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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.
The
latest 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”. |
