PlanetDreamcast | Features | Dreamcast Soccer Shootout

Dreamcast Soccer Shootout A candid comparison of the soccer titles available for your Dreamcast - by Tren Page 3/6 Sound and Music SWWS Euro Edition Many would consider sound�s importance in a soccer game to be negligible, as long as the basic sound effects are there. However, this couldn�t be further from the truth. There are many components which make up a convincing soccer title soundtrack, such as a commentator, ball noises and player noises, and of course those all-important crowd noises. All of these, especially the commentator and crowd noises, can add significantly to the immersion and realism of a soccer title. Here�s how each game rates. Virtua Striker 2 Virtua Striker features cheesy music over the menu and front-end screens but its in-game aural effects are pleasant enough. There is no proper commentator, just a voice to announce free kicks, corners, penalties, etc. All the sound effects and crowd noises are well done, bar the slide tackle sound effect, which sounds a little odd. Sega Worldwide Soccer 2K (and Euro Edition) Virtua Striker 2 The original game has an instantly forgettable soundtrack and although the commentator is initially impressive sounding, he has a tendency to repeat himself quite a lot. The Euro Edition tried to go with a Latino-themed soundtrack, but this is poorly done. There are more commentary lines added in for the Euro Edition but the same ones still tend to reoccur every so often. The crowd noises are well done, albeit slightly muffled, and the ball kick noises do the job but are far from spectacular, sounding quite synthesized. The crowd noises are average, nothing special, but again do the job. Hopefully in SWWS2K1 they�ll make a better effort on the audio front. UEFA Striker / Striker Pro 2000 UEFA has a techno/euro-house style soundtrack during menu navigation, although this may or may not be different in the US version (rock-lite anyone?). The game has a great commentary and although the commentator(s) don�t repeat themselves as much as those in SWWS, they do occasionally come out with a dodgy line which is completely non-sensical to the current situation of play. The in-game sound effects are good, and the crowd noises are convincing, but UEFA shares the same flaw as all the other titles here; there isn�t enough dynamic response. The crowd only seem mildly more excited when a player looks close to scoring than when someone�s about to take a throw-in. There should be a greater noise difference to illustrate the crowd�s excitement. Next: Gameplay!