Street Power Soccer (REVIEW)

Like NFL BLITZ, and NBA JAM this latest entry in the faux sports genre comes complete with arcade mechanics, and modes of play. It is known as 'Street Power Soccer', and it aims to bring an experience mildly rooted in real life soccer (futbol for my UK & European readers), but taken over almost entirely by more arcade-like features. Narrated, and taught via tutorial by the superimposed video presence of a well known French freestyler you'll be introduced to the world of freestyle soccer. Through inspiring speeches about never giving up, and committing to the craft with dedicated practice you'll find yourself pumped up along with the rhythmic tunes, and the dancing soccer stars. The controls are kept simple, and the modes of play broken down into several mini-game types with only one really competitive mode done up in more traditional 2v2, and 3v3 versus matches. It is a trippy around the world soccer experience performed on globally located courts that are designed for the types of trick shots, and unbelievable stunts you'll be pulling off. All for customization currency, and leaderboard fame.

Street Power Soccer tries to be something profound, groundbreaking, and maybe even inspiring, but ends up falling short in some areas. Visually it's a janky color fest with poorly animated players some of which look like the stuff of nightmares. Whether they be contorting while doing pre-rendered tricks, or getting that cameo mugshot that looks like something from a horror flick you can tell that whoever designed this game didn't have the skills to create characters that were visually pleasing. Gameplay-wise this server based single, and multiplayer soccer experience is more or less a series of several different competitive modes that equate to nothing more than mini-games for points, and in-game currency that can be spent in a character customization shop. 

Modes within 'Street Power Soccer' include 'Elimination', 'Trickshot', 'Freestyle, 'Street Power Match', and 'Panna/Panna KO' as well as a mixed feature containing the whole lot called, 'Become King'. In 'Elimination' mode you will find a 1v1 scenario with two replacements for each team sitting out on the bench awaiting their turn. Scoring against an opponent will eliminate them, bringing their next in line onto the playing field until one team has no players left. The team without any players left is the loser. In 'Trickshot' mode, another twist on game types, you'll be using a pressure building gauge that builds up the longer you hold the designated kick button in order to kick the ball, and land it where it needs to go. Adding power to your kick as you do so. You'll also be curving the using the L2 shoulder button in conjunction with the required CIRCLE button. Arching, and aiming the visually represented trajectory of the ball while bouncing it off of walls, and obstacles will build up, and add onto your final scoring for the session once you've landed the trick shot. 

In 'Freestyle' things go from target challenges to a sort of rhythm game where dribbling, and doing footsie tricks in time with passing markers will up your obtained score. It starts off with a trick trigger that has you inputting a combination of buttons to get the trick going, and will have you follow up maintaining the trick by pressing CIRCLE when a marker passes through the center hole on the screen that's before the player. Depending on your accuracy of button pressing you can earn everything from a miss to a "Perfect". Resulting in a final score for efforts applied.

When it comes to the actual soccer mode that most soccer (futbol) game fans seek, 'Street Power Match' fills that void, but only slightly so. By pitting two teams of 1, 2, or 3 against each other you have what would equate to a proper street soccer match between real life gamers (co-op/multiplayer), or singleplayer AI. With a 5 minute time limit to score as many goals as possible. That having been said there is an arcade twist. You'll find that your controlled, and swapped between players have special powers that can be used by building up a meter tied to tricks. Doing tricks basically a SQUARE button function with L2 included. You can actually keep tricks going between players as you pass the ball using "X" as well. When the meter is full you can do a cross court power shot using L2 + TRIANGLE adding that flashy arcade flair to the fray. Add to that the pick-me-up power-ups that randomly appear on the field, and you can get things like shields, speed boosts, and other game changing items that make gameplay even more fast paced, and frenetic. Ultimately between the strategic use of tricks, passing, and kicking you will eventually (hopefully) land the ball in the right goal scoring a point. That is how you win. How you complete the mode's challenge though is to perform one of your mechanics functions so many times during a match as shown on the pre-match challenge requirements listing. Sometimes winning is required alongside the requirements, and sometimes it's not.

Last, but not least is 'Panna/Panna KO' mode. It's an odd mixture of boxing, and street soccer that basically has you outperforming your opponent, and kicking the ball between their legs into the goal slot. This is called "Nutmegging", or "Panna" to note the native term. The mode itself takes place within an enclosed ring with two goal slots, and a dividing line with graffiti letting players know which side they are on. By using the trick buttons, and advancing close to the opponent you'll be able to nutmeg the ball past them sending it into the goal behind them. There's not much else than that to it.

Let me also not forget "Become King' which doubles as the game's tutorial, and a series of mix & match challenges from the previously mentioned modes. In this mode, which I suggest you play first, you are taught what to do by a video representation of French freestyle soccer player, 'Sean Garnier' who not only preaches about the sport through inspirational chat, but also goes over the various mechanics tied to each given mode. This, and the 'Street Power Match' modes are the highlights of the game, in my personal opinion.

Customization ...

Character customization is what you'd come to expect from such a game. It's inline with games like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series allowing for customizable balls, and various parts of the characters' attire. Complete with the usual sponsor branding, and associated styles. These items can be unlocked with the earned in-game currency. Ultimately allowing the gamer to suit up their male or female player however they desire. Continuing on to the sound side of the presentation we find something a little more suiting of the price tag. While the game does look lively, but indie-ish to a detrimental degree it does have a kicking soundtrack with diverse songs playing throughout it's entirety. Some of it's hip-hop, rap, or more modern in sound like techno or trance. There are a couple of notable songs from the past that you may or may not recognize as well as some newer selections. The soundtrack itself is not a problem, but does feel like it would fit in a more professionally constructed game.

The Verdict ...

Pretty this game is not. For the $49.99 asking price you'd expect MADDEN tier player and gameplay design, but that is not the case here. In 'Street Power Soccer' the players you play as look purposefully distorted in size, and stature with terrible facial depictions that quite honestly are even bad for an indie game. How the player models contort, and twist unrealistically during pre-rendered tricks is horrible. That aside the gameplay is alright, if you like short sessions that revolve around unrealistically soccer inspired mini-games. Even with the daily challenges in each mode, and the multiplayer versus matches the game, despite it's obvious intentions, is not the grand spectacle of the sports genre it adheres to or the arcade experience it tries to capitalize on. It never nails that perfection it seeks, and fails (in my opinion) to earn a recommendation.