Sega caused quite a storm over Xmas '96 and new year '97 with their release of SEGA Worldwide Soccer ’97, a Western update of J League Victory Goal ’96.

On the back of the Saturn launch title, Sega International Victory Goal, it built on the 3D play by adding 3D players, realistic control and seamless animation.

SWWS ’97 was acclaimed as the best football title on the market, way ahead of EA’s FIFA ’97 and Gremlin’s terrible Actua Soccer update, Euro ’96...

This more recent version, named Sega Worldwide Soccer ’98: Club Edition, to give its full title, as expected, introduces club teams to the list of international squads available in the previous version.

Featured are all the clubs from England’s Premier League, Spain’s La Liga and France’s Ligue 1, complete with correct kits and player names. Though not fully up to date it beats the attempt at naming players in international teams, though this is understandable due to EA’s FIFA licence.

Improvements, however end there, those looking to reproduce Champions League nights are left disappointing as the language option, that follows an impressing intro sequence, locks out club teams from other countries.

Out on the pitch the game begins to show its age, the game lacks the presentation of EA’s FIFA ’98: Road to World Cup, the analogue control of Konami’s International Superstar Soccer on the N64 and the sheer depth of gameplay offered in International Superstar Soccer on the PlayStation.

Sega have failed to fix the faults of the previous version. There’s still no control over shots, players still turn slowly when dribbling and completely stop dead when receiving passes.

For fans of the original this is the same game you know and love, for newcomers SWWS is no longer world champion.

Sega Worldwide Soccer ’98: Club Edition is a prime example of producers getting lazy with as successful franchise. A port of the excellent arcade game, Virtua Striker, would be a great way to celebrate “Coupe Du Monde”.