Genre: 2d platformer
Developer: Krisalis
Publisher: Studio 3DO

Soccer Kid is one of the most remembered games that originally appeared on the Commodore Amiga, and was released to critical acclaim in part due to its visuals, which, by Amiga standards, were excellent. The 3DO, however, is much more powerful than the Amiga; the game's visuals were upped to 640x480, and re-worked to take advantage of the 32,000 color palette. While the game isn't nearly as pretty as Gex, the visuals are crisp, colorful, and have very clean lines.

Along with the graphics, the audio was completely revamped for the 3DO version. Digital sound effects grace the game throughout, and the soundtrack, while not exceptionally impressive, fits the feel of the game and properly straddles the lines between cute yet atmospheric, synthesized and digital, annoying yet not so annoying. I've heard nicer games before, but a decent job was done here all told.

In Soccer Kid, the protagonist dribbles a soccer ball around with him, and uses this ball as the tool by which to kill baddies, navigate the levels, or use in any other number of other ways thought of by the player. The array of moves available is negated by the only average level design; most of the levels are played from left to right, and are almost completely linear. These levels do, however, force the player to constantly devise new ways to use the soccer ball to safely traverse the areas, and the tight control scheme is condusive to allowing the player to perform the desired actions.

Soccer Kid, even years from its Amiga debut, is an enjoyable platformer from start to finish. The concept is certainly original, and most of the right game design decisions have been made. The level design could have used a bit of flair, in that the levels are so linear and somewhat repetetive. But all the same, Soccer Kid is a very good platformer, and while I would not place it on the same level as Gex, it is a game that shouldn't be missed.