Mega Man Soccer
Encyclopedia
Mega Man Soccer, known in Japan
as , is a soccer video game
for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
(SNES). The game is based on the original Mega Man series of action
-platform game
s. Mega Man Soccer was first released in Japan on February 17, 1994 and in North America in April of that same year.
Mega Man Soccer is a traditional soccer game with exhibition matches
, tournament
s, and leagues
that can be played both single-player and multiplayer depending on the mode. The game features characters and Robot Masters from previous entries in the original Mega Man series. Each character has a unique special shot that will temporarily disable anyone that comes in contact with the ball. This aspect of Mega Man Soccer was met with critical praise, but overall reception has been average, particularly due to its alleged poor play control.
. A televised soccer game is interrupted when an explosion occurs on the field. As the smoke clears, all the players suddenly replaced with several of Dr. Wily
's Robot Masters. Having seen the events occur onscreen, the inventor Dr. Light sends his greatest creation, the hero Mega Man
, to stop them. The game has no ending.
, tournament
s, and leagues
. The "Exhibition" mode lets the player play a single match with a team created using any of the game's 20 characters on one of a dozen themed soccer field. The "Capcom Championship" mode can be played either one-player or two-player cooperatively
. For the first section of this mode, the player is given a team composed entirely of Mega Man robots, and is tasked with defeating eight teams of Robot Masters in an order of the player's choosing. After beating each team, one member of a team joins the player's team and can then be used, much like how Mega Man can gain the ability of a boss at end of each stage in other entries in the series. After all eight teams are defeated, the player has to defeat several other teams which are faced in a set order in the same way the stages taking place in Dr. Wily
's castle—the area that always followed the initial eight boss stages—occur in a set order in other Mega Man games. The "Tournament" and "League" modes allow one or two players to pick among nine teams and participate in a tiered schedule of games. Teams that neither player pick must simply be watched.
Mega Man Soccer has four statistics in which characters differ from one another in ability: running, kicking, tackling, and defense. These statistics are displayed on screen when the player is given the chance to set a formation
at the beginning of a match, or make substitutions at halftime. Controls in Mega Man Soccer mostly mirror that of a more realistic soccer game. Individual buttons are mapped to shooting, passing
, slide tackling
opposing players, and headbutt
ing or chestbumping the ball depending on its proximity to the player. The one feature that is decidedly dissimilar to anything in realistic soccer is the inclusion of "special attacks". These shots resemble the abilities used by the characters in other Mega Man games. For example, Cut Man's shot will turn the ball into a pair of cleavers, while Fire Man's shot will set the ball ablaze. Special attacks will temporarily knock down, stun, or otherwise inhibit any character it hits. They generally are much more likely to produce a goal compared to normal shots, but can only be used a few times per game in certain modes. Games consist of two five-minute halves followed by five rounds of penalty kick
s if the game remains tied. The clock stops while a goalkeeper
has the ball or when the ball is out of bounds.
magazine. Very little was revealed about the game in the months preceding its Japanese release. Series artist Ryuji Higurashi recalled seeing the characters Guts Man and Heat Man in preview screenshots for Mega Man Soccer. After joining Capcom, he was told by the staff that they planned to include them in a prospective sequel to the game. Guts Man was originally featured as part of a sketch for the game's Japanese cover art; when he was cut from the final draft of the game, he was replaced by Proto Man. Several features found within the game's ROM are noticeably inaccessible from the playable version of the game. These include simultaneous play of up to four players using the SNES Multitap
, the ability to play as Dr. Wily, and a closing credits sequence. Although little has been said about the game's musical score, the song "We Are Rockman" used in the Japanese television commercial for Mega Man Soccer was included on the Rockman Theme Song Collection CD.
. GamePro
found that, aside from the special shots, the game featured sluggish controls, slowdown, and repetitive computer AI
. Game Players
made similar comments regarding sluggish control and slowdown when too many sprites cover the screen, while Nintendo Power
cited poor play control "uncharacteristic of Capcom games". Local newspaper columnists gave the game more positive reviews, such Michael Pflughoeft of The Milwaukee Journal
, who felt the game was very easy to play and that the special attacks would be appealing to younger players.
More contemporary retrospectives on the Mega Man series showed mixed opinions on Mega Man Soccer. GamePro ranked the game at number four on its "10 Weirdest Sports Games Ever". The list compared it to sports games in the Mario series, stating that the latter makes more sense in having only one of each character, unlike Mega Man Soccer, which can have multiple copies of characters on the field at one time. Bill Barnwell of IGN
also mentioned a similarity to the Mario series, but mentioned that the lack of excellent gameplay in Mega Man Soccer causes it to be "one of the worst soccer games you'll ever play". 1UP.com
's Jeremy Parrish contrarily recommended the game, calling it "nonsensical, sure, but awfully fun." GameSpot
editors Christian Nutt and Justin Speer summarized, "Not particularly good or particularly successful, this is a bargain bin curiosity that is an example of weird directions in which to take your mascot." Brett Elston of GamesRadar
found it entertaining to dismantle opponent robots using the special attacks.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as , is a soccer video game
Sports game
A sports game is a computer or video game that simulates the practice of traditional sports. Most sports have been recreated with a game, including team sports, athletics and extreme sports. Some games emphasize actually playing the sport , whilst others emphasize strategy and organization...
for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
(SNES). The game is based on the original Mega Man series of action
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
-platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
s. Mega Man Soccer was first released in Japan on February 17, 1994 and in North America in April of that same year.
Mega Man Soccer is a traditional soccer game with exhibition matches
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
, tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
s, and leagues
Sports league
League is a term commonly used to describe a group of sports teams or individual athletes that compete against each other in a specific sport. At its simplest, it may be a local group of amateur athletes who form teams among themselves and compete on weekends; at its most complex, it can be an...
that can be played both single-player and multiplayer depending on the mode. The game features characters and Robot Masters from previous entries in the original Mega Man series. Each character has a unique special shot that will temporarily disable anyone that comes in contact with the ball. This aspect of Mega Man Soccer was met with critical praise, but overall reception has been average, particularly due to its alleged poor play control.
Plot
Mega Man Soccer is set after Mega Man 4Mega Man 4
Mega Man 4, known in Japan as , is a platform game developed by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the fourth game in the original Mega Man series and was originally released in Japan on December 6, 1991...
. A televised soccer game is interrupted when an explosion occurs on the field. As the smoke clears, all the players suddenly replaced with several of Dr. Wily
Doctor Wily
, full name Albert W. Wily, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the original Mega Man series of video games. Designed by Keiji Inafune, he appeared in the first Mega Man video game and later in promotions and other media related to the series...
's Robot Masters. Having seen the events occur onscreen, the inventor Dr. Light sends his greatest creation, the hero Mega Man
Mega Man (character)
Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a cybernetic video game character, and the main protagonist of what has been referred to as the original Mega Man series developed by Capcom since 1987. The pixel art for the character was created by the designer of the original game in the series, credited under...
, to stop them. The game has no ending.
Gameplay
Mega Man Soccer is a soccer game that allows the player to play as various characters from the Mega Man series including Mega Man, Proto Man, and several Robot Masters. The game features modes of play much like more traditional sports games, such as exhibition matchesExhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
, tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
s, and leagues
Sports league
League is a term commonly used to describe a group of sports teams or individual athletes that compete against each other in a specific sport. At its simplest, it may be a local group of amateur athletes who form teams among themselves and compete on weekends; at its most complex, it can be an...
. The "Exhibition" mode lets the player play a single match with a team created using any of the game's 20 characters on one of a dozen themed soccer field. The "Capcom Championship" mode can be played either one-player or two-player cooperatively
Cooperative gameplay
Cooperative gameplay is a feature in video games that allows players to work together as teammates. It is distinct from other multiplayer modes, such as competitive multiplayer modes like player versus player or deathmatch...
. For the first section of this mode, the player is given a team composed entirely of Mega Man robots, and is tasked with defeating eight teams of Robot Masters in an order of the player's choosing. After beating each team, one member of a team joins the player's team and can then be used, much like how Mega Man can gain the ability of a boss at end of each stage in other entries in the series. After all eight teams are defeated, the player has to defeat several other teams which are faced in a set order in the same way the stages taking place in Dr. Wily
Doctor Wily
, full name Albert W. Wily, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the original Mega Man series of video games. Designed by Keiji Inafune, he appeared in the first Mega Man video game and later in promotions and other media related to the series...
's castle—the area that always followed the initial eight boss stages—occur in a set order in other Mega Man games. The "Tournament" and "League" modes allow one or two players to pick among nine teams and participate in a tiered schedule of games. Teams that neither player pick must simply be watched.
Mega Man Soccer has four statistics in which characters differ from one another in ability: running, kicking, tackling, and defense. These statistics are displayed on screen when the player is given the chance to set a formation
Formation (association football)
In association football, the formation describes how the players in a team are positioned on the pitch. Different formations can be used depending on whether a team wishes to play more attacking or defensive football....
at the beginning of a match, or make substitutions at halftime. Controls in Mega Man Soccer mostly mirror that of a more realistic soccer game. Individual buttons are mapped to shooting, passing
Passing (association football)
Passing the ball is a key part of association football. The purpose of passing is to keep possession of the ball by maneuvering it on the ground between different players and to advance it up the playing field....
, slide tackling
Sliding tackle
A sliding tackle or slide tackle is a tackle in soccer in which a player attempts to take the ball away from an opposing player by deliberately leaving his feet and sliding along the ground with one leg extended to push the ball away from the opposing player.Sliding tackles can often be sources of...
opposing players, and headbutt
Headbutt
A headbutt is a strike with the head, typically involving the use of robust parts of the cranium as areas of impact. Effective headbutting revolves around striking a sensitive area with a less sensitive area, such as striking the nose of an opponent with the forehead...
ing or chestbumping the ball depending on its proximity to the player. The one feature that is decidedly dissimilar to anything in realistic soccer is the inclusion of "special attacks". These shots resemble the abilities used by the characters in other Mega Man games. For example, Cut Man's shot will turn the ball into a pair of cleavers, while Fire Man's shot will set the ball ablaze. Special attacks will temporarily knock down, stun, or otherwise inhibit any character it hits. They generally are much more likely to produce a goal compared to normal shots, but can only be used a few times per game in certain modes. Games consist of two five-minute halves followed by five rounds of penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
s if the game remains tied. The clock stops while a goalkeeper
Goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, a goalkeeper is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by intercepting shots at goal...
has the ball or when the ball is out of bounds.
Development
Mega Man Soccer was first announced in an interview with Capcom's Senior Vice President Joseph Morici in the March 1993 Game PlayersGame Players
Game Players was a monthly video game magazine founded by Robert C. Lock and published by Signal Research, in Greensboro, North Carolina. The original publication was titled Game Players Strategy to Nintendo Games...
magazine. Very little was revealed about the game in the months preceding its Japanese release. Series artist Ryuji Higurashi recalled seeing the characters Guts Man and Heat Man in preview screenshots for Mega Man Soccer. After joining Capcom, he was told by the staff that they planned to include them in a prospective sequel to the game. Guts Man was originally featured as part of a sketch for the game's Japanese cover art; when he was cut from the final draft of the game, he was replaced by Proto Man. Several features found within the game's ROM are noticeably inaccessible from the playable version of the game. These include simultaneous play of up to four players using the SNES Multitap
SNES Multitap
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System had several multitaps, the first one being Hudson Soft's Super Multitap which was released in 1993 and featured four controller ports. With one of these devices plugged into the Super Nintendo's controller port #2, the Super Multitap added multiplayer support...
, the ability to play as Dr. Wily, and a closing credits sequence. Although little has been said about the game's musical score, the song "We Are Rockman" used in the Japanese television commercial for Mega Man Soccer was included on the Rockman Theme Song Collection CD.
Reception
Mega Man Soccer has met with an overall mediocre critical reception from major gaming publications due to its play controlGame controller
A game controller is a device used with games or entertainment systems used to control a playable character or object, or otherwise provide input in a computer game. A controller is typically connected to a game console or computer by means of a wire, cord or nowadays, by means of wireless connection...
. GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
found that, aside from the special shots, the game featured sluggish controls, slowdown, and repetitive computer AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
. Game Players
Game Players
Game Players was a monthly video game magazine founded by Robert C. Lock and published by Signal Research, in Greensboro, North Carolina. The original publication was titled Game Players Strategy to Nintendo Games...
made similar comments regarding sluggish control and slowdown when too many sprites cover the screen, while Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
cited poor play control "uncharacteristic of Capcom games". Local newspaper columnists gave the game more positive reviews, such Michael Pflughoeft of The Milwaukee Journal
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It is the primary newspaper in Milwaukee, the largest newspaper in Wisconsin and is distributed widely throughout the state...
, who felt the game was very easy to play and that the special attacks would be appealing to younger players.
More contemporary retrospectives on the Mega Man series showed mixed opinions on Mega Man Soccer. GamePro ranked the game at number four on its "10 Weirdest Sports Games Ever". The list compared it to sports games in the Mario series, stating that the latter makes more sense in having only one of each character, unlike Mega Man Soccer, which can have multiple copies of characters on the field at one time. Bill Barnwell of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
also mentioned a similarity to the Mario series, but mentioned that the lack of excellent gameplay in Mega Man Soccer causes it to be "one of the worst soccer games you'll ever play". 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
's Jeremy Parrish contrarily recommended the game, calling it "nonsensical, sure, but awfully fun." GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
editors Christian Nutt and Justin Speer summarized, "Not particularly good or particularly successful, this is a bargain bin curiosity that is an example of weird directions in which to take your mascot." Brett Elston of GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
found it entertaining to dismantle opponent robots using the special attacks.
See also
- Battle Soccer: Field no HashaBattle Soccer: Field no Hashais a football video game, developed by Pandora Box and published by Banpresto, which was released exclusively in Japan in 1992.This game features many popular Japanese franchise characters like Gundam, Ultraman, Kamen Rider and Godzilla, among a few others....
- Dolucky's A-League SoccerDolucky's A-League Socceris a football video game, developed by Zoom and published by Imagineer, which was released exclusively in Japan in 1994.This game features a cat called Dolucky and other cartoonish animals such as dogs, rabbits and bears...
- Ultra League: Moero! Soccer Daikessen!!Ultra Leagueis a 1995 Japan-exclusive soccer-based video game for the Super Famicom. The game features the Japanese super hero Ultraman, among other monsters and aliens.-See also:* Battle Soccer: Field no Hasha* Dolucky's A-League Soccer* Rockman's Soccer...