiring spree, and it got us thinking about some of its past releases.
One standout hit, in particular, is the GameCube title Super Mario Strikers (also known as Mario Smash Football). Although the game made its original debut in Europe and the US in 2005 (marking its 15th anniversary in 2020), it wasn't released in Japan until 19th January 2006.
That means today is its 15th anniversary in this region! To celebrate this special milestone, the official Super Mario Twitter account has shared some tweets of the Japanese GameCube box art, manual and disc, along with some additional screenshots:
Next Level Games eventually followed this up with the release of Mario Strikers Charged on the Wii in 2007. Since then, we've not seen the series return.
Now that Next Level has been acquired by Nintendo, perhaps it's time for a comeback on the Switch. What do you think? Would you like to see Mario Strikers return? Leave a comment down below.
[source twitter.com]
Comments 35
Both this and it's sequel were legendary. Too bad we will never get a rerelease or another sequel like it :/
nintendo boght next level games right? so maybe there planning to make another striker's game.
The Wii game was the first game that I spent a considerable amount of time playing online multiplayer in. Had a real blast with it. I'd love to see them make a new one now but it'd have to be with the freedom to do what they like with it. If Nintendo impose silly restrictions on what they can and can't do then it'd probably just kill the charm and it'd become another vanilla Mario sports game.
Do they typically acknowledge anniversaries like this on the Japanese Twitter? Nintendo doesn't even acknowledge Metroid's anniversary most of the time, so I can't help but wonder if this is raising awareness ahead of the possible announcement of a new game.
This series NEEDS a new entry. Everything about it made it the best soccer game around. Screw FIFA's realism, I wanna slam people into the electric fence with a Chain Chomp and shoot six consecutive balls at the goalie.
Make a new entry please!
@Jakiboy Uh...Nintendo owns the developer so why do you think that's impossible lol?!
@TowaHerschel7
A little thing called "the Mario mandate", unfortunately.
I enjoyed both games. I wish they would bring a sequel to the Switch but they probably won't.
@Jakiboy So a conspiracy theorist, eh lol?
@TowaHerschel7
Yeah, because I'm the "Alex Jones" of Nintendo and Mario has definitely not been sterile and "safe" as of late. 🙄
@Jakiboy You know what's really safe? An XCOM-like featuring characters from a Rayman spinoff to start off the generation.
@CoastersPaul
Because we know that crossovers aren't safe and Mario & co. haven't appeared in a major crossover fighting game, nope
I loved these games. Played Charged so much back in uni. Me and my friends played hours on end while listening to System of a down.
Ah, might look up my old wii game to celebrate tonight.. see how to looks on my wiiU in uhd
We need way more mario games that aren't afraid to try out a different art style. It is always so much more memorable and fun, seeing the same old lifeless Mario used in the New Supers and 3D Land/World depresses me because it really shows how safe and corporate Mario has become lately, not too willing to try out new things like they used to. Paper Mario is a huge example of this. If I remember correctly, Odyssey took a lot of convincing to be as unique as it is. Sometimes new studios know how to make things fresh. Donkey Kong and Metroid were perfect with other studios, and Zelda is becoming more and more experimental which leads to cooler more varied experiences.
I loved the original but something about the Wii game just wasn't my cup of tea. I think it was the stupid 5 goal supershots and the weird powers.
I love these games. Let's hope for a new entry with the same kind of gameplay and charm of the originals.
I have wanted a new version for sooooo long! Both were the best football games I have played! If it happens my brothers and I will go bananas!!!
Oh, please give us a new entry. I love those games to bits.
Sequel, confirmed.
Best Mario Sports series, with Charged being the most refined, complete and action-packed of the two. Would love to see a sequel or a Charged HD with more characters.
Such a fun series and I’d be on board with a return to this. Mario golf, tennis, and strikers were all some of my favorites. I spent more time on the wii one but only have a copy of the GameCube one now. I’d like to see them make a new one or bring the wii one out with the option of non motion controls.
@Jakiboy I wouldn’t be so certain...
This was a great pair of games. I picked up the first one at a time when I first completely lost interest in football games so this and road to world cup 06 got me back into them (for about six years).
I'd be tempted by a third game.
Maybe we get a new one since the World Cup is next year
Honestly, I'd rather have a brand new Mario Golf game on console (it's been since Gamecube too, and I always thought the Wii was going to get one due to having motion controls), but I'll also take this as a good one to play too. With Mario Sports Mix, I was also thinking that Mario would appear in other sports titles as well...would love to see an all out Mario Basketball, Mario Volleyball and more!
I hope we get super strikers and sluggers for the switch
@Not_Soos Well....
This game was so hype back in the day, truly a Mario sports masterpiece.
@grovertheblue What @Jakiboy isn't considering is the fact that football a.k.a. soccer is pretty much the most popular sport globally, so it IS a pretty safe series to release a new game of lol.
@TowaHerschel7
But I'm not talking about the soccer gameplay, lol.
I'm talking about Nintendo thinking that the darker edger style, Peach's and Diasy's skimper outfits and booty shakes, and let's not forget Waluigi's infamous crotch shot not being "safe" and will definitely remove them.
Adored this game back in the Wii days. Whole family did.
It would immediately be the best football game on switch even if they just ported the gamecube version
@TheLightSpirit I think you were right. I remember a mission annoying me as you had about 60 seconds to come back from being 7-0 down, but if you got a super shot in they would save them. Don't get me wrong, still a good game but the simpler Gamecube game was just more fun.
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