***INSERT MESSAGE ABOUT POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD HERE***
Mega Man Soccer was developed by Sun L and published by Capcom. It was released on the Super Nintendo in North America on April 3rd, 1994. As is the case with other Mega Man games, the Japanese title for the game is Rock Man's Soccer. The story behind the game is that there is a televised soccer game going on. Suddenly an explosion happens and when the smoke settled, several of Dr. Wiley's Robot Masters had taken the places of the regular soccer players. Seeing this development, Dr. Light sends Mega Man along with his own group of Robot Masters to challenge Dr. Wiley. More on the crazy story this game has later... For now lets look at the graphics, sound, and gameplay shall we?
The graphics in Mega Man soccer in comparison to many sport games on the Super Nintendo are very good. Overall I'd say that they fit into the Mega Man universe quite well too, Mega Man and the Robot Masters are all easy to tell apart from one another and it's certainly easy to tell who is who. Being a sports game, there really isn't much in the way of flashy effects or anything of that nature, but there are unique animations for all the characters when scoring a goal, and there are various visual effects happen to the soccer ball when fired as a power shot. What happens to a Robot Master when hit by a power shot varies based on what the shot is, but some have different animations than others. For example, Bubbleman's bubble will stun a player, and capture them in a bubble. Meanwhile, if Cutman fires a power shot that hits a Robot Master, that master will simply temporarily fall into a bunch of pieces. Little visual effects like that were a nice touch in this kind of a game.
As far as the sound goes, the game does a decent job. The sounds of robots kicking the ball around is great (with the exception of odd shot sound), the sound of blasting a power shot is good, and the crowd roars for a goal. The real question mark for sound in this game is the music. I've read various opinions as to whether or not the music in this game is good and honestly, the best way to figure that out is to play the game, listen, and decide for yourself. For me personally, I think that it's a mixed bag. Some levels such as Cutman's stage and Dustman's stage I think are great while a few of the others I felt could have been better.
Where Mega Man Soccer really struggles is sadly the gameplay. It sounds easy enough, play soccer with a team of Robot Masters. The execution though is often times frustrating though. While playing you will be facing several issues that are completely out of your control. First, if there are too many Robot Masters on screen, or if multiple Robot Masters are attempting a slide tackle, the game suffers from a massive frame rate drop. It basically puts the game into a short term slow motion, which in a game of soccer, is annoying. Another issue is how the computer selects which character you are controlling. In many sports games, such as EA Sports NHL franchise, a simply press of a button will change which player you are controlling. In Mega Man Soccer, the computer chooses for you by which player is closest to the ball. This can be quite confusing when none of your players are on screen and you need to use the radar. Even with the radar though, things get more confusing as two players may be a similar distance to the ball, so the computer will keep switching back and forth between those two players. Normally the AI will get the ball and then you'll have a character to use.
There are several different modes to choose from here. There is the classic Exhibition match where you can create your own team of Robot Masters, there is a League Mode which acts like a season mode, there is a Tournament mode as well, but the main mode is the Capcom Championship. In this mode, you start off with a team of Mega Mans and as you defeat each Robot Master, you can add him to your team. That being said you can only put one of each Robot Master who is not Mega Man on the team. The rules are set at two five minute halves and each team is allowed two power shots. If a game is tied at the end, the game goes to a very luck based shootout. In the shootout, the defending goaltender must guess which direction the offensive player is going to shoot. The problem is there is virtually no approach so it's just hit the button and hope for the best.
All is not bad though with the gameplay. Passes are generally foot to foot, clearing the ball is a good defensive strategy moreso than in the Super Mario Strikers series, and the power shots add a bit of strategy. The reason I say that is because some of the Robot Masters are immune to other Robot Master's power shots. This leads to some interesting half time choices as to where to position your players and just which player to position in which location. As seems to be the case with a lot of sports games of the time, there are easy ways to net goals. There are a couple areas on the field that have a very high chance of a goal being scored if the ball is shot from them. I always find it much more fun though to try to get the goalie out of position for a goal. Just feels more rewarding that way. Anyway, here's a short gameplay video so you guys can get a feel for what this game looks like, sounds like, and acts like.
On a scale of 1 to 10 I have to give Mega Man Soccer a 6.5. The game is fun, do not get me wrong on that. I have played it a bunch and beaten it as well. The controls are really a killer though. Nothing is more frustrating than a late close game and the computer can't decide which player you can control. Actually there is something more frustrating. After you grind your way through the Capcom Championship you are greeted with one of the worst ending is gaming. NOTHING. That's right, there is nothing. Not one single acknowledgment that you beat the game at all. There are no credits, no music, nothing. The game literally just resets and takes you back to the title screen like nothing happened. It's a cruel sick joke considering the work you put in to make it through. That stands true for the other game modes as well. There is literally no ending to the game if that makes any sense.
While the controls are very frustrating and the ending just not existing, the game still does a lot of cool things. For one, being able to customize your team as you progress was something really nice to see and is something I wish made an appearance in the Mario Strikers games. The graphics are great and the sound effects are at the least respectable. To me what this game feels like in a word is unfinished. There is a very interesting groundwork here that sadly was never revisited. Things like being able to customize your team, multiple game modes, unique power shots, being able to pick who plays where, and an expansive roster of Mega Man characters were all things that could have been expanded upon in future games, Had the control issues on this game been fixed, and an actual ending been given, it probably would be one of my favorite sports games and I would certainly have rated it higher. I still like it now, but time has taken it's toll as the Mario Strikers games on the Gamecube and Wii, while still having issues, feel more complete and better overall.
Thanks as always for reading! My next blog will be some thoughts on different level and world themes in Donkey Kong Country 1, 2, and 3! I'll be taking a look at how the moods of these games change as you progress through them and what I see in these game's worlds and some level backgrounds as well. So yes, expect another love fest in the next blog! I'm also working on a top 10 list involving Donkey Kong Country games, but that won't be out for a little bit yet. My next review though will be on Vigilante 8 on the Nintendo 64!
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