Originally released for the GameCube earlier this year, Sega Soccer Slam was a surprisingly great action-packed arcadelike sports game. Like the recent Xbox version, the PlayStation 2 version of Sega Soccer Slam makes up for its relatively late release by including a number of features not found in the GameCube version, such as several new characters and a couple of new minigames. Yet while the PlayStation 2 version retains the over-the-top gameplay and appealing characters, the game's visual quality has been compromised somewhat by a fluctuating frame rate, slightly less-detailed textures, and washed-out colors that take away from the game's visual style. These drawbacks aren't negligible, but they don't have a drastically adverse effect on gameplay either, so anyone looking for a fast-paced arcade-style game of soccer would still do well to check out Sega Soccer Slam.

The PlayStation 2 version doesn't look quite as good as the two others.

Even if you're not a fan of soccer or you don't know the sport well enough to be familiar with some of the basics, Sega Soccer Slam should be plenty enjoyable for you. It has a practice mode that will give you a step-by-step rundown of the simple maneuvers such as passing, shooting, volleys, dekes, and steals, as well as some of the more complicated combinations of moves like the give-and-go and the quick shot. Soccer veterans would also do well to take a look at this mode to learn how to perform some of the more-unique maneuvers like the killer kick and the spotlight shot. But really, no matter what your level of soccer knowledge is, it's easy to jump right into one of the other gameplay modes in Sega Soccer Slam and start playing right away.

The new characters and minigames are welcome additions.

The PlayStation 2 version of Sega Soccer Slam includes an arcade mode, which consists of the exhibition and quick start options and two minigames. The exhibition option functions like any other sports game exhibition mode, allowing you to select a team, an opponent, and a stadium for a quick match. Quick start automatically selects two teams, so you can start a game even faster. The two minigames are hot potato and brawl, both of which place you in an arena against three opponents. The objective in hot potato is to get rid of the ball before it explodes by kicking it into an opponent and scoring points, whereas brawl is just a straight-up fight in which each player has a life meter that can be depleted by socking it to him. The PS2 version of Sega Soccer Slam also offers a challenge mode, where you start by putting together a team of any three players in the game. If you successfully win four games in a row, you'll unlock one of several hidden characters in the game, but you can only unlock two new characters using the same team members, so you'll have to change your lineup pretty often while playing through the challenge mode.

While these modes can be fun, the crux of the Sega Soccer Slam experience is the quest mode, in which you select from one of five teams and then compete in a series of 10 games. As you start to win games, you'll start to earn money that you can use to unlock character artwork or items that function as power-ups for your players. For example, you can buy a necklace that gives a specific player additional speed or purchase a jetpack to enhance his speed even further. In a nice touch, the character art and items shown in the soccer store are specific to the team you've selected. In addition, if you successfully complete all 10 matches, as well as the playoff matches that follow, you'll unlock one of several new stadiums, depending on the team you're using. Needless to say, the quest mode adds a significant amount of replay value to the game, as you'll likely want to see all the items and extras that you can unlock.