PlanetDreamcast | Features | Dreamcast Soccer Shootout

Dreamcast Soccer Shootout A candid comparison of the soccer titles available for your Dreamcast - by Tren Page 4/6 Gameplay This is the most important category obviously. The game may be an audio-visual treat, but that�s useless if it�s absolutely no fun to play or is completely bogged down by too many complicated controls to try and simulate every part of soccer. Virtua Striker 2 Virtua Striker 2 Virtua Striker 2 is an odd little title when it comes to gameplay. From the visuals and sound, one would expect a full-on soccer simulation, but this isn�t the case... not by a long shot. The game waters down soccer into an arcade-style game which is more akin to a fighting title in its tactical requirements from the player. The game has only limited controls, with shooting plus short & long passes when you have the ball, and slide tackling and nudging when you don�t have the ball. There is no "run fast" or dash button, so breaks through the defence via sprinting (a popular tactic with the strikers of the real world) aren�t possible here. In fact, the only real-world tactics that are possible are formation changes, though each team only has three possible formations. The game certainly is an extremely simplified version of soccer, but it definitely still has some charms of its own. With repeated sessions the game�s addictive arcade heritage shines through. Once the initially unresponsive controls have been mastered it is very enjoyable, especially as a multiplayer game. Whilst initially it will seem shallow, there is a surprising amount of depth in the title -- problem is, it can�t always be found if you try to replicate real soccer tactics within this game. If you play the game as an action-heavy arcade game then it makes more sense. One somewhat annoying aspect is the lack of analogue control, since other arcade conversions (such as Virtua Tennis) allow the player to use either the analogue or the digital pad, even if the game isn�t designed with full analogue input in mind. With Virtua Striker 2 there�s no such luck, so if you�re one of those people who finds the D-Pad uncomfortable to use for lengthy periods of time, then this might not be the game for you. Sega Worldwide Soccer 2K (and Euro Edition) SWWS 2K Sega Worldwide Soccer opts for a less arcade-style approach compared to Virtua Striker 2. Whilst the original Saturn game was in fact inspired by Virtua Striker 1, the Dreamcast versions are geared towards an onscreen replication of English Premiership Matches. The game tries as hard as possible to look like a player-controlled premiership match, however the fun factor of the game is limited by this. The game�s matches, whilst fun, just lack any kind of addictive quality. Both titles suffer from very average gameplay, particularly in one major department: the lack of enjoyment one gets from scoring in the game. Despite Virtua Striker 2�s shortcomings in regards to realism, it is still a huge adrenaline rush when you score in that game -- it feels like a real achievement. SWWS, on the other hand, is quite slow, and scoring just doesn�t seem exciting or particularly rewarding (more often than not goals are scored through fluky chances rather than large planned movements, which can fail against the volatile goalkeepers). Both SWWS and the Euro Edition make good use of the analogue and digital controls, but the shooting seems very weak (certainly compared to the powerful shots possible in Virtua Striker 2). On the whole, both games feel very substandard. UEFA Striker / Striker Pro 2000 UEFA Striker has the best analogue control of the bunch, and taking the ball around the opponent's defence through accurate analogue shimmying is very satisfying. Digital control is in there also, and whilst not quite as accurate, it still does the job very well. UEFA Striker The shooting in UEFA Striker is better than that of the SWWS games, but still doesn�t feel as solid and as controlled as Virtua Striker 2's. Goal scoring is, on the whole, gratifying, however goal mouth scrambles aren�t as frantic as they should be. The game has excellent balance, something lacking from SWWS. It is still possible to come back in losing games, and the current score seems to have a realistic impact on the morale of your players (something also lacking from SWWS). This is especially noticeable in realistic situations. For example, if you�ve just scored an equaliser with only a few minutes left on the clock, your players will correspondingly seem like they�re making a last push for the winner. Neat. My main complaint is with the goalkeepers, who can be just a bit too good at times. The game has an initially moderate pace, which can be quickened through an option in the menu. At faster speeds it looks unrealistic, as goalkeepers rebound lightning fast shots left, right, and center. It would have been better if the developers had made the speed up option just speed up play, and not the players' reaction times. On the whole, though, UEFA Striker probably has the strongest tactical gameplay of the three games being considered. Next: Replay Value