Sega Soccer Slam – XB – Review

It seems like only yesterday
I was scratching my head, wondering why there aren’t more extreme sports games
around.  Now you can’t go into a video game store without seeing half a dozen
brand-new extreme sports titles to buy.  Even Sega, best known for their
stellar arcade games and console sequels, has entered the extreme sports
market with Sega Soccer Slam.

First released on Nintendo’s
GameCube console, Soccer Slam has now been ported to the Xbox, and will soon
land on the PlayStation 2.  It was developed by Black Box Games, the company
responsible for NHL Hitz, so it’s no surprise that the two games have a lot in
common with each other.  What is surprising is how few differences there are
between Soccer Slam and Hitz.

Six of the eight buttons
on the Xbox controller are used, but the game doesn’t feel very complex.  The
computer AI is challenging, and it takes a good amount of strategy to overcome
its superiority, but the game itself is pretty simple.  In NHL Hitz, you could
stun your opponents and grab the puck by checking them.  In return, they could
spin or protect the puck in attempt to evade the attack.  The same is true
here, except that you can’t check your opponents — you must punch them
instead!  Players are not as easily fazed by a punch, so it makes it tougher
to steal the ball (performing a slide tackle is easier, but not by much).
It’s also harder to protect the ball, since your only option is to evade an
attack manually or by timing the protect move correctly.  This makes it next
to impossible to command the ball at all times, something I was used to doing
in other extreme sports games.  That’s not a bad thing though.  I wouldn’t
have liked Soccer Slam as much if I had been able to master it quickly just
because I’ve played NHL Hitz to death.

The two unique things
about the game are the power meter, which measures your shooting strength, and
the transformation meter, which changes the transformed player into a faster,
more powerful attacking/shooting machine.  When transformed, you are able to
steal and shoot the ball more easily.  It’s also harder for your opponents to
attack you, since you can outrun them.  The transformed effects only last for
a short period of time, but you can keep transforming as long as your meter is
partially full.  This particular meter fills up quickly by performing combos
(one-timer shots and passes, etc.).  The transformation also enhances your
appearance with water, fire and other graphical effects.  If the ball is set
on fire, it’ll continue burning even after it is passed to someone else, or
intercepted by an opponent.

Another unique thing
about Soccer Slam is that it has a story.  All of the players have their own
unique bio, explaining who they are, where they’re from and what they do.
This wasn’t really necessary, but since there are no real-life teams in this
game, it helps to convince the player that these are real teams, competing in
a real game.

Among the different game
modes in Soccer Slam, including Arcade, Quest, Challenge and Tourney, Quest is
the one that resembles NHL Hitz the most.  In the Quest mode, your goal is to
play against several different teams and upgrade your stats by buying new
items with the cash earned from winning.  You are also required to complete
some challenges, such as a penalty-type shot, where the goal is score as many
times as possible.  Each goal earns you an additional $100, so if you’re
really good, you could walk away with a hefty load of cash.  This part is a
tad different from Hitz, but that game had similar challenges in its practice
mode.

As a soccer version of
Hitz, Soccer Slam is not a must-buy for everyone.  I highly recommend it as a
rental, especially if you have a lot of friends coming over, since it is a
great multiplayer game.  The Quest, Arcade and Challenge modes are good, so
it’s not like you’d be bored playing the game by yourself.  As with all sports
game though, it is more fun to play against a real-life opponent than it is to
play against the computer.  To be safe, rent this one before making a final
decision on whether or not you should purchase it.

Reviewer’s Scoring Details

Gameplay: 7.4
Soccer Slam
delivers fast-paced action with a decent amount of challenge.

Graphics: 7
The characters
are detailed, and the animation is really good, but that doesn’t fully make up
for the bland coloring that’s found throughout most of the game.

Sound: 6
The commentary is
fairly annoying, and the music is nothing special.

Difficulty: Medium
Hitz-masters will
have no problem getting into Soccer Slam, but the rest of you may need to
practice for a while.

Concept: 6.5
Soccer Slam is a
good game and all, but it doesn’t do much of anything that hasn’t been done
before.  What it does do, it does very well though, so don’t pass up the
opportunity to give this game a try.

Multiplayer: 7.7
Grab four Xbox
controllers, call up your friends and get ready for some awesome multiplayer
action!

Overall: 7.6
Soccer Slam is a
very entertaining title.  Its only real problem is the fact that it isn’t a
whole lot different from NHL Hitz.  If you haven’t played Hitz before, then
Soccer Slam will feel like a new experience.  It may be an extreme sports
game, but it does not have much in common with Blitz, NBA Street or any of the
other popular extreme games out there.