Review: Super Arcade Football
I wrote a preview to Super Arcade Football all the way back in 2016, when I managed to play it at EGX. I said, “the beauty of the game is that it is simple to pick up and play!” Now I have the chance to play the game on Nintendo Switch, which leads me to a couple of questions I need answering.
- Have there been any changes to the original version I played in 2016?
- How does playing on Nintendo Switch change the game?
Let’s find out!
Believe it or not there is now a story mode available which wasn’t around back in 2016. It starts with Martin (your character) as he happens to be walking by his old football club Balarm F.C. Martin is shocked to find his beloved club closing and facing bankruptcy. He wanders into the stadium and the former manager “Old” Joe agrees to sell the club to him for £1, so he can take on their bitter rivals Snakesfield and in turn save the club from extinction. And so, begins Martin’s journey taking Balarm F.C. from the amateur league through to the world club tournament.
In the story mode, there are sixty matches to complete with each one featuring three different challenges. These consist of scoring a certain number of goals, scoring outside the box, or avoiding getting a yellow card to name a few. These challenges change from game to game, and as long as you win the match, they are inconsequential to your progression. They are a bit of fun and help to create variety with each match.
The game difficulty has a gentle learning curve, where I noticed the opposing teams slowly getting more skilful as I progressed. I went from smashing teams five nil, to narrowly avoiding defeat. The referees can be a bit inconsistent where you can get away with scything down an opponent one minute, and then you get a yellow or red card for the same type of challenge. This isn’t necessarily a criticism, but more of an observation.
There are different playing surfaces and effects which can change how the game plays. These are:
- Pitches including, grass, indoor, and ice. The ball moves faster on ice for example.
- Weather types including, clear, rain, snow.
- Random effects such as mud and oil, (makes players slip over), even meteorites!
As well as the story mode, you can have quick matches, tournaments and play online.
All of these are great, but it all comes down to the gameplay and I’m really pleased to say Super Arcade Football is a dream to play! I think anyone could play Super Arcade Football because it is so simple. You move your footballer, and one button does everything such as passing, shooting, and tackling. There is a power bar which appears and the longer you hold the button down depends on how far/hard you kick the ball. That’s it! No complex controls, just good old fashioned arcade fun. The ball sticks to your feet, but you can turn this off if you want to add an extra challenge.
I think Super Arcade Football has found its perfect home on the Nintendo Switch. The ability to pick up the handheld console and have a couple of games while you’re commuting or waiting for the kettle to boil is wonderful! Super Arcade Football is £9.99 on the Switch, which is a bargain, especially if you have fond memories of games like Kick Off 2 and Sensible World of Soccer.
Super Arcade Football is available now on Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS and Android.
Review by Chris.
