Virtua Striker 2002

"A very underrated arcade soccer game."

INTRODUCTION
I first rented this game over a year and half ago, having no playing experience with the previous versions. I had heard the series was very good, but when I began to play I was really, really surprised. I will tell you right now that Virtua Striker is a very underrated soccer game that will provide you with hours of fun.

GRAPHICS: 9.5
The game shines brilliantly in this category. The graphics are outstanding. The smallest details have been recognized, from the joy on a player's face when they've scored a goal to each member of the crowd performing different actions. The stadiums that can be selected in this game are well designed, but you'll never realize how great they look until you watch the opening of a match, where the camera scrolls around and captures everything. The players look realistic while playing in the game, although it doesn't really matter because you don't see very much from such a distance. The field also looks great, except for one thing. As the game progresses, the field never wears out, it always stays in perfect condition. Apart from that minor problem, however, there is nothing else I can complain about.

SOUND: 8.5
I would have given the sound a perfect 10, as it is great, it's just that occasionally it doesn't exist. For example, the commentator rarely speaks, and when he does, it is only to announce a throw-in, a goal, a corner kick, and several other minor things. That is excusable, because Virtua Striker originated in the arcade, but it still is disappointing. Another thing is how some of the music in the menus gets a bit repetitive and annoying. But if you're willing to forget that, Virtua Striker 2002 has some great sound. The crowd is almost always chanting something, and they are always cheering at the correct time. The music before the opening of the game really gives it a feel of importance. A job well done.

CONTROLS: 9
Now, many people have criticized the controls due to their slow response, but I don't see it as much of a problem. After all, players can't do things immediately in real life, so why should they be able to in the game? Another thing people criticize is the simplicity of the controls. I respond to that by saying Virtua Striker came from the arcades, and obviously it wasn't intended for 20 different types of fakes, tricks, and special moves. If that's what you're looking for, you won't find it here. But I will agree that a speed boost button could have been added. The Y button has no function. However, in my opinion, the pick-up-and-play feature of this game is what makes it fun.

GAMEPLAY: 8.5
The gameplay in Virtua Striker is very nice indeed. There are many different types of ways you can play, the main one being 'Road To The International Cup'. In this mode, your objection is to win the World Cup, but you must first play through friendly games, training camps, area tournaments (for example, Portugal would play in the European Cup) and eventually you'll reach your destination. The game keeps track of the stats, and you can look back as far as your first year to see the results and goal scorers of the games. It is extremely fun playing this addictive mode, and even if you beat it once you can go back again and again to try and win in different ways. Some of the other modes include League, where you try to finish with the most points, Ranking, where you try to beat every single team without a loss, and Tournament, where you can set up your own elimination-style matchups. You can also train in certain scenarios, and edit players or create your own.

When you are playing a game, you can select from many formations and set-ups before the start. Replays are given for close shots and goals in slow motion, and you can save your goal replays. When you score, you are given a point ranking, and the more points you get, the better. Goal celebrations are hardly repetitive, as there are so many. Shots can be powered up and fired, and the passes work very well. The computer is half-decent at defending and can occasionally show a random burst of fury when on the attack. There is a feature that allows you to adjust the difficulty in the options menu if things get too simple. And when the game has finished, you can watch highlights of everything. It is really good.

There are, of course, some flaws. The players move in an almost robotic fashion, and it looks foolish at times. When in the mid-field, the game turns into a fury of slide-tackles in an attempt to get the ball, which can be fun but also frustrating. The players are not from real-life, instead Sega did get very creative with some of the names: I saw S. Kplohourou on the screen at one point. The goalies do tend to make amazing saves and then just give up terrible long-shot goals. Overall, however, these things are all minor and do not affect the gameplay too much - at least, not so much that is loses its fun.

REPLAYABILITY: 7
This game does have a lot to offer in terms of replayability, especially with the 'Road To The International Cup' mode, where as I already stated you can go back and try to accomplish different feats. Another thing you can try to do is reach 700 points for a goal, if it's even possible. I can't get any better than 648 points. However, what is a set-back is how there is little multiplayer support. Only two players can play at a time, and even then they cannot be on the same team, always against each other. And I will admit that after time this game does become dull and you'll just set it to the side. Overall, there is still a lot to do even after you've won the World Cup.

BUY OR RENT?
At this point I would say buy, simply because it's very cheap if you can find it because it is an older title, not to mention that there's no point in renting it for a quarter of the purchase price.

CLOSING COMMENTS
Overall, Virtua Striker 2002 is underrated. It provided me with hours upon hours of entertainment, and I would recommend this to anybody who is looking for a good arcade soccer game, because you needn't look any further. It's right here.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/26/04