Sega Soccer Slam

Already a hit on the GameCube, Sega?s Soccer Slam takes its rough-and-tumble gameplay to the Xbox arena.

Those who were always tempted by sports games?but never had the patience for endless menus and realistic nitpickings?will find Soccer Slam to be an addictive, fast-paced blast. Even punters of the GameCube version will find a host of new options in this Xbox incarnation?most notably extra players and multiplayer games.

Run Lola Run
A great deal of Slam?s appeal is its simplicity. Playing three-on-three, the controls are easy to learn and include flashy slow-motion power shots, dekes, and passes. You can even hit other players in an endless contest to possess the ball. At times, the game resembles more of a surreal slugfest, where a ball happens to be on the field, than an actual soccer game. Additional multiplayer contests?including a free-for-all brawl and hot potato game?add some diversity, but they become stale after a few plays.

Slam?s graphics shine. The visual highlight is the cartoonish players?which look as if they just clawed their way out of Tex Avery?s reject bin?complete with distinctive theme music and victory chants. Smooth controls keep the gameplay consistently exciting?the sole hitch is a clumsy passing system?the control stick that moves your player also directs your pass.

?Half-Pint Scores!?
In Soccer Slam, it?s more gratifying to kick an opponent in the head than the ball into the goal?so if you?re expecting a sim-heavy, FIFA-style approach, look elsewhere. Sports games like this are much more exciting when reality stays out of the way.

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