Watching professional sports in huge stadiums and arenas might not be a possibility right now amidst the coronavirus pandemic, but if you're missing the epic excitement of watching live a soccer match, then the lastest Captain Tsubasa game, the newest entry in the popular 1980's manga and anime franchise, might be able to fill that soccer-sized hole in your heart.
While Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions' crisp graphics and co-op features make it a pretty awesome arcade soccer game, its lackluster story mode makes it a difficult entry into the franchise for newbies.
Meet Tsubasa!
Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions tells the story of Tsubasa Oozora, a driven and passionate middle-school student who's been obsessed with soccer ever since he was a little kid. When we first meet this athletic young man, he reveals his aspirations of becoming a professional soccer player and moving to Brazil to follow his coach, former soccer player Roberto Hongo. Upon achieving this dream, he hopes to become a future champion of the Soccer World Cup.
However, Tsubasa is only a middle-schooler and still needs to prove himself in his hometown of Nankatsu against his teammates and other rivals. Players can choose to play the "Episode Tsubasa" story in the game's "Journey" mode to follow Tsubasa and play through various soccer matches as the aspirational soccer star works towards his dreams. Each section of each story is separated into animated and fully voiced visual novel-esque sections that proceed each significant soccer match. Players must win each match in order to move forward in the story.
In addition to the game's "Episode: Tsubasa", players can also try an all-new story mode entitled "Episode: New Hero". This original story places the player in the athletic world of Captain Tsubasa and allows them to create a unique journey with their own personal avatar.
Beyond the two different story modes, the game also supports a multiplayer feature that allows players to either face-off against their friends together, or connect with others online. Players can even test their skills in the online mode to try and win various trophies to prove their soccer skills are the sharpest. Finally, players can also train and go over everything they've learned on the field in the game's "Practice" mode; or even go back and watch unlocked songs and movies in the game's extensive "Collection."
A Crisp, 3D Anime Experience
The first thing players will immediately notice about Captain Tsubasa is how incredible the graphics are. From the visual novel aspects to the soccer games themselves, the game looks like an anime that jumped right of the screen and reshaped in a three-dimensional world. It definitely gives some life to the more mundane VN story sequences, but during the actual soccer games themselves, they look the most impressive.
A Nostalgic Touch
Tsubasa originally came out in the 80s, back when anime characters had slightly rounder faces and poofier hair (at least, compared to today's modern style), and the game does an excellent job of recreating that in 3D form for contemporary audiences. It's a cool touch; one that original fans fo the franchise will certainly find touching.
Speaking of returning fans, Episode: Tsubasa jumps pretty quickly into the story with very little exposition during the actual game, so those who enjoyed the manga and anime back when they initially released might enjoy the nostalgic trip down memory lane.
Let's Play Soccer!
Speaking of the incredible graphics fully displayed during the game's soccer matches, Captain Tsubasa has a number of cool co-op features that are bound to keep soccer enthusiasts and all their friends entertained. Players can play with up to four players and choose unique combinations of playing against one other or all on the same team.
The multiplayer features are really where the game excels — with a variety of different ways to connect with friends and stunning visuals, Captain Tsubasa is a great option if you and your friends are looking for a new and athletic co-op to try.
Difficult For Modern Audiences To Follow
While OG fans will likely be able to follow the story easily, newer audiences might have a little more trouble. Episode: Tsubasa jumps right into the middle of Tsubasa's middle school soccer adventures, with minimal backstory and exposition. As players progress through the Episode, they can unlock additional movies, called Tsubasa's "memories", that they can watch at their leisure.
However, as these memories are only an extra feature and unlocked in a random order, it's still difficult for modern audiences to keep up. It's a little surprising that the developers made it so complicated for newer fans, especially considering the manga and anime both ran nearly forty years ago.
Even though the game does feature the original Episode: New Hero storyline, its recommended for those who have already completed Episode: Tsubasa and have a handle on the complicated soccer mechanics of the game. Therefore, players will have to start with Tsubasa's origin story, and simply try their best to follow along.
Complicated Gameplay
Finally, while the game's soccer matches are exhilarating to watch, they can be equally as nerve-wracking to play — and not necessarily in a good way. The controls are incredibly complex, which can be tricky to pick up during such a fast-paced game like soccer. While the first matches in the game's Journey modes are proceeded by helpful tutorials, the matches become more complicated very quickly; and players will probably need to get a little more practice outside of the main story before becoming successful. While practice is always important in any arcade game, it can be frustrating for those who are hoping to progress through the story.
Soccer is a game all about teamwork; which is fitting for Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions, a title where the multiplayer and co-op features shine the brightest. However, when it comes to single-player features, like the game's Journey mode and figuring out the soccer gameplay mechanics, you're better off benching those aspects.
A PlayStation 4 version of Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions was provided to TheGamer for this review. Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions is available now for the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows via Steam.
Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions