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There haven't been any other soccer games for the Dreamcast besides Virtua Striker 2. And it's unfortunate that Striker Pro 2000 doesn't help to fill the simulation side of the genre. The game sports a great amount of options, but the slow play mechanics and delayed commentary make the title hard to enjoy. Playing Striker Pro is like playing an soccer under water. Player control is floaty and does not have a cohesive or snappy feel. Even shooting a goal shot doesn't feel fast paced. The glitches in the game do not bode well for gameplay either. Once, the opposing team kicked the ball out and they got to throw it back in. Another time the goalie was about to kick the ball back into the game and the camera panned to a lone player on the field for no reason.
Striker Pro visuals are standard fare. A camera pan over the field reveals a lush playing field and realistic players. The players sport some pretty good animation, but have simple textures that good have been cleaned up a bit.The crowd is composed of moving 2D bitmaps that look don't look all that convincing. But the presentation of the game is very clean, sporting good looking menus The sound and commentary is pretty lame in Striker Pro. The sound of the soccer ball being kicked around is good, but the crowd noise almost sounds like faint static in the background and conveys no real feeling of excitement. The commentary is also botched by not coinciding right away with what's happening on the field. The announcers seem to have a time lapse and don't talk with the action but after the fact that something has happened. So about two seconds after your player does something, the announcers will comment on it. There are a number of options in Striker Pro that help to make the game a good package. Players can start or load up a quick Friendly game or start a competition. There is also a training mode where players can try to pass UEFA (Union of European Football Association) tests to gain access to several other competitions. And players get to adjust the weather, day or night play, and camera distance from the field. Striker Pro 2000 is slow and not a great soccer experience. It's a shame because strides have been made to make the game realistic, with a UEFA license and endorsements from a number of sponsers. There are also a good number of options for players to tune. But the slow gameplay and poor sound kicks Striker Pro away from the goal and right into a goal post.
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