Sound:  
The sound, as in most sports games, is not a big time selling point, but for what it’s worth, Soccer slam does it well. It serves up standard announcer fare during the games, and for the most part, it flows nicely. It doesn’t become too repetitive too fast, and follows the action of the game very closely. The characters themselves have numerous bits of audio of their own which they employ either before the start of the game, or after they score a goal. Personally, I laughed out loud, when Half Pint, the English soccer hooligan from team Sub Zero, informed me after scoring a goal, that he “was aiming for his (the goalie’s) face!” Each character has several different sayings that they’ll spit out in celebration, and they definitely add personality to each individual player. As a whole, the sound package is presented nicely, and builds upon the experience of the game.

Gameplay:  
The gameplay is where Soccer Slam makes its greatness felt. There are many modes of play to choose from, and you can learn to play in all of them in the Practice mode. It takes you through the basic skills in 16 easy lessons, and can be completed in about 4 minutes, which is good, because it means you can start playing this game FAST. There are standard Exhibition and Tournament modes, which allow you to play an Exhibition game or a Tournament, respectively. (duh) The bulk of the game though, is found in the Quest mode. This mode allows you to take a team through a series of matches that are formed into a league, of sorts. There are 10 matches, 2 against each of the other 5 teams, followed by a 4-team playoff for the top 4 teams. During the course of the Quest, your team earns money for winning matches or completing tasks in mini-games found between each of the first 5 matches. There is even a mid-season All Star game with the top player from each team coming to play in the game. You can use the money you earn to buy the Power Ups I talked about earlier, or to buy pieces of concept art that show how the characters or stadiums developed. Some pieces of concept art even contain cheat codes that you can use for various effects during the game. When you complete the Quest mode with each team and win the Continental Cup, the main goal of the Quest, you unlock a stadium specific to each team. These stadiums are each unique to the team that calls it home, and are all very, very cool. Team Toxic plays in the Reactor Core, which looks like the inside of a power plant, and another stadium is known as Riviera Ruins and sits inside a beautiful area of Greek-looking ruins. These are definitely the stadiums you will play your Exhibition games in once you unlock them, and they are well worth the time you put in to getting them.

The play inside each game is fast and frenetic, and flies by before you even realize it has started. This is not your father’s soccer video game. Of course, unless your dad is really young, he didn’t have a soccer video game, so…. Ok, forget it. The field in Soccer Slam is more of an indoor soccer field instead of the large World Cup sized fields used in real life. The main theme running throughout the game is this: Do whatever you want. Feeling like punching the guy with the ball? Go for it. Goalie holding the ball for too long? Let him have it and take the ball for yourself. The fast pace allows for a transition in seconds from one end of the field to the other, and forces the player to remain on his toes at all times, lest he have a shot rammed into a rather unpleasant area. The goalies start out after each goal with a full array of armor on, and each shot they block knocks a portion of it off. When the goalie loses his armor, he becomes less effective in the goal, and it becomes easier to score on him. The game awards points for accomplishing tasks such as passing, shooting, stealing, etc… combining the moves allows for big points, and once you build up 500 points in this manner, your team can unleash a Killer Kick. This is a maneuver that throws the ball up into the air, and sets the game into a Matrix-like slo-mo effect during which you can aim your shot at a portion of the net. It’s an easy way to score if you have worn the goalie down. Occasionally there appears a spotlight on the field, which, if you move into it and shoot, allows you to pull off a kick similar to the Killer Kick.

The gameplay as a whole is incredible. Once you master the easy learning curve, you will be hooked on the rapid pace of play and the sense of style the game presents you with. It really is a whole new experience, and one that will keep you coming back for more, and more, and more…

Control:
The scheme that Sega threw together for Soccer Slam is very intuitive, and really doesn’t leave anything to be asked for to improve it. On offense, the A button passes, the B button shoots, X is a deke move, and Y shields the ball from a defender. Without the ball, A is used to hit an opposing player, B switches your controlled player, X is a slide tackle, and Y is used to avoid taking a hit. R serves as a turbo button and L is used to power up your player if you have enough available power in your power bar. The whole scheme is very easy to learn, and is perfectly easy to use in the fast paced action of the games. Again, I give kudos to Sega for creating yet another great aspect of this game.

Multiplayer:
This may be the most fun of any part of Soccer Slam. Getting together with friends playing games is where a game truly can set itself apart from others, and Soccer Slam does just that. The frenetic action and rapid scoring allows for numerous attempts to harass and humiliate your opponent, and that, of course, is what gaming is all about. I played many games with my brother and friends, and the whole experience really lends itself to being played by numerous people at once. I have played many sports games that haven’t kept my attention in multiplayer play quite they way I hoped they would, but I have to say that Soccer Slam is one of few that have actually kept my attention well beyond even what I expected of them. One other notable game that also remains a blast to play in multiplayer is NFL Blitz, so it seems fitting that a game that essentially takes the Blitz formula and applies it to a different sport would also dominate my precious playing time for such extended periods of time. Soccer Slam would be a worthwhile purchase to me if it was strictly multiplayer, and that is saying a lot coming from a player as finicky as myself.

OVERALL:
If you have read my reviews over the course of the last several months, you know that I am a soccer buff through and through. I love watching the sport, playing the sport, and recreating the sport on my TV in video games. Soccer Slam is definitely a new type of soccer game, and it delves into a new style of gameplay beautifully. Nearly every aspect of the game is pulled of flawlessly, and those who love soccer (and I’m guessing tons of people who DESPISE soccer as well) will definitely buy into this game immediately. It just incorporates such fun into itself that it can become an addiction, albeit a less hazardous one than say, heroin. If you enjoy soccer or just love playing four-player madness with your buddies, this game was made for you. For the rest of you, give it a whirl, you may be surprised. It is a brilliantly put together game, and an incredible addition to the GameCube library.

 

The Lowdown on  Soccer Slam Aesthetics: Awesome Control: Awesome Gameplay: Awesome Multiplayer: Awesome Sound: Very Good Innovation: 5/6 Lasting Appeal: 6/6 Overall: Awesome! "Top of the Genre"