In the days of arcade games and old console sports simulations, we were treated to a seriously mixed bag of brilliance and frustration – for every Sensible Soccer, there was a Match Day. I remember playing football games in the arcades; cartoony affairs with one game that stopped matches because streakers entered the pitch. Nowadays it’s all photorealism, big money and serious tactics, with the likes of FIFA and PES dominating the football scene, and others attempting to cover other sports in a similar manner. Super Sports Blast however hopes to tempt you back to the halcyon days of colourful over the top competition, with bucket-loads of fun but no naked pitch invaders. Does it score? Or is it a dead rubber?
Super Sports Blast features three different sport games to play for your hard-earned cash. There is a take on volleyball (the game normally watched on a beach), tennis (something which is covered for two weeks of the year), and football (or soccer, as it’s stated here) – a sport which at the moment seems to be on the TV every damn hour.
Let us start with the volleyball mode first and examine what it has to contribute. You are presented with several options, letting you play in single-player or with local friends in an up to 4 player mode, something which will really interest those hosting a party. You have some basic tutorials on offer but are very quickly off and running. Volleyball has a great story mode where you and your chosen partner battle off against cartoon copies of favorite pop culture characters – characters like Snoop Dogg or some Street Fighter rip-offs. It’s a great fun mode and has managed to provide one of the better experiences of the three games on offer.Â
The game plays well and it is quite simple to pick up, which is perfect for any party game. You’ve got all the usual options too, seeing your characters capable of knocking it over the net or to your partner, or utilising a quick jump as you time your hit to smash the ball so your opponents will struggle to get it back. It’s liquid volleyball, it’s supremely addictive and you will have some great matches against ever harder opponents throughout the story mode. However, as you get better, your AI partner in crime will increase in annoyance, failing to make the right pass you want or just knocking it out of play.
You can, as in all the modes on offer, customise your avatar and create some weird player additions to the volleyball roster. I had a lot of fun here, mostly as I don’t think I’ve ever played a volleyball game previously and there is plenty to get involved in, what with the story mode and other tournaments on offer.
Next up is tennis; a similar offering where you can take part in different matches as well as a pretty decent Career mode, something which takes you on a journey through different tournaments around the world. It’s a pretty solid arcade tennis option with some great action, and comes across much better than some of the most recent, more realistic, tennis affairs that have arrived on the consoles – I’m looking at you Tennis World Tour. It’s a nifty little arcade affair that lets you hit the court before perfecting your shots, working a mixture of netplay, swerves, and hammering those cross-court backhands. Much like the volleyball inclusion, it’s tennis and it fills the void.Â
Lastly on the list is Soccer Blast. As the name suggests this is a football game where you can customise your team, badges and players to make a complete roster of your own. There are a wide range of tournaments on offer to play and get your teeth into, however I have found the controls troublesome here. It just hasn’t clicked in the same way as the other two sports do, and perhaps that’s to do with my love of FIFA; the fact that I’m too ingrained into the controls and hardwired to approach any football experience in that way.
Visually, whatever you are playing in Super Sports Blast, it employs a cheeky cartoony style that works well with the universe created. Characters look exaggerated and the world is colourful and joyful throughout. The menus are brash but clean and easy to navigate, and the whole package harks back to those old-school arcade sports titles from yesteryear, most specifically in terms of the style. That said, it works extremely well for a party game and should just about cover the bases for any solo player. It’s helped that the music is bouncy and energetic, but I’d suspect you will soon be switching the volume down after your 10th game.
Super Sports Blast, as a package, on Xbox is a lot of fun. I very much enjoyed the volleyball and tennis segments, and whilst the football section doesn’t work for me personally, I feel that you can blame the likes of FIFA for that rather than anything this collection of games does wrong. If you’ve looking for a party game to be added for local multiplayer rotation then this will be a perfect addition, what with its range of competitions and fun, quick gameplay. That said, if you’re a solo player, it’s quite a price tag to invest in, especially when you put it up against other more realistic sports experiences out there. And similarly, if you are a serious sports fan then this is unlikely to be for you.
