PN Review: Soccer Up Online (3DS Eshop)

Soccer Up Online is a new 3DS eshop title from EnjoyUp. I didn’t know what to expect from this game, like I’ve stated before sports just isn’t my thing. After playing Soccer Up Online for many frustrating hours I deducted that this never would be my “thing” and gave up. I will say it’s not the worst game I’ve ever played but I don’t think I’ll be going back and playing it very often, if at all.

First of all, how many of you know the rules and terminology of Soccer? Just raise your hands so I can see….. not very many huh? Well in order to fully enjoy Soccer Up Online I think you should study up on it a bit because there’s no real tutorial, there is a helpful screen that shows you all of the controls but that’s it. I get that this is a game geared towards people who enjoy soccer but there will be some people out there who download this thinking that it’s just a fun cheap game they can play on their 3DS. I’m one of those people.

The graphics in Soccer Up Online are nothing to get excited about, You and the opposing teams look just alike besides your hair color and uniforms. There is no real detail in the game, making it visually boring. I will say that the 3D effects work quit well with what is there. Along with there being no real music or fun themes it’s hard to stay excited while playing. I found myself wishing the game would just end, not caring who won. So many fouls and balls going out-of-bounds consecutively, it’s making me want to yawn just thinking about it.

I’ll give it a thumbs up for the amount of content it has though. You can choose from Multiplayer, World Cup, Exhibition Match or Training. In Multiplayer mode you can play a local game, online game (a bit laggy) or download play with your friends. In World Cup you can configure the settings for your game, like how many teams you want in the cup, the match time and your control type. You can also change your tactics on the field and the placement of your players. Expedition mode is pretty much the same just one game instead of a whole Cup. You can pick from MANY different national teams or create your own team with a Mii character you have saved on your system.

Unless you’re a soccer fan I really don’t recommend Soccer Up Online. It’s a bit slow in the online department, the visuals are pretty fuzzy, controls are a tad hard to master and I don’t remember hearing any type of background music at all which didn’t add to the mundane task at hand. But if you’d like to give it a chance there is currently a sale going on in the Eshop and the game has been marked down from its original $3.99 price to $2.99. Which isn’t bad for the amount of content, I just don’t know how much actual fun you’ll have playing it.