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Academy of Champions: Soccer Review for Nintendo Wii

Academy of Champions: Soccer Review for Nintendo Wii

The Wii is full of soulless, kid-friendly, peripheral-intense, bargain-bin mini-game compilations. Though the cover art and title may convey mediocrity, Academy of Champions: Soccer (AoC:S) from Ubisoft Vancouver is not one of these. While the actual game of soccer on offer here is extremely basic, the entire package is an enjoyable bit of gaming that takes advantage of all the Wii’s capabilities – it’s a complete package that aims to please and establish itself as a full-fledged franchise.

Academy of Champions: Soccer screenshot

The game is made for youngsters, and I expect boys and girls of the appropriate age group will find lots to enjoy. Keeping that in mind, don’t expect anyone over 12 years old to fall in love with it. AoC:S is a sports title and collection of mini-games targeted at soccer-loving kiddies – if you plan on gifting this game to a loved one this holiday season, be sure they fall into both of these categories.

AoC:S captures the whimsy and feel of Harry Potter. This is especially true in the game’s main mode of play: Story. After being unintentionally invited to Pelé’s fictional soccer boarding school, Brightfield Academy, but proving your worth nonetheless, you embark upon long school days full of intrigue, gossip, training, adventure, and sporting competition. Truly, Brightfield Academy is extremely reminiscent of Hogwarts, and the soccer matches mimic Quidditch (without the whole flying broom thing). Brightfield Academy is even pit against a rival school called Scythemore Academy – an obvious analog to Slytherin. While children won’t find as engrossing a narrative as those spun by J.K. Rowling, a compelling enough plot is woven throughout the endless training sessions, pick-up matches, and roadblock ties to keep young players engaged.

Throughout the story, players will continually unlock, recruit, and improve players for their team. Within each academy, teams of varying skill and reputation become available to play against, and it is your job to bring together a collection of players and improve their skills to make them the top team. By performing well in training sessions – which are soccer-based mini-games covering dribbling, shooting, tackling, sprinting, freestyle, and goalkeeping – you’ll accrue in-game currency, talent stars, and experience points to purchase accessories and gear, learn super-powered skills, and improve the overall abilities of your characters, respectively. These bonuses can also be accrued by performing well in matches and even by learning and gleaning tidbits of information during conversation. Acquiring new players, building up their skills, gaining and maintaining your reputation, and beating the competition on the field combine to make AoC:S more than just your typical, kid-friendly, third-party Wii title.

Academy of Champions: Soccer screenshot

Unfortunately, the actual brand of soccer played on the themed stadiums is not particularly engaging – the five-on-five matches are too basic. While the developers undoubtedly are trying to cater to a specific demographic and decided to continue the Harry Potter feeling onto the pitch, the resulting game is somewhat dull and dumbed down. While I like the idea of an arcade approach, as it will undoubtedly make things more accessible for its target audience, it teaches nothing to kids about how the game of soccer should be played.

I was present during the Ubisoft media event during E3 2009 when Pelé stepped out on to the stage. From what I understood from his comments, Academy of Champions: Soccer was supposed to be a learning tool for children. Disappointingly, it is just a soccer-themed way to pass the time. This seems like a missed opportunity. The mini-games are decent, but no real tactical lessons are conferred upon gamers. Also, powered-up dodge mechanics, unstoppable shots, and a glut of diving tackles during matches don’t resemble a real game of soccer. For me it seems like Ubisoft decided to bring the world’s favorite sport and themes from the most popular children’s fantasy together along with Pelé and Mia Hamm in order to make a powerful formula for sales. While I love to see quality companies making money, I wish Ubisoft would have also included more instruction in their game to help distinguish this IP from the crowd.

Academy of Champions: Soccer screenshot

Outside of Story, players can participate in Quick Play matches or hop into unlocked mini-games, giving consumers at least a couple more options to extend gameplay. However, Story is the mode of play that will see most of the action. That’s because the mini-games and soccer matches are not particularly compelling on their own – when brought together in Story they take on more meaning and feel far more satisfying. There are also a load of items and upgrades, 50 achievement badges, as well as famous Ubisoft characters to unlock, giving the title some meta-game goals to shoot for.

Academy of Champions: Soccer screenshot

Despite the lack of content, the developers did an excellent job incorporating varied control schemes into the game. While Wii Remote and Nunchuck support works quite well, players with Wii MotionPlus and the Wii Balance Board will also find a few more options. The addition of Wii MotionPlus makes controls and gameplay a bit more complex, allowing you to perform chip shots and lofted passes more readily. The Balance Board has limited support, but taking on freestyle challenges by moving your body in time with the action is a good bit of fun (at least for a little while).

The presentation and production values are of very high quality. As mentioned, the game’s look and setting are strikingly similar to what’s found in the Harry Potter franchise. The quirky, illustrated take on the characters and venues is very pleasant. Animations, while basic, do a good enough job of representing the action. I also enjoyed the musical themes and sound effects, though they’re nothing spectacular or even out of the ordinary. The gibberish mouthed by the onscreen avatars is initially interesting, but it eventually seems like corners were cut to save on paying for real voice acting. After all, none of the conversations are nearly as complex and enjoyable as, say, the comical Simlish spoken in The Sims and My Sims franchises.

Academy of Champions: Soccer is not a must-have game by any stretch. However, it is a very competent collection of soccer-themed mini-games. Still, I wish soccer matches weren’t quite as simple as they are, but I doubt the intended audience will mind much. After all, both the mini-games and the soccer are brought together quite nicely in the game’s Story mode, which will likely keep soccer-loving kids engaged for hours. What’s more, the game’s only $30, making it a valuable addition to Wii’s kid-friendly library of games.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 3.5 Graphics
The whimsy and mystery of Harry Potter is nicely captured in Brightfield Academy, the characters, and venues. 4.0 Control
The game is very easy to control regardless of method. The developers did a nice job of adding complexity and fun with the inclusion of optional MotionPlus and Balance Board support. 3.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
While the sounds are competent, nothing stands out. 3.7

Play Value
There are lots of unlockables and the Story mode is a lot of fun for the right kid. Unfortunately, the five-on-five game of soccer is very rudimentary, and the mini-games don’t hold up particularly well outside of Story.

3.6 Overall Rating – Good
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Action-Packed 5-on-5 Party Soccer – Learn incredible moves that you never thought were possible on the field. Pickup-and-play controls make AofC playable by kids of all ages. Upgrade your skills and buy equipment to become the very best.
  • Over 20 Mini-Games in a World Full of Excitement – Take part in easy to play mini-games involving goalkeeping, shooting, passing and tackles. Will you be able to master Brazilian Freestyle juggling with your Wii Balance Board?
  • Pelé is your Headmaster – Discover the true value of fair play and respect. The legendary Pelé will guide you on your dream adventure and teach you the skills necessary to compete at the highest level.
  • Immersive Story-Driven Experience – Develop your super skills in the imaginative world of Brightfield Academy. Battle your way to the top to defeat the evil Scythemore Academy!
  • Multiplayer – Have a friend help you out on your adventure or challenge them head-to-head!
  • Unlock Some Famous Video Game Characters – Take control of the Raving Rabbids, Sam Fisher, Altair, the Prince of Persia, Rayman who appear… as kids!
  • Wii Motion Plus – Brand new peripheral is supported in core gameplay.

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