Give it more than the first day.
First off may I say that this is still a very pick-up-and-play style game, the mechanics are easy, and the enjoyment instant. It isn't however a pick-up-and-master game like Mario Kart, getting good takes more than the first couple of plays.
If you've played the original and didn't like the lack of depth, MSC has got it covered. With 4 new sidekicks, much more varied team captains, and a couple of exciting new mechanics, this truly feels like a whole new game while sticking to the core mechanics that made the original such an addictive and accessible experience.
Teams are fully customisable, and the playstyles varied. I have begun to master one playstyle, the Powerful but slow Donkey Kong backed up by three fast nimble, but more fragile Playmaker characters, that have high speed and accurate passing. However due to the number of different team styles, I really feel I want to give something else a go, despite the fact I've really found a team mechanic I can make work. It's like playing a whole new class in an MMO, and although I still have much to learn with my current team format, the variety of playstyles available is sure to add to the longevity of the game, making it excellent value.
A new mechanic that has recieved alot of criticism is the Megastrike, a super shot that can only be performed by a team captain. With the ball in the opponents half a player charges the ball to maximum with the shoot button, going past the limit initiates the megastike meter, much like a swing meter in a golf game you have to time it right to get a) the maximum amount of balls in one shot and b) the speed of the shot to make it harder for the defender to block.
Should you be succesful 3-6 balls will be fired at the opponent's goal via a character specific mini-cut scene, which all look fantastic. The defender then uses the wii remote to guide a pair of hands around the screen and block the balls as they come firing at you, the better timed the shot the striker made, the harder it is to get to the balls in time, think Space Invaders but First person,
While this may sound like a totally inbalanced mechanic, and people will be firing them off every 5 seconds, they take time to build up and it's a genuine challenge to get your captain into space, and make a decent effort on the meter under pressure. Unless timed perfectly the balls are very easy to block completely, making an effective Megastrike a true achievment both online and against the medium-hard offline AI opponents.
The computer AI can feel a little too calculated and mechanical, especially at higher levels and the difficulty jump between each cup is fairly extreme. Online play is in my honest opion the best and most enjoyable avenue this game has to offer. It is however rather unreliable at this time, but games are smooth and genuinely thrilling once connected, and at times you'll laugh out loud once the ball is firing round the pitch.
Some people have complained about the difficulty of the higher levels of the offline *for lack of a better word - story mode*, however getting good enough to beat those upper levels is not a chore, and is easily learned within 3-4 days play, making offline genuinely challenging, and I'd say that is personally a first experience with a Mario game.
While the online mode is slightly shakey and unreliable, once connected your connection blues will fly out the window as you fire shells at your opponents,strive for the perfect angle to place your shot and use the weird, wacky and wonderful skills of the colourful Mario Universe in a truly addicitve game.
8/10