I picked this game up as an alternate to my other games during the spring break, but after playing this I have decided this will be the only thing I'll play this week. Soccer Slam is an excellent and very innovative game.
The gameplay consists of a mix between soccer, football, and even a bit of hockey. With three players on each team and a goalie, you'll have to find different ways to score goals compared to traditional soccer games.
You are allowed to knock people over and slide tackle them, so the game consists of trying to get downfield without being toppled over. There is a block move for each of the offensive attacks, so there is a bit of rock paper scissors when it comes to protecting the ball.
Once you get downfield, you can get goals by doing many different things. You can power up your shots and wear down the goalie, which makes it easier to score, or you can try for a one timer to catch him off guard. You can even power up your special meter by doing tricks such as tackles, and then unleach a killer kick: it makes the game go in slow motion so your can aim your shot to perfection. With all these options, it is somewhat easy to score a goal, so expect games to go into the double digits most of the time.
I have played a few multiplayer games so far, and they are a blast. It is a great party game that you clould play for hours without stopping. That addictive arcade gameplay is what keeps you coming back for more.
Although the gameplay is the best aspect of the game, the graphics aren't far behind. The characters look like they have come out of a Looney Tunes machine, with goofy stereotypes from all around the world. I found the characters likable though, with each of them having a special animation when they score. The teams are too unbalanced though; some teams are way faster compared to others, so some people will have an unfair advantage. The field and backgrounds look very well done, with the crowd even waving around flags of their favorite team.
An aspect that I didn't like about the game that much was the sound. The effects such as crunching tackles and shots sounding realistic, but the announcer was definitely annoying. The voice actor couldn't decide if he wanted to have an English or Australian accept. This comes out as him saying things such as "Crieky, what a shotl" and "What a smashing goal", which makes the commentary sound laughable at best.
I also had a few gripes with how they arranged the saving system. Visual Concepts didn't decide to use the account system in games such as NBA Street; instead you have to enter your name each time you want to save stats in multiplayer. It would have been much easier if you could create a name to be used multiple times.
In the end though, a game with great gameplay, smooth graphics, and fun multiplayer all equates to an excellent arcade game. I would definitely suggest this to anybody who enjoys arcade and multiplayer games.
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