Bargain Bin Gaming Episode 33: World Tour Soccer 06

January 11, 2010 Patrick Hickey Jr. Video Game Reviews, Video Games 0

Continuing in the path of its predecessor, World Tour Soccer, World Tour Soccer 06 combines solid arcade gameplay with ample control and different features that will keep gamers busy for hours. However, there have been a few changes made to this version that may keep hardcore football fans away from it.

While it’s doubtful that anyone would have a problem with the game getting the online options the original version lacked, many in fact will have a problem when they see that there are only 71 teams available in World Tour Soccer 06, compared to a whopping 245 in the original.

In an effort to speed the original game’s horrible loading times, developer Sony Computer Entertainment Europe took out many of the teams they believed players didn’t use frequently enough in an effort to speed up the game. Unfortunately, long loading times are still a problem in this year’s version, detracting from the overall fun at times, making the game not nearly as gratifying on a long bus or train ride like a portable game should be.

Player models in World Tour Soccer 06 also fail to rank up with the other soccer games on the PSP, but are saved by solid animations and a decent frame rate. While the game isn’t atrocious to look at, fans playing FIFA or Winning Eleven will find this game much less aesthetically pleasing.

On a positive note, the actual gameplay in World Tour Soccer is its saving grace. The game is easy and fun to play for all ages and has a skill-point system that promotes solid play on offense and defense. Players can even unlock items such as All-Star teams when they play exceptionally. While it doesn’t make up for the lack of teams or mediocre graphics, it does warrant a purchase for those who don’t require the glitz and glamor of the FIFA series to enjoy themselves.

Overall, World Cup Soccer Tour 06 is a solid choice for any soccer fan that isn’t looking for as deep a game as FIFA and doesn’t mind playing at home than on the road, considering the horrendous loading times. Fans serious about their soccer should give it a try, but nevertheless should stick with FIFA or Winning Eleven.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14316 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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