"As good as a soccer game can get"

Soccer is the most popular sport in most European countries and is getting more and more popular in Japan. Mention worthy, it were soccer games and TV shows that made it come ''this far''. Ok, I'm not trying to annoy you, just keep in mind soccer actually is a popular sport in many parts of this world, ok? And probably the only sports games that are successful in Japan...
Oh, and this game was yet again bundled with my first Saturn, and I'm glad for it, fearing I else have missed one of the greatest games for the console.

Gameplay: 9 out of 10
Simply awesome! Everything looks realistic, yet appealing, but the controls and overall gameplay really have arcade performance. Different from many games, this game doesn't play like it has been made for the Saturn's controller, but in the opposite way; it feels like the controller was made just for this game!
The motions and everything else is absolutely smooth, and every game you play differs from any other you had. The opponents try different strategies each time you fight them, and the difficulty is free to set. There's a ton of game modes: Exhibition, World League, Worldwide Cup, Cup Tournament and Penalty Shoot Out P.K..
The highlight, of course, is the Worldwide Cup. CG-sequences lead you through the different sessions of the cup, from the first qualifying to the big final. The game doesn't have a license, so all player names are fictive, but you can customize all of them! The data takes up quite some space onto your system memory, so I suggest you use a backup cartridge for this feature...
The teams avaible are: England, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Norway, France, Romania, Denmark, Ireland, Croatia, Greece, Holland, Bulgaria, Belgium, Wales, Turkey, Russia, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, Scotland, N. Ireland, Austria, Nigeria, S. Africa, Cameroon, Egypt, Liberia, Morocco, Japan, China, S. Korea, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., Australia, U.S.A., Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia and Paraguay.
Ok, the gameplay of this game has anything you can dream off: humor (the cutscenes after a goal), bad äss humor (the intro *rofl*), perfect handling, international teams with editable data, the required sound effects to make up the right mood and a deactivateable commentator. However, the famous sports commentator Gary Bloom is responsible for the commentary in the game. Well, I'm not a fan of commentators in video game, but I have to admit, this one's really kewl. I turn him off anyway, 'cause the playing with my friends doesn't lack of comments ;). Brings us to the next point: up to 4 players can, via 6-player-adapter, play in exhibition mode. I really don't understand why it's limited to this mode, it would've been quite more fun to play a WWC multiplayer.

Graphics: 8 out of 10
Everything is smooth, the textures are some of the best on Saturn and probably the best for all soccer games on 32-bit consoles and the player models are very detailed. The shadows of the players are REAL transparencies, and it also looks great. You can choose between several camera angles during the game, and I'm sure there's one for each taste.
After you shot a goal, a short video plays on the stadium's XXL screen, celebrating the hit. Also, each team has some exclusive videos, I like those of Japan most ;)
There's also a CG intro, and it's a more funny one. Well, it's not meant to be, but it's simply amusing how some people, appearing Japaneses, see this sport. Like an action movie (^o^)
Also, the only graphical bug I've encountered so far is if the player get stuck in their winning pose and just stop moving. But after the replay everything's fine again.

Sound: 7 out of 10
Whoa, never thought I'd rate a soccer game's sond above 4 or so... well, this game has a alternate score to the non-stop bubbling commentator. The style of the tracks is very hard to describe... something like a rock/samba mix.
Well, if you like commentators in a soccer game, maybe 'cause you prefer playing them alone (for what reason whatsoever), this game is far better with it's commentary than all before and most after. There are lots of different samples and he's quick at finding the right words.

Replay value: 9 out of 10
Almost unlimited... especially if your friends enjoy the game as well.

Overall: 9 out of 10
I'm sure I won't give this rating to any more soccer games, but this one really deserves it. It's perfectly balanced between arcade style and realism, and it's gameplay is far deeper than to be expect from a soccer game. It doesn't annoy you with unnecessary details and managing crap like some other soccer games do, it's really just about the game. That it doesn't have a license just shows how good this game has to be, in a genre that often defines itself with the license and so the official player names.
Rent or buy? Well, if you're a fan of soccer games, defenitely buy. Else, there's a chance you're going to like this game, but I can't promise.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/29/04