Link Almost Appeared in Mario Strikers Charged

New details have emerged regarding the development of Mario Strikers Charged, revealing that Next Level Games considered including Link from The Legend of Zelda series in the game’s playable roster.

The information was disclosed by a former developer at Next Level Games during an interview with Did You Know Gaming. The developer, who requested anonymity, stated that the team had brainstormed the possibility of a Zelda crossover during the early stages of production for the Wii title.

Development and Nintendo’s Response

According to the former developer, the idea of adding Link was a point of internal discussion as the team navigated their relationship with Nintendo. At the time, the studio viewed the opportunity to work on Mario titles as a significant achievement.

We didn’t expect that we’d get to work on some of the IPs that we did. So even working on Mario Strikers was a big win for us. And then Punch-Out!! was a big win for us. It wasn’t out of the question that we would actually work on a Zelda game and I do recall that [Next Level] were kind of throwing around the idea of having Link as a character in [Mario Strikers Charged] early on. It was always kind of on the table, or at least for us it was….

Former Next Level Games developer via Did You Know Gaming

While Next Level Games expressed interest in the crossover, Nintendo did not show the same level of enthusiasm. The developer noted that while Nintendo did not provide an outright no to the proposal, the company remained noncommittal and reluctant about the idea.

This lack of enthusiasm from the publisher ultimately led to the abandonment of the plan, ensuring that Link would not appear in the final version of Mario Strikers Charged.

Context of the Mario Strikers Series

Mario Strikers Charged, released in 2007 for the Wii, served as the sequel to the original Super Mario Strikers, which debuted on the GameCube in 2005. Both titles were developed by Next Level Games and featured a stylized version of soccer that allowed for tackling and the use of themed items and stage hazards.

The attempt to include Link was not the only instance of unconventional character choices being considered for the series. Previous datamines of the original GameCube title revealed that characters from Paper Mario were also nearly included in that game’s roster.

The concept of Link appearing in a Mario-themed racing or sports title later became a reality in other franchises, such as Mario Kart 8, though it remained out of reach for the Strikers series during its primary development cycle.

Technical and Distribution History

Mario Strikers Charged was released across various regions between May 2007 and July 2008. It later saw a digital download release on the Wii U on May 12, 2016.

The original Super Mario Strikers title has also remained accessible to modern audiences through the Switch 2 GameCube Classics app.

The disclosure of these early brainstorming sessions highlights the creative negotiations and the balance of character rights that occur between development studios and publishers like Nintendo when managing high-profile intellectual properties.