Sega Soccer Slam

"Basketball has NBA Street, and Football Has Blitz. Now Soccer has it's own arcade classic with Sega Soccer Slam"

Sega Soccer Slam is a multi-platform soccer game made by the game company Sega (obviously). As opposed to most of Sega's soccer games, this sports a very loose and comical take on the sport. In fact, not touching the ball may be the only rule that's still in effect.

Gameplay - 10
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The gameplay is what makes Sega Soccer Slam truly unique. First of all, the camera has three distinct views, which definitely change the overall feel of the game. Secondly, the teams are made up of three unique players, each with their own personalities and stats. The fourth character, the goalie, is nameless and acts more or less as a wall between you and the goal. The third aspect that seperates SSS is the fighting. The characters are no longer limited to steals and pass interceptions, but can now actively hit the opponent, whether they're holding the ball or not. This makes for more varied gameplay, since the ball carrier and defender are constantly playing a guessing game on whether to hit (in which case the ball carrier can protect) or steal (the ball carrier can avoid this by grabbing the ball between their ankles and jumping over their opponent). Since the gameplay is extremely offensive, scoring needs to be difficult. This has been solved by giving the goalie "armor" that you can knock off by literally hitting him with the ball. The less armor the goalie has, the harder it is for him to move around with confidence, and thus, the easier it is to score. The last part of the gameplay worth mentioning is the spectacular shooting. If you fill up your power meter (by making passing, stealing, shooting, and hitting combos), you can perform a killer kick, a high powered kick that is done in slow motion and knocks off a lot of goalie armor. There are also spotlights that shine on the pitch occasionally, and if your ball carrier steps in their team's spotlight (which holds their team's logo), you can do a spotlight kick, which is similar to the killer kick but not quite as powerful and quicker to perform. Finally, your character can use a small amount of their power meter to activate their team's unique element (Fire, Ice, Water, Toxic, Magic, and Electricity). This element gives your character improved shooting, running, hitting, stealing, and passing for a short period of time.

Graphics - 9
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The second best element of Sega Soccer Slam is the graphics. The game has a very cartoonish, relaxed art style, and each character seems like a charicature rather than a person. The only grip I have about the graphics is that the starting fields are rather bland and boring. Luckily, you can unlock each team's field as you go, which are all very colorful and detailed.

Sound - 8
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The sound in this game is of average quality. The sound effects, as far as various grunts, footsteps, and crowd cheers are all well done, and each character's voices are fitting and all accents sound official. The worst part of the sound is the announcers, which have a very limited amount of things to say.

Story - 9
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The story in this game is very straightforward. There are six teams, all vying for the Continental Cup. This will make every character's dreams and aspirations come true. A strange note in this game is that while it's called the Continental Cup, the teams are divided by relative location, not specific boundries. For example, Mexico is part of the South American team, and Japan is part of the Australian team. In addition, the game takes full advantage of each country's stereotypes, from the robust, patriotic Russian to the rather snoody Frenchman, to the clueless All-American Jock. However, the characters are all memorable and appeal to the player.

Replayability - 9
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I bought this game soon after it came out, and I still play it. At first, the idea of having to go through the entire season for a stadium may seem boring, but as you go through, there are several things to keep you occupied. You gain money from winning games, and there is a variety of stat boosting equipment and concept art to buy. Also included is the Gold vs. Platnum game, in which the three best from all the teams play against each other, and the winning team recieves a large amount of money. Add the joy of playing as six different, unique teams, and this will last you a long time.

All in all, the game's charm, addictive gameplay, and multiplayer fun are three reasons why you should go out and get this game. Thanks for reading my review, and happy gaming!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/14/06