AYSO Soccer 97 World Challenge
Reviewed by Flurin Condrau
Published by Gametek

Age Group: Age 8 and Up Type: More Fun Price: $ 30 US

Description:

Look, it was about time that somebody discovered youth soccer. I really do respect the idea behind this game. In a time when Manchester United, FC Barcelona or Bayern Muenchen can spend money at will, it is a good idea to bring back a bit of enthusiasm for the game - and not just for the money. All teams of the American Youth Soccer Organization are in this game, you can look for your son, your daughter, or better yet, they can look for themselves if they play soccer in one of the many, many AYSO teams. Instead of skill level, the game includes various age groups. Teams with players from 5 up to 18 years old are included, the younger the teams the easier the game. The best thing about this game is its customizability. If the kid you are looking for is not in one of the teams, well just include him or her: customize the face, the eyes, the hair, and, yes, even the nose and all your kids can share the fun. Kids will love this part!

Is the game good as well?

You have a couple of options how to play a soccer game: Friendly match, league, championship, knockout, even a world cup. You can play indoor or outdoor match and you can play from 2 to 10 real minutes a half - although the clock will show 90 game minutes. Your team matches well against the other team because all teams of the same age are roughly equal in strength. That makes it impossible to compensate for different skill levels. You can't give Brazil or Germany to your little sister and take up and try to win with San Marino or Canada.

The game offers a couple of formations (for example: 4-4-2, 4-3-3 or sweeper) and a couple of strategies (for example: wide open, defense or attack) which should influence the actual gameplay. One of the goals of AYSO Soccer is allow the kids to learn basic soccer strategies and tactics with the computer game.

A good idea doesn't necessarily make a good game

Get me clear on this: I like a kids' soccer game which focuses on team formation and strategy rather than on celebration of stars. But I still do expect two more things from a soccer game, namely a reasonable technology in terms of graphics and sounds and an acceptable gameplay. Sadly though, AYSO Soccer fails in both.

The graphics offer a couple of funny animations, particularly headers and overhead kicks, but all in all the technology is just too dated as it is simple 320x200 vga. I don't know, but you want to convince your kids that playing AYSO Soccer is good fun and you present them an old-fashioned vga game? To be fair, this is reasonable if your kids have their own computer, namely a 486 model which isn't fast enough to run FIFA 97. Speaking of the machine: the P100 system I used to play the game is the maximum you should consider. Any speed above ruins whatever gameplay there is. Tests with a neighbor's machine convinced me to strongly recommend the game for 486 computers only. The game is a DOS application, and I had to remember a couple of old install-a-DOS-game tricks. It got particularly hairy setting up my sound card, the commentary still sounds more than weird, but I suppose a simple Soundblaster should work fine enough. Technical problems aside, the running comment done by a guy named Dave Terry makes FIFA 96/97' famous commentator, John Motson, a lyric. Actually, I don't ask a kids title to present the latest top notch technology and I do sympathize with a game running on a 486 computer, but, I doubt that the graphics and the sound will entertain your kids very long.

Gameplay?

Considering gameplay I must immediately admit that this is the first team sports game in which I have a scoring problem. I shoot and shoot on goal, but this computers' goalie is really superhuman. Only when I found out how to give the ball an aftertouch (press direction keys after the shot) did I start to get chances. The computer scored four to six goals in 2-minute games against me and, thus, easily won. That, in itself, musn't be a bad sign. After all, I am among those who critisize Electronic Arts' games as being too easy to beat. But, as good as the computer plays - or let us say: scores - your team members are that bad! Passing is virtually impossible, your players actually run away from the ball. Since there is only one button or key for shoot and pass it happens quite often that your shot on goal hits a fellow striker, nice way to make a pass... I couldn't find out that team formation and strategy made much of a difference apart from the fact that the formation determines where you can expect your fellow players to stand around on the pitch.

Ok, it's time for a practice session which is thankfully possible in this game. You can play a shoot out or a field practice. And now things really start to get weird: The field practice player can line up his entire team against the computer goalie. Guess what? I couldn't score one single goal in two full games. Ok, my editor advised me that kids software is sometimes beyond an adult's abilty. She suggested that I find a kid to play this game for me. That's what I did: a 14 year old family friend, a real-world soccer enthusiast himself, gave it a try. Carefully I took over for the computer, but, suddenly, it was me who started to score! The boy had no chance, he could not even get close to get a goal! Silently, I gave over to the computer, well, the computer beat my young friend as he beat me before.

An idea is not enough.

If you want this game for your kids, you better read the manual carefully. Particularly the part about AYSO real world coaches: "AYSO creates a positive environment based on mutual respect, rather than a win-at-all-costs-attitude". Well, sure, start to motivate your kids to play a game in which the computer or their elder brothers and sisters outscore them regularly. Hey, it's important that you play the game, not that you win it! But somebody forgot to tell this to the computer. If your kid is in an AYSO team this game may be good fun. Even at my house a couple of good laughs emerged while putting together funny faces. But as soon as the game starts the problems begin. I must say, FIFA 96 is a super-hot title which you will find at a bargain prize and it may very well suit your kids aged around 10 years and more. There you get an idea of soccer gameplay, reasonable graphics, good sound effects and so on. ASYO Soccer may be the choice for very young kids and old computers. You get a lot of morality, positive coaching and information about the AYSO program but one thing is brutally missing: a soccer game which is worthwhile to play.

If you have any problems when using Kids Domain then please contact Cindy, who will be happy to help where possible.

[Beginners - Ages 2-5 - Ages 4-8 - Ages 8 up - Grownups]

[Subject Indexes - Kids Home - Online Games - Grownups Place]

Copyright ⌐ Kids Domain, 1998.