Super Sidekicks 2: The World Championship

Last updated
Super Sidekicks 2: The World Championship
Super Sidekicks 2 - The World Championship arcade flyer.jpg
Developer(s) SNK
Publisher(s) SNK
Producer(s) Eikichi Kawasaki
Designer(s) Mina Kawai
Programmer(s) T. Nakamura
Artist(s) Ten Chan
Composer(s) Yoshihiko Kitamura
Series Super Sidekicks
Platform(s) Arcade, Neo Geo AES, Neo Geo CD
Release
Genre(s) Sports
Mode(s)
Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade system Neo Geo MVS

Super Sidekicks 2: The World Championship [lower-alpha 1] is a 1994 soccer arcade video game developed and published by SNK. It is the second installment in the Super Sidekicks series and the third soccer game released for Neo Geo MVS, preceding the original Super Sidekicks (1992). Featuring an arcade-style approach to soccer as its predecessor, the game allows players to choose any of the available game modes with AI-controlled opponents or other human players with the team of their choosing. Its gameplay uses a simplified three-button configuration.

Contents

Headed by Eikichi Kawasaki, Super Sidekicks 2: The World Championship was developed by a staff that worked on several projects for the Neo Geo platforms at SNK. Though first launched for the MVS hardware, the game was later released for Neo Geo AES and Neo Geo CD, in addition to being re-released through download services for various consoles. The title proved popular among players and garnered critical acclaim from reviewers, with praise directed towards improvements made over its predecessor. It was followed by Super Sidekicks 3: The Next Glory in 1995.

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot showcasing a match between Spain and England. NEOGEO Super Sidekicks 2 - The World Championship (Tokuten O 2 - Real Fight Football).png
Gameplay screenshot showcasing a match between Spain and England.

As with its predecessor, Super Sidekicks 2: The World Championship is a soccer game that is played from a top-down perspective in a two-dimensional environment with sprites. Though it follows the same gameplay as with other soccer titles at the time and most of the sport's rules are present as well, the game opts for a more arcade-styled approach of the sport instead of being full simulation. The sequel corrected most of the design flaws in the first entry, including the ability to switch players' control during the game, a smaller goal, and no more long shots taken, among other new gameplay improvements and additions. [1]

Upon starting the game, the player's team goes into a "Regional Qualifying Round Final" against another team from the same region. After beating it, the player's team goes into the World Cup Tournament, in which they are grouped with three other countries in a round-robin. After winning against all of them, the team enters an elimination tournament: the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final for the World Cup, reminiscent of the real-life World Cup. [2] If a match ends in a draw, the player has the option of replaying a full game, going to the penalty kick tiebreaker, or playing a sudden death (golden goal) game; however, the arcade version requires an extra credit for these.

Teams

There are 48 teams available to choose from before the start of any mode, each one divided into 6 geographical "regions" and representing their country: [3]

Development and release

Super Sidekicks 2: The World Championship was the third soccer game developed for the Neo Geo MVS after the first Super Sidekicks, being created by staff who worked on projects for the Neo Geo platforms at SNK such as 3 Count Bout , with producer Eikichi Kawasaki heading its development and a member under the pseudonym "Yellow Beat" acted as main designer. [4] [5] T. Nakamura and members under pseudonyms "Uzumasa", "Ep82boy" and "YuritaN" worked as programmers. [5] Mic Senbey, Mina Kawai, Ten Chan and other staff members were responsible for the pixel art. [5] Shinsekai Gakkyoku Zatsugidan members Yoshihiko "Jojouha Kitapy" Kitamura, "Brother Hige" and "Akibon" handled the sound. [5] [6] Other members collaborated in its development. [5] Super Sidekicks 2 was first released by SNK for the Neo Geo MVS on April 19, 1994 and later for Neo Geo AES in May. [7] [8] The game was later re-released for the Neo Geo CD in Japan in September 1994 and North America in October 1996. [7] [8] [9] [10] Hamster Corporation re-released the title for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in May 2018 under their Arcade Archives series. [11]

Reception

Super Sidekicks 2: The World Championship proved popular among players and received critical acclaim from gaming magazines, with most reviewers agreeing that the sequel was an improvement over the original Super Sidekicks. [18] In Japan, Game Machine  [ ja ] listed Super Sidekicks 2 on their June 1, 1994 issue as being the fifth most-popular arcade game at the time. [28] In North America, RePlay reported it was the fourteenth most-popular arcade game at the time. [29] Play Meter also listed the title to be the fifty-first most-popular arcade game at the time. [30] Marc Menier and Richard Homsy of Consoles +  [ fr ] unanimously praised the Neo Geo AES version for the overall improvements over its predecessor including visual presentation, sound design, replay value and gameplay, regarding it as one of the best soccer games on consoles. [15] Andreas Knauf of MAN!AC  [ de ] regarded it to be a standout title from most soccer simulators, stating that the game was almost perfect from a technical and gameplay perspective. [20] Likewise, Terry of Player One  [ fr ] also gave unanimous praise to the title's visuals, sound and gameplay. [23] Electronic Gaming Monthly 's five reviewers applauded its control, intense action, sound effects, and overall arcade game quality. [17]

Hobby Consolas 's Manuel del Campo praised Super Sidekicks 2 for its Spanish translation, audiovisual presentation, playability and addictive gameplay. [2] Megablast's Steffen Schamberger gave positive remarks to the overall improvements over its predecessor, regarding the gameplay as phenomenal but criticized the sound design. [21] Uwe Kraft and Stephan Girlich of Mega Fun  [ de ] commended the visuals and sound work, but Girlich expressed that he expected more from the title regarding its gameplay. [22] Wolfgang Schaedle of Video Games  [ de ] stated that SNK succeeded in making an "excellent" soccer simulator with Super Sidekicks 2, citing its controls as better than the original Super Sidekicks. [25] Juan Carlos Sanz, José Luis del Carpio and Roberto Serrano of Spanish magazine Superjuegos  [ es ] gave the arcade original a very positive outlook, [24] while Javier Iturrioz reviewed the AES version and praised the technical innovations introduced in the sequel over the first entry but criticized certain aspects. [4]

A reviewer of Edge magazine regarded Super Sidekicks 2 as the best arcade-style soccer game on consoles, praising the improvements made over the first Super Sidekicks but criticized that the teams do not change end during halftimes and its high retail price. [16] Electronic Gaming Monthly ranked Super Sidekicks 2 as one of their 50 highest-rated games of 1994. [27] Spanish magazine Hobby Hi-Tech gave the Neo Geo CD version an 8 out of 10 score, praising the graphics and gameplay. [19] Superjuegos's Iturrioz praised the ability to choose languages, improved presentation and expanded team roster but remarked that the gameplay was not as good as the first Super Sidekicks. [31] AllGame 's Kyle Knight commended the responsive controls and improved visual presentation, regarding it to be a "great leap over its predecessor" but criticized the sound design and lack of music during gameplay. [14] However, Brad Cook of AllGame stated that the game was a basic sports title from the era. [13]

Notes

  1. ↑ Also known as Tokuten Ou 2: Real Fight Football (Japanese: 得点王2: リアルファイトフットボール, Hepburn: Tokuten Ō 2: Riaru Faito Futtobōru, lit. "Goal-Scoring King 2: Real Fight Football") in Japan.

Related Research Articles

Super Sidekicks is a series of soccer video games made by SNK for its console, the Neo-Geo. Released in the 90's with an arcade-style approach to soccer, the games of the franchise allow players to choose any of the available game modes to compete with AI-controlled rivals or other human players with their preferred team. Though first launched for the MVS hardware, the series were ported for Neo Geo AES and Neo Geo CD, in addition of being re-released through compilations and download services for various consoles.

<i>Galaxy Fight: Universal Warriors</i> 1995 video game

Galaxy Fight: Universal Warriors is a fighting game originally developed and published by Sunsoft in 1995 for the Neo-Geo MVS in arcades, and then for the Neo Geo AES console. It was Sunsoft's second fighting game after their 1994 Super Famicom spin-off of their Hebereke series, Sugoi Hebereke, as well as their first side-viewed 2D fighting game.

<i>NAM-1975</i> 1990 video game

NAM-1975 is a war shooting gallery arcade video game developed and originally published by SNK on April 26, 1990. It was one of the launch titles for both the Neo Geo MVS (arcade) and Neo Geo AES (home) platforms, in addition to being the only title in the system that does not feature the Neo Geo boot screen in its attract mode, as well as one of the pack-in games for the AES.

<i>Aero Fighters 2</i> 1994 video game

Aero Fighters 2 is a vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game released in 1994 by Video System. It is developed by SNK and released in Japan, North America and Europe. It is the second part of the Aero Fighters series followed by the third part Aero Fighters 3 and a spin-off Aero Fighters Assault. It was initially released as a cabinet token base game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neo Geo</span> Family of video game hardware

Neo Geo is a family of video game hardware that was developed by SNK. On the market from 1990 to 2004, the brand originated with the release of an arcade system, the Neo Geo Multi Video System (MVS) and its home console counterpart, the Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System (AES).

<i>Pulstar</i> (video game) 1995 video game

Pulstar is a horizontally scrolling shooter released for arcades by SNK in 1995. Players control a starship in its mission to eradicate the Solar System of a hostile race of aliens that threaten mankind. Its gameplay has been compared to the R-Type series for its similar premise and mechanics; players must complete each of the game's eight stages by destroying constantly-moving formations of enemies and avoiding their projectiles. There are power-ups that can be collected that provide additional abilities for the player. It runs on the Neo Geo MVS arcade system board.

<i>Street Slam</i> 1994 video game

Street Slam is a basketball video game developed by Data East for Neo Geo, released in 1994. The game features three-on-three basketball match-ups with a variety of different teams. Street Slam is the only basketball game released on the Neo Geo.

<i>Blues Journey</i> 1990 video game

Blue's Journey is a side-scrolling platform game released by Alpha Denshi in 1990 on SNK's Neo Geo MVS arcade system and their AES home system. It was ported to the Neo Geo CD in 1994. It was rereleased on the Wii's Virtual Console in Europe on November 9, 2007, followed by North America on November 12, 2007.

<i>Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy</i> 1994 video game

Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy is a side scrolling arcade beat 'em up platform game developed by SNK for the Neo Geo in 1994. It was also released on the Neo Geo CD, and the Wii Virtual Console. The game has been re-released as part of SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1, on May 1, 2008, and in the ACA Neo Geo series on PlayStation 4 on January 10, 2018. Its development team consisted of former Irem staff members.

<i>Spinmaster</i> 1993 video game

Spinmaster is an arcade game developed and released by Data East in December, 1993 in North America, in Europe the same year and on February 18, 1994 in Japan. It is the first game Data East developed and released for the SNK Neo-Geo MVS hardware. Its character designs are almost identical to the ones in Data East's Sega Genesis game titled Dashin' Desperadoes; however, the rest of both games are completely different. Also, Spinmaster's gameplay, artwork style, animations of some characters and the styles of its weapons were heavily inspired by another arcade game by Data East titled Joe & Mac, according to the Japanese Miracle Adventure arcade flyer.

<i>League Bowling</i> 1990 video game

League Bowling is an arcade game released in 1990 by SNK for the Neo Geo console and arcade systems. The players controls characters with red and blue hair and can select balls from 8 to 15 pounds. It is the only bowling game released on the Neo Geo.

<i>Soccer Brawl</i> 1992 video game

Soccer Brawl is a futuristic soccer game first released in arcades on February 14, 1992. It was available on the Neo Geo on March 13 the same year and later for the Neo Geo CD on March 31, 1995.

<i>Football Frenzy</i> 1992 video game

Football Frenzy is an American football arcade video game developed and originally published by SNK on January 31, 1992. It was the second football game created by SNK after 1987's Touch Down Fever, as well as the only football game released for the Neo Geo platform.

<i>Tecmo World Soccer 96</i> 1996 video game

Tecmo World Soccer '96 is a football video game developed by Tecmo for the Neo Geo arcade console, published in 1996. This video game is part of the Tecmo World Cup series.

<i>Power Spikes II</i> 1994 video game

Power Spikes II is a volleyball arcade video game developed by Video System and originally published by Taito on October 19, 1994. A follow-up to Hyper V-Ball on Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was first launched for Neo Geo MVS (arcade) and later ported to Neo Geo CD. It is the final installment in the Super Volleyball series. It is also the only volleyball game released on the Neo Geo.

<i>Pleasure Goal: 5 on 5 Mini Soccer</i> 1996 futsal arcade video game

Pleasure Goal: 5 on 5 Mini Soccer is a 1996 futsal arcade video game developed by Saurus and published by SNK. In the game, players compete against either AI-controlled opponents or other players in matches across various stadiums. The title was created by most of the same team that would later work on future projects at Saurus such as Shock Troopers. Though first launched for Neo Geo MVS, it was later released for Neo Geo CD and has since been re-released through download services on various consoles.

<i>Prehistoric Isle</i> 1989 video game

Prehistoric Isle is a 1989 scrolling shooter arcade video game originally developed and published by SNK. Set during the 1930s, where ships at The Bahamas mysteriously disappeared, players assume the role of U.S. Marine pilots taking control of biplanes in a reconnaissance assignment at "Greenhell Isle", a fictional island inhabited by dinosaurs and creatures thought to be extinct. Headed by a director under the pseudonym of "Yah!", the game was developed by most of the same team that would later work on several projects for the Neo Geo platforms at SNK. Although first launched in arcades, the title has since been re-released through download services and compilations for various consoles. It received positive reception since its initial arcade release from critics who praised the visuals, sound design, gameplay and originality. A sequel, Prehistoric Isle 2, was released in 1999 for the Neo Geo MVS but garnered less success than its predecessor.

<i>Super Sidekicks</i> (video game) 1992 video game

Super Sidekicks is a 1992 soccer arcade video game developed and published by SNK. It is the first installment in the eponymous series and the second soccer game released for Neo Geo MVS, succeeding Soccer Brawl (1991). Featuring an arcade-style approach to soccer compared to other games released at the time, the title allows players to choose any of the available game modes with AI-controlled opponents or other human players with the team of their choosing. Its gameplay uses a simplified two-button configuration.

<i>Super Sidekicks 3: The Next Glory</i> 1995 video game

Super Sidekicks 3: The Next Glory is a 1995 soccer arcade video game developed and published by SNK. It is the third installment in the Super Sidekicks series, preceding the original Super Sidekicks 2: The World Championship (1994). Featuring an arcade-style approach to soccer like its predecessors, the game allows players to choose any of the available game modes to compete with AI-controlled rivals or other human players with their preferred team. Though first launched for the MVS hardware, the title was ported for Neo Geo AES and Neo Geo CD, in addition of being re-released through compilations and download services for various consoles. It proved popular among players and garnered positive reception from critics, however most reviewers noted that it felt as an update than a true successor to Super Sidekicks 2. It was followed by The Ultimate 11: SNK Football Championship in 1996.

<i>The Ultimate 11: SNK Football Championship</i> 1996 soccer arcade video game

The Ultimate 11: SNK Football Championship is a 1996 soccer arcade video game developed and published by SNK. Despite the international name, it is the fourth installment in the Super Sidekicks series, preceding Super Sidekicks 3: The Next Glory (1995). Featuring an arcade-style approach to soccer much like its predecessors, the game allows players to choose any available game mode to compete with AI-controlled rivals or human players with their preferred team. Although first launched for Neo Geo MVS, the game was ported to Neo Geo AES, in addition of being re-released on download services for various consoles. The title received positive reception from critics but proved to be less popular than its previous iterations. It was followed by Neo Geo Cup '98: The Road to the Victory (1998), which is a remake of Super Sidekicks 3 and served as the final entry in the Super Sidekicks saga.

References

  1. ↑ "Arcadias: Super Sidekicks". Club Nintendo (in Spanish). No. 199. Editorial Televisa  [ es ]. June 2008. pp. 66–67.
  2. 1 2 3 del Campo, Manuel (July 1994). "Lo Más Nuevo – Neo Geo: 106 Megas De Fútbol - Super Sidekicks 2". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). No. 34. Hobby Press. pp. 100–103. Archived from the original on 2020-11-07. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  3. ↑ Super Sidekicks 2: The World Championship user's manual (Neo Geo AES, US)
  4. 1 2 3 Iturrioz, Javier (August 1994). "Y Ádemas - Neo Geo: Un Marcaje Ferreo - Super Sidekicks 2". Superjuegos  [ es ] (in Spanish). No. 28. Grupo Zeta. pp. 96–101.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 SNK (1994). Super Sidekicks 2: The World Championship (Neo Geo MVS). SNK. Level/area: Staff roll.
  6. ↑ Fuentes, Edgar S. (August 31, 2016). "Vandal Game Music: SNK Sound Team — Realizamos un recorrido por el equipo interno de compositores de SNK desde sus inicios". Vandal (in Spanish). El Español. Archived from the original on 2020-11-06. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  7. 1 2 "Dossier: Neo Geo Y SNK — Deportivos". GamesTech (in Spanish). No. 11. Ares Informática. July 2003. p. 60.
  8. 1 2 "Title Catalogue - NEOGEO MUSEUM". SNK Playmore. 2010. Archived from the original on 2018-08-28. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
  9. ↑ "Neo•Geo CD: The Arcade In A Box - Quick Hits". GamePro . No. Premiere Supplement. IDG. Spring 1996. pp. 104–108.
  10. ↑ Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006). SNK プレイモア （新日本企画、 プレイモア）SNK; SNK; S. アーケードTVゲームリスト 国内•海外編 (1971-2005)[Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971-2005)] (in Japanese) (1st ed.). Amusement News Agency  [ ja ]. pp. 18–21, 133–135, 167. ISBN   978-4990251215.
  11. ↑ Moyse, Chris (May 10, 2018). "SNK's Super Sidekicks 2 kicks off today on PS4, Xbox One and Switch - Relive Alan Partridge's World Cup Countdown '94". Destructoid . Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on 2020-11-07. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  12. ↑ "Super Sidekicks 2 for NeoGeo". GameRankings . CBS Interactive. 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
  13. 1 2 Cook, Brad (1998). "Super Sidekicks 3 (Arcade) – Review". AllGame . All Media Network. Archived from the original on 16 November 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  14. 1 2 Knight, Kyle (1998). "Super Sidekicks 2 (Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System) – Review". AllGame . All Media Network. Archived from the original on 16 November 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  15. 1 2 Menier, Marc; Homsy, Richard (June 1994). "Neo Geo Review – Super Sidekicks 2". Consoles +  [ fr ] (in French). No. 33. M.E.R.7  [ fr ]. pp. 120–121.
  16. 1 2 "Testscreen - Super Sidekicks 2 (Neo-Geo)". Edge . No. 11. Future plc. August 1994. p. 57.
  17. 1 2 Semrad, Ed; Carpenter, Danyon; Manuel, Al; Williams, Ken; Weigand, Mike (July 1994). "Review Crew – Major Mike's Game Roundup: Super Sidekicks 2 (SNK/Neo•Geo)". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 60. Sendai Publishing. p. 40.
  18. 1 2 Kirrane, Simon (August 1994). "Reviews – Neo Geo – Super Sidekicks 2". GamesMaster . No. 20. Future Publishing. p. 65.
  19. 1 2 "Reportaje - Clásicos en CD -- Titulos disponibles para el nuevo formato de SNK: Alpha Mission II". Hobby Hi-Tech (in Spanish). No. 1. Hobby Press. March 1995. p. 28.
  20. 1 2 Knauf, Andreas (June 1994). "Spiele-Tests - NG: Super Sidekicks 2". MAN!AC  [ de ] (in German). No. 8. Cybermedia. p. 56.
  21. 1 2 Schamberger, Steffen (July 1994). "SNK - Neo Geo: Super Sidekicks". Megablast (in German). No. 5. Joker-Verlag. p. 61. Archived from the original on 2020-11-07. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  22. 1 2 Kraft, Uwe; Girlich, Stephan (July 1994). "Test Neo Geo: Super Sidekicks 2 - Auch das Neo Geo wird pünktlich zur Weltmeisterchaft mit einem Update bedient". Mega Fun  [ de ] (in German). No. 22. Computec. pp. 102–103.
  23. 1 2 Terry (June 1994). "Tests - Neo Geo: Super Sidekicks 2". Player One  [ fr ] (in French). No. 43. Média Système Édition  [ fr ]. pp. 52–53.
  24. 1 2 Sanz, Juan Carlos; del Carpio, osé Luis; Serrano, Roberto (July 1994). "Super Coin-Op: Super Sidekicks 2 (1994)". Superjuegos (in Spanish). No. 27. Grupo Zeta. p. 110.
  25. 1 2 Schaedle, Wolfgang (July 1994). "Warpzone – Neo Geo: Super Sidekicks 2". Video Games  [ de ] (in German). No. 32. Markt & Technik. p. 72. Archived from the original on 2020-11-07. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  26. ↑ "VideoGames Best of '94". VideoGames - The Ultimate Gaming Magazine . No. 74. Larry Flynt Publications. March 1995. pp. 44–47.
  27. 1 2 "The EGM Hot 50 - Guardian War". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 69. Sendai Publishing. April 1995. pp. 44–48. Archived from the original on 2020-11-07. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  28. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine  [ ja ] (in Japanese). No. 473. Amusement Press, Inc.  [ ja ]. June 1, 1994. p. 25.
  29. ↑ "Player's Choice - Top Games Now in Operation, Based on Earnings-Opinion Poll of Operators: Best Video Software". RePlay. Vol. 19, no. 9. RePlay Publishing, Inc. June 1994. p. 6.
  30. ↑ "Equipment Poll - Video & Pinball Combined". Play Meter . Vol. 20, no. 10. Skybird Publishing. September 1994. p. 11.
  31. ↑ Iturrioz, Javier (August 1995). "A Pie de Pista: Neo Geo – Super Sidekicks 2". Superjuegos  [ es ] (in Spanish). No. 40. Grupo Zeta. p. 81.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.