In the 16-but era there was a sudden renewed interest in the Mega Man franchise. After six installments on the NES Capcom reinvented the blue bomber with X. The question was where they should go with it at this point. The answer? Soccer. Yes, soccer. Who knows why Capcom decided to release a sports based spin-off. Mega Man Soccer seems incredibly random, but I love the franchise (and soccer as well) and it’s hard to be upset with them for trying something new. Plus, the idea is kind of fun and there’s no lack of characters in this universe to draw from. The premise alone drew me in and I just had to try it. Unfortunately Mega Man Soccer is kind of a mixed bag. It’s clear the blue bomber’s first sports outing could have used more time in the oven. Let’s take a look!
Big kudos to Capcom for not only drafting a storyline here, but also trying to make it fit in the timeline. The game begins when a soccer game on television is interrupted by robot masters attacking the stadium. Mega Man, his sister Roll and creator Dr. Light are watching this event and recognize many of the androids as Dr Wily’s own creations. Light tinkers with Mega Man’s programming to make him an all star soccer player. Their plan this time is for the blue bomber to compete in soccer matches at said stadium so that they can once again foil the mad doctor’s plans. Not gonna lie I found this to be a cute twist on the established formula.
In terms of gameplay there isn’t much to say except that it’s soccer, but with some expected Mega Man twists. You have several modes to choose from which is nice. Exhibition is a standard match, and there’s also a tournament setting which is kind of neat. Here you eliminate teams and compete for the top spot. The main draw for me is story mode. Here you’re dropped into the classic style robot master select screen from the traditional Mega Man games. This is a really cool feature that really tightens the branding. You can choose the order you would like to take them on, and some strategy does play into it. When you defeat a team you’re given the option to add that robot master to your line-up. I’ll get to why that’s relevant in a bit.
Within the timeline Mega Man Soccer takes place just after the events of Mega Man 4. Robot masters from that and the earlier games populate the player roster. Each of the enemies (and Mega Man himself) has varying stats that affect how they play. These include running, kicking, tackling and defense. What’s interesting is that, keeping up the series tradition, beating the robot master gives you his power for future matches. What I mean is that the robot master in question is added to your team and you can freely add each one to your lineup. After winning matches against all eight of these you must continue on against teams in Wily’s Castle. Capcom did a wonderful job of incorporating series conventions into this radically different game.
Gameplay is pretty standard soccer fare. You move around with the directional, pass with Y, and shoot with A/B. When the ball is in the enemy’s possession you can use a slide tackle technique as well as leaping into the air to hit the ball for a header. Aside from the statistical differences each robot master (as well as Mega Man and Proto Man) have a special attack. This is performed by holding the R button while pressing A. The charge shots vary from character to character. What’s really neat about these is the fact that each character is strong against the weapon of another, while weak to one. It’s a great use of the series traditions in my opinion.
I really wanted to like Mega Man Soccer, but it’s a bit awkward to play. The camera displays the action from a skewed overhead perspective. This would be nice but it feels too limited. You don’t get a good view of the playing field and the camera moves only with the ball. Control is constantly switched to whichever member of your team is closest to the ball. This is awkward to say the least. Often control will shift to an off-screen player and it’s hard to tell where you’re at. It’s very counterintuitive and can make the game a chore to play. Because you have limited control of your team, a successful play is usually based on luck rather than skill.
While on the defensive you can jump to head butt the ball, and can also slide tackle. I mentioned these earlier, but they’re very awkward to perform. This is because they use the same button, and the game chooses which one you’re performing automatically. I found myself frequently jumping when I meant to slide tackle. Meanwhile the A.I. is very adept at being in the right place at the right time. It’s not an easy game by any means, and that’s coming from someone who is usually good at soccer titles. Mega Man Soccer is more than a little unfair.
While there’s a clear difference between the characters based on their stats I found myself disappointed with the special shots. For the most part these are all extremely similar to one another. Given how diverse the weaponry is in the Mega Man series I expected more. In addition these can only be used a limited number of times, and even after hours of playing I still found no way to determine if they were available. You basically have to make your best guess here. It seems like they recharge after time as well, or in between halves. Who knows. It’s a cool concept but Capcom should have fine tuned it a bit.
On the plus side Mega Man Soccer comes with a plethora of different options. The story mode supports two player co-op which is a fantastic idea. Unfortunately when playing with a friend the action is even more frantic and disorienting and I can’t really recommend it. It is however a nice addition. You can also set up single exhibition matches and this also supports multiplayer. What Mega Man Soccer could really benefit from is having different difficulty options. Unfortunately the main game is just too hard. The computer isn’t limited by the awkward controls. The modes are nice, as are the options, but I’m left scratching my head at some of the exclusions here.
Mega Man Soccer is a pretty decent looking game overall. Capcom updated the classic Mega Man art style for this installment using a motif more like the seventh installment which is nice. Although the characters are drawn in chibi fashion any fan will be able to recognize who is who. Unfortunately the framerate takes hits frequently especially when using the slide tackle. The fields are designed to reflect their robot master’s theme, and they were drawn with quite a bit of care. The biggest complaint I have with the graphics is the little radar you’re given to indicate player placement on the field. While this could have been a useful tool it’s too tiny and busy. This makes it impossible to read at just a glance. Capcom should have made this much bigger because passing to off-screen characters is a crapshoot.
What’s interesting is that most if of the music is brand new here. Remixes of all the classic themes would have been nice, but the soundtrack is actually pretty well done. Each track fits the franchise exceptionally well. Still, nothing’s quite as good as the classic music. Some carefully crafted remixes would have gone a long way here. I do really love that the robot masters have their classic introduction sequences before a match, and that theme still gives me goosebumps. The soundtrack is decent but not amazing.
