They take soccer seriously everywhere. Even in the Mario universe.

“Mario Strikers Charged” outfits Mario and the rest of the Mushroom and Koopa Kingdoms with shinguards and cleats for manic five-on-five showdowns on the soccer field. Each team is captained by luminaries from the Mario world like Luigi, Wario, Bowser and Donkey Kong, while supporting characters such as Hammer Brothers and Shy Guys round out the rosters.

True to Mario form, the soccer in “Strikers” is tireless and chaotic fun. There are no rules to slow down game play, and the smaller size of the field, frequent shots and turnovers speeds the action.

Each captain can use special tricks to tip the scales in their favor. Bowser fries opponents with his fiery breath, Mario and Luigi stampede across the field in giant-size and Wario nauseates the players surrounding him with foul green belches. By charging the shoot button for a few seconds, team captains can assail the opposing goalie with Mega Strikes -- a flurry of four to six shots from high in the air.

Chain chomps, careening turtle shells and banana peels are also at the disposal of secondary players, who can collect these power-ups with well-timed shots and use them when they want to clear a path to the goal. Secondary players also come with custom skills. The Hammer Brothers bury their shots in a deluge of hammers and the Boos use phantom stealth to sneak the metallic ball past defenders. And in a fun touch, Birdo carries the ball in her soup bowl-sized mouth.

Many of the arenas in “Mario Strikers Charged” have their own hazards. Thwomps will pancake players in a desert stadium, while the powerful winds of Thunder Island can clear the field by blowing tractors and cows into unsuspecting team members.

Players can master the game's controls within minutes. The simple control scheme assigns buttons to passing, shooting, fake-outs, power-ups and chipping the ball upfield. The Wiimote can be waved to take down opponents with a tackle. Otherwise, its only other purpose is blocking the series of Mega Strike shots by pointing the controller at each ball and exploding them all in rapid succession.

Within the controls' easy-to-learn framework, players will find plenty of room for different field strategies to apply against different foes. They can score solely through Mega Strikes, utilize their secondary character's special moves or shoot after multiple passes. The latter strategy is rewarded with a charge system that raises the likelihood of a goal after each pass. The ball's color starts at red when a team goes on the offensive and turns white once they have moved it many times.

“Mario Strikers Charged” also benefits from a beautiful presentation. A stunning minute-long opening video introduces players to the familiar faces of the team captains, all of whom are made over with customized soccer gear. Games open with an extravagant entrance by the home team captain, complete with ethnic music, such as an upbeat salsa song for Luigi and a festive accordion tune for Wario. After scoring a goal, Shy Guy stumbles and loses his mask while the Koopa Troopa takes a midfield spin on his shell.

“Strikers” expands its replay value by enabling players to square off with friends and random opponents online. Even on its own, the game is so enjoyable and easy to learn that you'll play it endlessly with friends, so long as your soccer shenanigans on the field don't spill over into your living room.

Staff writer David Wilcox reviews video games for The Citizen. He can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net

“Mario Strikers Charged”

Score: 85 out of 100

Parental rating: Everyone 10+

Publisher: Nintendo

Platform: Wii

Retail price: $49.99

Features: 1 to 4 players

Life span: N/A

The final boss: “Mario Strikers Charged” takes the zany antics of the Mario universe to the soccer field in an abundantly fun and well-designed sports game.