Second Wind: Soccer Series In Need Of A Revival

Electronic Arts and Konami may duke it out each year with their respective franchises for the crown of best soccer sim, but there’s a plethora of soccer titles I’d like to see back in my starting 11. In this age of downloadable titles, the time is right for these games to make a comeback. In some cases, it’s just a matter of the developer revisiting the property.

Sega Soccer Slam – GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 2

Sega’s three-on-three soccer sim includes arcade and light role-playing game elements wrapped into a package of irrepressible fun. Standing out from the crowd with a cartoony (and a somewhat stereotypical) art direction, Sega Soccer Slam provides a few key elements to separate itself from the rest of the pack: stat-increasing equipment for characters, and a brawling aspect that is more street than EA’s FIFA Street series would ever want to be. 

Dishing out punches to players is as important to winning as scoring goals. Sign up two friends and you have two enforcers to stop defenders with a flurry of punches as you score goals. Sega Soccer Slam provides a unique approach to soccer that hasn't been seen since its heyday. Throw in the obsessive stat tracking, and you have a fun way to compete with your teammates on your way to glory. 

As Sega has shifted much of its focus to downloadable games, it makes sense that a $15 sequel to its footy title could be in the cards. 

Lego Soccer Mania – PlayStation 2, PC, Game Boy Advance

This PlayStation 2 and PC title places possibly the greatest toy on earth onto the soccer field to mixed results. Though a quite basic version of footy better suited for younger children, Lego Soccer keeps interest by introducing new characters and stadiums based on different Lego toy sets. Players get to pick and choose who to bring along in a story mode that ends up in space. Power-ups and minigames keep it from becoming monotonous.

With the Lego world having greatly expanded this year, it’d be cool to see what a game featuring the toymaker’s Legends of Chima property could become. Combine the new set's focus on magical abilities with Speedorz (think awesome motorbikes) and the original game's power-ups like the Rocket Ball, and we may have a winner. Maybe Traveller’s Tales can craft a Lego soccer game of its own between its traditional releases.

Mario Strikers – GameCube, Wii

Mario and company have played just about every sport: basketball, golf, baseball…the list goes on. The soccer titles have been among the strongest of the bunch, and though the last two home consoles have featured Luigi in cleats, there’s no announcement of a Wii U version. 

The sooner Nintendo announces more soccer exploits for Mario on the Wii U, the better. Imagine it: Your opponent charges past your defenders, so you swipe the Wii U’s gamepad to throw a red Koopa shell to trip him up before he pulls the trigger. When in possession of the ball, you draw a path for your Chain Chomp to wreak havoc upon as you dance around defenders and the ensuing chaos. 

The games feature Mario sports game staples: opposition-crippling items like the Giant Bob-ombs, and character-specific Super Abilities such as Mario’s ability to grow in size and become invincible for a brief time. As soon as Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon is off developer Next Level Games’ plate, it needs to revisit this series.

Mega Man Soccer – Super Nintendo

Let’s be honest – Mega Man Soccer is not a good game. Let’s also ignore the act of terrorism during the game’s intro where Dr. Wily causes an explosion on a soccer pitch and replaces the now-missing players with his robots. 

That’s the most interesting aspect of the game – one that wasn’t quite finished – but players never find out what happens after the explosive intro because there is no ending. 

It’s time the Blue Bomber got his redemption. With an entire backlog of robot masters to choose from for a small-sided game of soccer, there are a lot of special abilities that could be used strategically in the goal to, well, score more goals in a sequel. 

Special shots made Mega Man Soccer somewhat entertaining, and that aspect could make way for a wider variety of abilities. Here's a scenario: Flame Man from Mega Man 6 litters the field with fire to stop the opposition’s defense. He then passes to Freeze Man, who covers the goalie in dive-impairing ice. Then he chips a ball in the air for Mega Man to fire into the net with a charged-up Mega Buster bicycle kick. A wider depth of abilities such as these could open up the game to more strategic planning and overall fun.

Mega Man Soccer 25th Anniversary is something Capcom should have released for download to truly celebrate the Blue Bomber’s birthday last year. Perhaps, much like former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, Mega Man will find his best form well into his 20s with a new soccer title to call his own.

[Next up: cartoon characters from the '90s play some soccer, and role-playing game mechanics and soccer collide] 

World Tour Soccer – PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable

Diving in soccer is cheating. It’s a despicable way to play the beautiful game, but World Tour Soccer let’s players use this disgusting tactic with a simple press of a button. It’s a goofy thing to include, but probably more realistic than the current FIFA title’s physics engine considering how often it’s done in leagues at every level around the world. 

Though easy to inadvertently perform (diving is mapped to a button often used in other soccer games for less-nefarious actions), this unique feature provides for laughs. Accidentally diving and getting yellow cards isn’t always a good thing, but it’s an interesting enough quirk to make the World Tour series quite different from the rest of the pack. 

Once a good, if not great, alternative to FIFA soccer games, World Tour Soccer fell by the wayside in its later years, but that doesn’t mean it can’t make a comeback – dive button included. 

RedCard 20-03 – GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 2

RedCard 20-03 mirrors Midway’s NFL Blitz and NHL Hitz in that it maintains basic mechanics of the sport, but also adds strong arcade elements.  The arcade experience doesn’t just mean quick, high-scoring games – though that is often the case – but provides players with the ability to dispossess attackers via ninja kicks to the chest. Players on a hot-streak literally burst into flames, thus increasing their abilities.

Conquest mode pits players against goofy teams made up of SWAT officers, penguins, dolphins, and more. Players gradually work their way up to the world finals mode in what proves to be fun arcade soccer action – something that has ceased to exist in today's console market. This simplistic approach would make for a welcome distraction from the more taxing sims on the market. 

Tiny Toon Adventures ACME All-Stars – Sega Genesis

Tiny Toon Adventures ACME All-Stars is actually a game boasting multiple activities, with soccer as the main highlight. Players choose a team of three from an assortment of Tiny Toon characters, and play a game hinging on smart use of each character’s special power.

Buster Bunny can run incredibly fast; Dizzy Devil can wind himself up into a crowd-clearing tornado. Played at a chaotic pace that requires acute knowledge of each player’s special abilities, Konami's game is better than anyone ever really gave it credit for.  

The playing fields, except a standard grass pitch, feature as much character as the Tiny Toons themselves. Montana Max’s Playroom stage is either a favorite among those playing multiplayer or a fight-inducing experience, as it features random point values attached to each and every goal. You could score three single-point goals, only to be thwarted by one worth three. The stage, also featuring moving trains to trip over, is certainly as loony as the cartoon it comes from. 

Tecmo Cup Soccer Game – Nintendo Entertainment System

Tecmo Cup Soccer Game is not only the most oddly named title on this list, but it’s also the most unique for one reason: turn-based role-playing game mechanics. Featuring some of the most epic music to ever come from the Nintendo Entertainment System, Tecmo Cup Soccer is a rarity in the sports market. Players run around the field until coming into contact with an opponent. From here everything turns into a turn-based role-playing game where outcomes depend on your stats, and actions must be chosen before a timer runs out. 

The Japanese version of the game is actually based on Captain Tsubasa, a popular manga property centering on the captain’s soccer exploits. Though the game was changed in some ways from its Japanese counterpart (the American version doesn’t use the manga license, and is much more westernized graphically), the gameplay remained intact, and is still one of the more unique – and great – soccer experiences to have ever been crafted.  

What do you think? Did I miss any soccer games in need of a new iteration? Which of these games have you played?