Soccer Kid
| Soccer Kid | |
|---|---|
 Amiga cover art | |
| Developer(s) |
|
| Publisher(s) | Krisalis, Yanoman, Ocean, ReadySoft, Telegames, Songbird Productions |
| Designer(s) | Matt Furniss, Neil Adamson, Nigel Little |
| Composer(s) | Matt Furniss |
| Platform(s) | Amiga, Amiga CD32, 3DO, Super NES, MS-DOS, Atari Jaguar, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Distribution | 4 floppy disks (Amiga), Cartridge, CD-ROM |
Soccer Kid is a platform video game created by UK-based developer Krisalis[1] and released in 1993 for the Commodore Amiga, 1994 for the Super NES,[1] PC, Amiga CD32 and 3DO Interactive Multiplayer. Its title for the Super NES in the United States is The Adventures of Kid Kleets. It was re-released for the Atari Jaguar in 2000, the Game Boy Advance on September 30, 2002 and the PlayStation on December 13, 2003.
The goal of the game is to guide a little soccer player boy through various levels, using his soccer ball as the main tool. The player character can perform runs, shots, bicycle kicks, headers and other sorts of soccer moves to either advance in the level or eliminate enemies.
Story
The Amiga CD32 / 3DO version of the game begins when Soccer Kid is waiting for the World Cup to start. However, the alien pirate Scab is scanning for trophies to add to his collection and starts beaming up the World Cup using his spaceship. While he beams the trophy into space, he collides with a satellite, blowing the Cup into five pieces that fall in random places around the world. It is up to Soccer Kid to recover the pieces. The Cup pieces are located in England, Italy, Russia, Japan, and the USA.
Gameplay
By pressing different buttons at the title screen, the player can change the colors of Soccer Kid's clothes. This way, the protagonist can be a fan of the player's favorite team. In addition, the player can perform various tricks with his soccer ball, either to jump higher or take out enemies. If the ball cannot be recovered naturally, the player can summon a new one to work with, at the cost of bonus points at the end of a stage. Enemies include animals, cyclists, sailors, and robots. Most levels consist of two stages that must be cleared, the exception being two levels which are just a single stage to get past. Each county has a different boss at the end of the final stage, such as an Opera Singer in Italy, with Scab being the final boss at the stadium. In order to get the cup pieces, the player has to find football cards in each stage, allowing them to access a bonus stage to acquire the missing piece.
The 3DO version of the game features a movie showing previews of games in development for the console. Most of these titles were cancelled, but one, entitled SkyVyper, would be released under the name BladeForce.
Reception
The 3DO version received a 6.2 out of 10 from Electronic Gaming Monthly. They praised the "technique" and "excellent graphics", but said the sound effects were lacking.[2] GamePro gave it a wholly positive review, citing smooth controls, strong sound effects, good variety of musical tracks, and exceptional graphics.[3]
Reviewing the 3DO version, Allgame's Shawn Sackenheim wrote that Soccer Kid is "an impressive action/platformer that manages to be just different enough to warrant investigation."[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Four Long-awaited Conversions". Super Play. Oct 1993.
- ↑ "Soccer Kid Review". Electronic Gaming Monthly (65) (EGM Media, LLC). December 1994. p. 46.
- ↑ "ProReview: Soccer Kid". GamePro (66) (IDG). January 1995. p. 90.
- ↑ http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=2410&tab=review