|
Talk
about Football games today and it’s likely only two brands will
come to  mind; EA’s FIFA and Konami’s Pro Evolution
Soccer. Things were not always the same though, back in the
heady days of 16-Bit gaming, before even FIFA International
Soccer, there was a different king; Sensible Soccer.
It’s sequel, Sensible World Of Soccer, is widely regarded
by it’s fans as the best Football game ever and many still play
the ten year-old title even now. Although incredibly simple, due
mainly to lots of system’s controllers having only a few buttons,
and featuring bright, but ultimately minimal graphics, hours could
easily be poured into Sensible Soccer, especially in
Multi-Player, perfecting the fine art of curling the ball into the
top-left corner from thirty yards out. Although the original is
still a fine display of addictive game play, graphically Sensible
Soccer is a game from three generations ago and predictably, not
as pretty as you remember. Fortunately, CodeMasters are bringing the
insanely fast, stupidly addictive, pick-up-and-play character of Sensible
Soccer to the Xbox and PlayStation2 in the guise of Sensible
Soccer 2006, and hopefully, unlike the terrible PlayStation
incarnation, they have got it right this time.
Right
from the off fans of the original will appreciate the presentation
of Sensible Soccer 2006. The Menu and Loading Screens all
pull the nostalgia strings, although compared to the heavily
endorsed FIFA
Title Screen; they do seem a little dated. Even when the game starts
the feeling continues, the classic fast-paced gameplay is all here,
together with the top-down view and the cartoon style graphics.
However, the formula has been changed slightly, to mostly good
effect. Although the Xbox Control Pad has many buttons and triggers,
Kuju Entertainment has kept the simple pick-up-and-play nature of
the originals through the use of only two buttons for basic play; A
and B. The A Button passes the ball whilst B is used to shoot, long
pass, lunge and slide tackle, depending on the situation. Y is used
to signal for tactical changes and to sprint the player must pull
the Right Trigger, however this must be used sparingly as players
only have a limited amount of stamina in each half, making timing
essential in scoring goals against the tougher opponents.
This
simplistic approach makes Sensible Soccer 2006 incredibly
easy to play, even for those not well versed in computer gaming and
as such retains the addictiveness the original enjoyed. However,
this will not be to everybody’s taste, especially those used to
the intricate controls of Pro Evolution Soccer. The lack of a
Manual Player-Switch is also occasionally annoying - especially
considering of the number of free input buttons available - but the
A.I. does do a decent job of eliminating the need for one. Once
again Aftertouch is present in Sensible Soccer 2006:
immediately after a strong kick, moving the Left Analogue Stick in a
direction allows you to curl and chip the ball to an exaggerated
degree. Perfecting this skill allows some amazing shots and adds a
lot of depth for experienced players.
Just
like Sensible World Of Soccer, Sensible Soccer 2006
features loads of customisation options. A huge array of teams are
available, albeit with false names, and many Tournaments are on
offer, now with the added incentive of unlockable novelties for Cup
and League winners. Custom Cups and Leagues can be created with
ease, as can four Custom Teams. Each player can be customised with a
wide-range of options, along with their kit. By winning competitions
with a Custom Team, players are upgraded in an RPG style, adding
experience to their previous tally - definitely a welcome addition;
however, due to the lack of skill of your starting players,
competitions can seem a little difficult at first. Thankfully the
real attraction of Sensible Soccer, the Multi-Player, is all
present and correct, with all modes playable Co-Operatively or
Versus for up to four players.
Kuju
Entertainment - the team responsible for last year's Battalion
Wars - has done a fine job of translating the classic Sensible
Soccer  style into three dimensions. Despite using the classic
top-down view, all players are rendered in 3D using a Cel-Shaded
Engine that fits the title well. The fast pace of Sensible Soccer
2006 is never let-down by any drops in Frame-Rate, although the
combination of super fast play and the viewpoint can cause you to
lose track of the ball in those messy six-yard box encounters.
Animation is also generally good, although in some cases the Goal
Keepers can seem to mysteriously teleport across the goal mouth.
Graphically it lacks the realism of Pro Evolution Soccer and FIFA,
but given the manic gameplay, the cartoon approach seems entirely
justified.
The
weakest point of Sensible Soccer 2006 is easily the sound.
Aside from the occasional crowd cheer or whistle, sound is fairly
non-existent during matches. The music is also somewhat subdued, not
a huge problem, but one that should really have been paid attention
to.
If
you liked Sensible Soccer, you should buy this game right
now. It is a faithful re-make of an outstanding game and a great
release in it’s own right, with enough new content to amuse fans
of the original. For those not versed in Sensible Soccer, Sensible
Soccer 2006 is a very easy to play, but hard-to-master game that
can provide hours of fun even for those few not interested in the
beautiful game. Although unlikely to rival the giants in sales or
necessarily appeal to those looking for a realistic game of
football, Sensible Soccer 2006 is a game that proves that the
likes of WarioWare Touched!, Dr. Kawashima’s Brain
Training: How Old Is Your Brain? and even Super Smash Bros.
Melee are correct; and Nintendo’s ideology that they’ve been
campaigning for a while now does have it’s own feet to walk on:
simple is fun.
 
|
