If you hate or love soccer games, this game is just right for you.
Sega Soccer Slam is a perfect example of why you only need to have game play to have fun. Soccer Slam sports a Soccer/Matrix/Bruce Lee game-play through a few of its features. Each team has three main characters on its line up, which all will play out on the field. Every team has the same, pad loaded goalie that constantly gets peppered with rattling shots; most of which make his pads explode causing him too get slower as more pads get shot off. The kicks that each player has in this game is amazing, no where else will you see your player receive a one timer pass by standing on his/her hands and kicking the ball in with the back of there feet. There are literately tons of kicks in the game where players will find themselves doing cartwheels, back flips, front flip kicks, front flip head butts, and more. If that doesn't amaze you in text, it definitely will during the beautifully animated game. The crowd is almost identical to that of the NHL Hitz games, considering that this game was made by Black Box also, and around the same time as their first Hitz game, NHL Hitz 2002.
Not only do these kick a** kicks give the Bruce Lee feel to the game, it's the "Killer kicks", "Spot Light Shot's", and just the "Super Power Shots" that will instantly remind you of the Matrix. A "Spot Light Shot" will be performed when you align your character over a random appearing, moving spot light on the field and shoot; while this sequence happens everything will go into slow motion and the crowd will start chanting your character's special spot light chant, in one example, your character might take the in their feet and do a front flip, releasing the ball into the air half way through the flip, then as the ball comes down your character will finish the flip and head but the ball, allowing everything to instantly go back into regular motion as your head makes contact. "Killer Kicks" are also a dazzling display when unleashed upon the goalie, Killer Kicks will be performed when you align your character on a circled area on the field that you yourself trigger from pressing the R + A buttons at the same time, when you align yourself you press the shoot button and in slow motion, your character will leap high into the air spinning. As the ball comes down your character will punish it with a blow from their spinning motion, as soon as contact is made, the ball flies in slow motion, with Matrix bullet trails coming from the ball, will fly towards the goalie, making normal motion return when making contact with him or the goal. Some times these Matrix like kicks will cause the goal to erupt with shattering pads all over the place, instantly smashing him into the ground. The "Super Power Shots" are basically your character making a shot while in super power form, which can be as fast as watching lightning sometimes.
Sega Soccer Slam's entire presentation from font to back is a solid mix, with a great camera, that will multiply the effects of "Spot Light" and "Killer Kicks" by zooming in right behind the player for a more intense view. There are also just tons of voice samples in this game, from the players and from the announcers, which hardly ever gets tiring. Also the players themselves add something that's never been done in a sports game before, they add character. As you play through the game you'll become attached to certain characters and their attitudes, and will also begin to start hating characters for the same reason too; it all really starts connecting you with the players on a different level, though it might sound corny, your bound to do this with at least a couple memorable characters, such as Ricco, Angus, Half Pint, Kiril, Lola, Kalamani, and El Diablo to name a few.
Though the overall experience of this game is astounding, there are a couple things that make me itch for more. First off, there's no manual replay; I don't know how many times I've wanted to watch some really spectacular set of saves by the goalie, or just wanted to see a goal from a different view. Also there are only 6 teams in the game, though this is enough for how well they are thought out, it still would be nice to see more in a sequel or something. The game just gets too easy after a while, it's one of those games where once you get a special deke down, you can fake out the goalie all the time with it. Don't let that turn you off though, there are the most amazingly insane goals or scores in this game than any sports game ever made, and I can say that with true confidence.
Don't be fooled by the title, Sega Soccer Slam, because the game is made by Black Box, is almost nothing like a real soccer game, and packs enough punch to have Slam(s) be more appropriate. Black Box has finely tuned this game's game play to perfection, now all they need is a sequel with more teams and features and it's a true legend.