Striker Pro 2000
Score: 95% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Infogrames Developer: Rage Software Media: GC/1 Players: 1 - 4 Genre: Sports
Graphics & Sound: Yet another sports title that produces top-notch graphics. Everything from the player modeling to the dynamic lighting to the background detail was great. This smooth, well-rendered game looks beautiful. Every player is detailed, the ball has texture, the grass looks like grass (as opposed to carpet), and the crowd doesn't look like stick people. What else could you want? I thought the graphics were great. As for the sound ... there are a few problems there. I experienced a few hang-ups and sputters. I also didn't care much for the music and weak sound effects. The sound is not unbearable, just not great.
Gameplay: No surprises here - it's soccer. Guess what. It plays like soccer (gasp from the audience). Okay, you know it's soccer, but how does it play? Just in case the score doesn't give it away, I'll tell you. It plays great. Fast, smooth, realistic ... Striker Pro 2000 is a great soccer sim. All of the pro rules, players, teams, and experiences are packed into this GD ROM. I loved the realistic kicks, passes, and of course, head butts. Even the post goal celebrations were nice. The game is just plain fun. The game features over 120 different teams, all customizable; 9 or so different modes of play including Exhibition, Season, Practice, and Tourney; and coaching options like on-the-fly play calling. The camera is fully adjustable, the animations are smooth, and the plays actually work. This really is a complete soccer sim.
Difficulty: Very easy to play; very hard to be great at. But, that's what we want. Of course, with the fully customizable difficulty settings and adjustable rule enforcements, you can always make it as hard or easy as you want. But, most importantly, the game is easy to play.
Game Mechanics: The game controls were great. The game ran smooth, and the fast responses added a great plus. The layout is logical and the game is fun. With VMU play calling and up to four-player support, this game is great for everyone (all at the same time). One small note: the camera can be rotated and zoomed; however, although the detail is great zoomed all the way in, the game slows down and is difficult to play at such a perspective. Other than that, the game is near perfect.
-Storm, GameVortex Communications AKA Jeremy Kelso
Silver Test Drive LeMans