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The International Superstar Soccer
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Jikkyou World Soccer 2002 - Website Review |
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The International Superstar Soccer
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Jikkyou World Soccer 2002 - Website Review |
When Jikkyou J-League Perfect Striker was released (a precursor of the Jikkyou World Soccer 2002 game you see here), it made the N64 the system of choice for discerning football-mad gamers… but not for long. Why? Because the PlayStation-exclusive Winning Eleven games have since surpassed Major A’s Nintendo-oriented Jikkyou World Soccer games. So what we all want to know is, can Major A get back to its winning ways? Or are GameCube owners destined to be on the losing side at the cross-platform World Cup finals? Of course, it’s not as important a question, now that the stellar Virtua Striker 3 ver.2002 has arrived, but it would certainly be nice to have two challengers to the throne that is occupied by PS2 Winning Eleven 5 (aka Pro Evolution Soccer). Major A’s games have always straddled the line between sim-like realism and arcade-style accessibility, unlike Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo’s staunchly realistic Winning Eleven series. Naturally, there’s a place for both types of game. Jikkyou World Soccer 2002 is an indication that Major A is intent on moving more closely in line with its Tokyo-based rival, though. Let’s see if the move has paid off…
Jikkyou World Soccer 2002 is not a classic. In fact, it’s quite dodgy in places and feels unfinished, a bit rushed. There are some frame rate problems that crop up occasionally, for example, and these infringe on the gameplay. Granted this doesn’t happen very often, but it is nevertheless a problem. Worse still, some entire frames of animation are missing. This probably sounds worse than it looks, but when a player moves from being prostrate on the floor to being on his feet to take a free kick—without actually getting up—you know there’s something not quite right. Computer AI is also suspect, and computer-controlled players are wont to run the ball out of play. But these issues could be forgiven to a certain extent if the gameplay was up to scratch, and thankfully that is the case… As in previous Major A games, players have unrealistically close control. This works in the game’s favour, making it sufficiently simple to dribble so as to make it easy to concentrate on what you’re actually going to do with the ball. And when it comes to using the ball, World Soccer’s brand of pass-and-move gameplay excels. It’s never difficult to find the player you want to pass to. It’s possible to take defenders on by using the sprint button, too. And, at the end of a move, when you want to test the keeper, it’s easy to shoot in exactly the right direction, to place the ball. World Soccer is instinctive and flows naturally. Crucially, you are in full control. The omission of a Scenario mode is disappointing, as this mode usually brings a good solo challenge to World Soccer games. The International Cup and World League modes are a letdown in a single-player game, proving too shallow to sustain any long-term play. Still, footie games are all about multiplayer, and World Soccer 2002 is one of the best four-player GameCube titles yet. It has the looks (though not up to Virtua Striker 3’s lofty standard) and it plays very nicely. It’s not perfect, and therefore it’s not as good as Winning Eleven 5, but Jikkyou World Soccer 2002 is a highly commendable effort and a worthwhile purchase for soccer-starved GameCube owners. For its four-player mode alone, World Soccer 2002 is a good alternative to Virtua Striker 3 ver.2002. All being well, Major A’s next GameCube kick about will refine the quality that’s here.
8.0
