Game Review: Virtua Striker 2

Game: Virtua Striker 2
Console: Sega Dreamcast
Developer: Sega
Release Date: 29th February 2000

When arcade games come to home console, gamers usually hope for a faithful conversion of the arcade software. This usually entails near perfect capture of the gameplay, controls and graphics from the arcade, which of course isn't always possible. Having played a small amount of Virtua Striker 2 in its arcade format, what I was hoping for in the home console version was for it to be much, much improved in all aspects. Unfortunately this wasn't the case.

Home conversions of arcade games often add new gameplay modes but Virtua Striker seems to want to trick players into thinking new modes are present. There appear to be plenty of modes to choose from upon starting the game; Arcade Mode is a knockout tournament, International Cup is a knockout tournament and Tournament Mode is also a knockout tournament. Fundamentally there's very little difference between these three modes, as the same options can be set for all of them. Besides these there's the option to play a league or have your performance in a single match ranked.

Because of the game's arcade roots, the controls are super basic for a football game meaning that gameplay often consists of just passing, tackling and shooting rather than any real tactical elements. Furthermore only the d-pad can be used to move players around and aim passes, leaving the analog stick with no use at all. The flow of games is clunky and gameplay mostly focusses on getting possession and attempting to break through on goal.

The camera follows the ball from too close of an angle which could make even the hardiest of gamers motion sick, and the action swings back and forth a little too much compared to the real life game. The ability to switch formations easily is a good feature of the game, alongside its easy to pick up and play nature, but these are about the only positives I can find. International teams are the only sides available, with a handful of fictional bonus teams, and there's not much focus on realism.

Graphically the game is pretty good for its time; the players aren't tiny, undetailed specks, but the crowds and stadia are still fairly featureless. There's no commentary to accompany gameplay and there's only arcade style announcement of events. The game suffers somewhat from having been an arcade game in that when playing some modes there's not even a half time break, red cards or any of the features you'd expect. These features do make an appearance in International Cup mode, but it's not enough to redeem the game.

Overall Virtua Striker 2 is a simple arcade take on football with clunky controls and gameplay, little realism, no commentary and little reason for coming to home console. There are plenty of better football games for the Dreamcast, and in such an overpopulated genre it doesn't pay to be so average in almost every respect. Arcade sports conversions often come up short when competing with home console specific games and this is just another incidence of that.

Rating: 32/100
Grade: E