Unfinished Pixel is at it again, this time with an update to the Super Soccer Blast series which piggy backs on the ongoing European (Euros) and South American (Copa America) Championships. Just like its predecessor, Super Soccer Blast, this throwback arcade soccer game is available on just about every platform. With its fast gameplay, fun edit mode, and newly added tournaments, Super Soccer Blast: America Vs. Europe isn’t trying to be a simulation, but instead a reminder of simpler times when sports games were all about having fun. Is the newest update better than its predecessors? Is it worth another buy? Let’s talk about it in this Super Soccer Blast: America Vs. Europe review.
What I Like – Super Soccer Blast: America Vs. Europe Review
Even More Ways To Play
Already boasting Club and National tournaments, Super Sports Blast: America Vs. Europe takes what the original did and offers three new ways to play:
- Copa America
- European Championship
- America vs. Europe
While there aren’t the kind of stark differences between the tournaments you’d see in FIFA or PES, there’s enough differences between the stadium, tournament structure, and achievements to fight off any sense of complacency. Besides, if you’re going to spend less than $10 on an arcade game, you’re not doing so out of hope for deep modes. Simple and customizable is good enough for me.
Custom Mode
Similar to the original offering, Super Soccer Blast America Vs. Europe still doesn’t have the luxury of official licenses, so you won’t see the likes of Arsenal or Manchester United. Instead, it offers an editor that allows you to create players (avatars) with a plethora of options at your disposal. Everything from your gender to whether or not you have tattoos can be created, saved, and even assigned to a team of your choosing.
Speaking of teams, over 70 new teams have been added (a mixture of international nations and club teams). Sadly, the US isn’t one of them, but you can do your best to create them. You do also have the ability to add new clubs, which gives you the freedom of creating kits, badges, and other characteristics to make your club unique. Furthermore, you can even edit the teams that are already in the game, updating their rosters with the real-life counterparts if you so choose. While the ability to upload rosters isn’t available, creating players and teams only takes a minute so you won’t be bogged down by trying to re-create your favorite side.
Great Game For Kids
“Dad, what’s that game you’re playing? It looks fun. Can I play?” As a father of two young kids who notice that dad is either always playing sports video games or watching them, it’s nice to be able to play a sports game with my children and not worry about having to explain the more-often-than-not-overly-complicated control scheme and rules found in FIFA and PES, even with FIFA’s two button mode.
As I said in previous reviews, Super Sports Soccer America Vs Europe offers a great way for kids to learn the fundamentals of the sport without over-burdening them with too much information. Creating cool avatars for them to use in the game is a nice little way to make it even more fun.
It’s Fun!
The third title from Unfinished Pixel in nearly 18 months shows that there’s a market for sports arcade games, and while there are still some issues here and there, Super Sports Soccer Blast America Vs. Europe is at its core, fun. It’s a game that’s not meant to appeal to the die-hard simulation footy fans out there. Instead, the game focuses on fast, customizable gameplay that feels like FIFA at its core, so being able to pick it up and play is a huge bonus.
What I Don’t Like – Super Soccer Blast: America Vs. Europe Review
No Online Mode
While there are some minor gameplay tweaks I’d like to see added like cards for infringements and basic tactical options (formations and subs), the only thing that would take this game to next level of fun would be an online mode. This game is a callback to a time where you actually went over to a friend’s house and played next to other people (most likely holding the controller away from them while shooting penalties). Being able to take your edited team online and play a buddy would be fun.
Perhaps not having online modes is the price you have to pay for the game only being $7.99, but it still would be fun to have a go with your mates.
No Online Roster Share
Perhaps this is a bit much to ask for, but with so much fun to be had in the Custom Mode, it would have been nice if Unfinished Pixel added a way to share your custom teams with the community. I’d love to be able to download some accurate rosters — well at least the first 11 — and run through a Copa America or European Championship tournament. I guess with a file size south of 500 megabytes and a small team of developers there isn’t much room for what could be a robust feature like roster sharing. Nonetheless, it still would have been a great way to take the game to the next level.
No Team USA
While the United States men’s team isn’t an international powerhouse, our women’s team certainly is. With avatars able to be changed, it would have made sense to include the United States, if for anything at least the women’s team. Sure you can re-create it rather easily, but who wants to if they don’t have to?
Bottom Line
The developers over at Unfinished Pixel did a tremendous job with both Super Sports Soccer and Super Sports Blast this past year, even patching the game to feature improved AI. While we often get caught up in the intricacies within FIFA and PES, it’s good every now and then to just have some fun. I had a smile on my face the entire time I played this game, and unlike a lot of indie sports games, this one will be staying on my PS5 for quite some time.
