Mega Man Soccer

"To whatever possessed Capcom to make this game I am eternally grateful"

OPENING STATEMENT
Mega Man Soccer may just well be the most innovative game in world history. Mega Man, maybe the world’s most popular action hero, has gone over and begun playing the worlds most popular sport. Soccer. As weird and out of place as this may sound, this is a perfect match. If Capcom kept with this series, it could have become even more proficient and popular than Nintendo’s excellent Mario Sports series.

GAMEPLAY--8
The gameplay in Mega Man Soccer certainly takes some getting used to. So does the fact that Mega Man is now an athlete, though. First of all, there are four lines, each of which is a grouping of one character from the Mega Man universe. For example, Mega Man may be playing forward, Protoman could be playing Midfield, and so on and so on. There still are the regulation player totals, as well.

Each character/player has different attributes that will help you during your match. Some are really slow and strong, while others are speedy or accurate, but quite weak. No character is without a weakness. This is a sense of balance that I have never seen in a sports game before, and I am quite happy with the way Capcom organized it.

From then on, the game continues as normal. Actually, Mega Man Soccer has much in common with indoor soccer as well as the normal soccer out of doors. Indoor soccer is set up on pretty much a hockey rink, with the boards in play, etcetera. Instead of throw-ins, you now have kick-ins, as that is another rule from indoor soccer that comes into play. But, unlike indoor soccer, and like outdoor soccer, there are corner and goal kicks. And the ball cannot strike the ceiling as in indoor soccer, because the games are played outside on the large variety of fields that are present.

GRAPHICS--9
This is one of the first games that concentrated on graphics rather as well as gameplay. Capcom did an excellent job replicating the two-dimensional sprite characters in a three dimensional sprite environment, without making them look paper-thin. The characters all move much more fluid than I expected them too. This may have directly led to the graphical masterpieces of Capcom’s current line-up.

The fields all have nothing in common except for the lining and the walls. Some of the fields have stands. Some of them are set in a fiery or an icy environment. What I was kind of upset with was that none of the elements in the field came into play. They were just there for decorating. Having Iceman freeze for a few seconds if he walked over a block of ice would be downright hilarious.

MUSIC--7
SOUND--8
This was also the most time I had ever heard spent on the audio in a sports game. Capcom did a nice job of throwing in high-quality sound. It is almost PlayStation caliber. The music is all upbeat, and, well, rather sporty. It makes you want to play soccer instead of cry over a dear friends death. Unfortunately, you can tell rather easily, that the sound is synthesized.

The sound effects are a bit better. I could still tell they were synthesized, but not as easy. Most importantly, they fit the mold of the game perfectly. If they did not go with the blend of sports and action, they would make the game a much less enjoyable experience.

CONTROL--8
This is not a horrible control job by any means. The control is set up most excellently. There are three different types of passing or shooting. You can press B, Y, or A to use them. Dribbling automatically happens while you walk or run, so you do not have to repeatedly press a button. But, there was a slight problem. There is absolutely nothing on the Pause Menu. The phrase ‘Time Out’ just shows up on the screen.

FUN--10
This could very well be the most fun you will ever have with a sports game, on any platform. Actually, its biggest competition is also on the Super Nintendo, in Super Beach Volleyball. The fact that you can piece your team together from a large amount of famed characters from the Mega Man universe is great. I like the incredible number of fields. This, I believe, is Capcom’s only sports game, and that, in itself, is a shame.

CHALLENGE--MEDIUM TO HIGH
This could also be the most challenging sports game ever created. It is almost impossible to score a goal, even when you are a seasoned veteran. The power shots are almost impossible to stop. The game becomes even more difficult if you take your goalie of auto-control. This game can be devastatingly difficult for beginners especially. Hopefully it will not drive them to quit playing this great game.

REPLAY VALUE--HIGH
I imagine this was Capcom’s goal, this being a sports game and all. Everything is done excellently so you will want to play it again. Unless the near impossible difficulty level scares you off. The large amount of everything does not hurt Capcom at all.

CLOSING STATEMENT
Wow. This is just a great game. It is another of the greatest sports games ever made, most of which are on the Super Nintendo.

OVERALL--9

Mega Man Soccer scores a Gold Medal.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/22/00, Updated 07/18/01