<s>
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
Strikers	I-Application
,	O
known	O
in	O
Europe	O
and	O
Australia	O
as	O
Mario	B-Application
Smash	I-Application
Football	I-Application
,	O
is	O
a	O
2005	O
sports	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Next	O
Level	O
Games	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Nintendo	O
for	O
the	O
GameCube	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
developers	O
had	O
worked	O
on	O
NHL	B-Application
Hitz	I-Application
Pro	I-Application
before	O
development	O
of	O
Strikers	O
,	O
which	O
served	O
as	O
an	O
influence	O
for	O
the	O
fast-paced	O
and	O
physical	O
nature	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
also	O
the	O
last	O
Mario	B-Application
game	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
GameCube	B-Application
in	O
Japan	O
and	O
North	O
America	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Strikers	O
is	O
a	O
sports	O
game	O
incorporating	O
characters	O
and	O
themes	O
from	O
the	O
Mario	B-Application
franchise	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
in	O
other	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Mario	B-Application
Power	I-Application
Tennis	I-Application
,	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
use	O
Mario-themed	O
items	O
such	O
as	O
bananas	O
and	O
red	O
shells	O
to	O
hinder	O
the	O
opposition	O
and	O
gain	O
the	O
advantage	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
team	O
comprises	O
a	O
goal	O
keeper	O
,	O
a	O
main	O
Mario	B-Application
character	O
(	O
captain	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
three	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
secondary	O
Mario	B-Application
characters	O
known	O
as	O
"	O
sidekicks	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
"	O
according	O
to	O
video	O
game	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
Mario	B-Application
Strikers	I-Application
Charged	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
in	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
thumb|left|Opponents	O
can	O
be	O
frozen	O
by	O
blue	O
shells	O
with	O
the	O
score	O
tied	O
between	O
Waluigi	O
and	O
Peach.Super	O
Mario	O
Strikers	O
is	O
a	O
five-a-side	O
football	O
console	O
video	O
game	O
comprising	O
characters	O
and	O
themes	O
from	O
the	O
Mario	B-Application
series	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
team	O
consists	O
of	O
a	O
captain	O
character	O
from	O
the	O
Mario	B-Application
series	I-Application
and	O
three	O
secondary	O
Mario	B-Application
characters	O
known	O
as	O
"	O
sidekicks	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kritter	O
is	O
the	O
goalkeeper	O
for	O
all	O
sides	O
except	O
the	O
"	O
Super	B-Application
Team	I-Application
"	O
,	O
which	O
consists	O
of	O
four	O
captain	O
robots	O
and	O
a	O
Robo-Kritter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
in	O
other	O
Mario	B-Application
sports	O
titles	O
such	O
as	O
Mario	B-Application
Power	I-Application
Tennis	I-Application
,	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
use	O
items	O
—	O
bananas	O
,	O
red	O
shells	O
,	O
etc.	O
—	O
to	O
impede	O
the	O
opponent	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
central	O
antagonist	O
of	O
the	O
Mario	B-Application
universe	O
,	O
Bowser	O
,	O
will	O
also	O
appear	O
occasionally	O
as	O
a	O
non-player	O
character	O
to	O
obstruct	O
the	O
players	O
from	O
each	O
side	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
Cup	O
Battles	O
"	O
allows	O
up	O
to	O
four	O
players	O
to	O
compete	O
in	O
tournaments	O
against	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
opponents	O
to	O
advance	O
through	O
more	O
difficult	O
cups	O
for	O
rewards	O
,	O
with	O
"	O
Super	O
"	O
denoting	O
the	O
higher-ranked	O
tournaments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
interview	O
,	O
game	O
director	O
Mike	O
Inglehart	O
and	O
marketing	O
director	O
Grace	O
Kim	O
revealed	O
that	O
Strikers	O
was	O
originally	O
intended	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
more	O
realistic	O
Mario	B-Application
sports	O
game	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
development	O
team	O
opted	O
for	O
an	O
"	O
over-the-top	O
"	O
style	O
after	O
numerous	O
consultations	O
with	O
Nintendo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Level	O
Games	O
cited	O
a	O
connection	O
between	O
Strikers	O
and	O
NHL	B-Application
Hitz	I-Application
Pro	I-Application
in	O
terms	O
of	O
gameplay	O
mechanics	O
,	O
claiming	O
that	O
the	O
latter	O
influenced	O
the	O
"	O
responsive	O
gameplay	O
"	O
in	O
Strikers	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
goalkeepers	O
and	O
on-field	O
collisions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
this	O
reason	O
,	O
voice	O
recording	O
for	O
Strikers	O
required	O
more	O
lines	O
and	O
sounds	O
than	O
in	O
other	O
Mario	B-Application
sports	O
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ReceptionSuper	O
Mario	B-Application
Strikers	I-Application
received	O
generally	O
positive	O
reviews	O
from	O
critics	O
,	O
with	O
reviewers	O
lauding	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
characterisation	O
and	O
visual	O
style	O
,	O
being	O
reminiscent	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
Kazuto	O
Nakazawa	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
praising	O
the	O
character	O
models	O
and	O
goal	O
animations	O
,	O
GameSpot	O
bemoaned	O
the	O
absence	O
of	O
a	O
"	O
Mario	B-Application
feel	O
"	O
when	O
appraising	O
the	O
menu	O
and	O
settings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
received	O
GameSpy	O
's	O
"	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
2005	O
"	O
awards	O
for	O
"	O
Best	O
GameCube	B-Application
Sports	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Best	O
GameCube	B-Application
Multiplayer	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
ranked	O
second	O
for	O
all	O
the	O
GameCube	B-Application
games	O
in	O
2005	O
.	O
</s>
