Neo Geo Cup PLUS review by substance J

Nearly 12 months ago, the monochrome Neo Geo Pocket was released in Japan. Taking a leap of faith, I purchased the unit, along with 2 games - one of which was Neo Geo Cup '98. I was pleasantly surprised, maybe even a bit shocked by the quality of the graphics, sound, and most importantly, the incredible gameplay depth. Since Neo Geo Cup '98 made such an impact on me, it was only natural that I buy its Color update. While Neo Geo Cup PLUS makes the original virtually obsolete, there are very few changes - if any - to the gameplay structure. Keeping that in mind, my review will be relatively brief (as my review of the original Neo Geo Cup '98 covers all relevant gameplay information.). Well then, on to the obligatory scores!

Graphics: B+
The graphics are obviously the most visible change in Neo Geo Cup PLUS. The Monochrome original had quite stunning visuals, in-game and during cut scenes. This time around, the graphics are just as impressive, and there is still absolutely no motion blur to mar the smooth animations. All of the teams' colors are accurately represented, and actually help to make the gameplay more interesting, as it feels less like you're going against the same team over and over again. Overall, things are beautiful in Neo Geo Cup PLUS.

Sound: B
For the most part, the sound is the same as in Neo Geo Cup '98 - though there is one addition that quite frankly shocked me - digitized voice in various areas of the game! While it is certainly nothing new to anyone who's played more than a dozen videogames in their lifetime, it was very unexpected, and I honestly didn't know if the Pocket's sound hardware was up to such a task. Though the samples are only 2-3 seconds long, they are a very cool bonus, and sound quite good as well. Music and sound effects are simply taken from Neo Geo Cup '98, as mentioned previously. Though, that certainly isn't a bad thing since those elements were one of Neo Geo Cup '98 strong points in my mind.

Gameplay: A
The Neo Geo Cup series is simply fantastic in this category. I honestly can't call myself a fan of any organized sport, and I generally stay clear of sports games in general. But Neo Geo Cup's features sounded cool, and drew me in enough to originally purchase the game. From the very minute you start your 'career' in Neo Geo Cup you'll be instantly hooked. The gameplay falls into two different categories of sorts - actual Soccer play, and team management. In Cup Mode, you start off by meeting with the commissioner of the Neo Cup, who asks you to choose a team to control. Once you have selected, you start your 1st season, with no special equipment. Your season will most likely be hard, and you'll be lucky to win any matches. But after a little while, you'll gain fans, and most importantly, cash! Time to visit the item shop and spend, spend, spend! The item shop contains various goodies to boost your players' physical and mental status. Another way of gaining…or possibly losing items…is by meeting ch aracters in random events that occur during season play. Like a Russian scientist who will do tests on your gear, or a traveling trader who will offer you rare goods at high prices (though you can actually bargain his prices down). Then...there's the Burglar. Watch out for him, because when he strikes, he could run off with anything! Luckily, you have one chance to catch him by selecting an area to search. You would not believe how satisfying it is to catch him in the Bathroom and reclaim the pair of Shorts he took from you! Other events include such insane things as giving your depressed team a pep talk, or even finding medicine for an unfortunate player with a case of intestinal distress!

There is one major gameplay addition to Neo Geo Cup PLUS that is very welcome - the inclusion of an 'Arcade Mode'! One of Neo Geo Cup '98's only problems was its lack of options to provide a quick fix. Neo Geo Cup PLUS takes care of this wonderfully, as now you can have a quick go using any 2 teams you like. It's a very welcome change of pace from the Cup Mode.

Overall: A
Being a big fan of the original (a fan big enough to be using a Neo Geo Cup mouse pad to type this), buying Neo Geo Cup PLUS was a no-brainer. The game does not blow me away like the 1st one did, simply because I've played the original to death and back over the course of about a year. However, that does not change the fact that Neo Geo Cup PLUS is a stunning game that almost defies its own genre by providing immense amounts of fun to all who give it a chance, no matter what their taste in games. If you are in the least bit interested in Neo Geo Cup PLUS, I strongly recommend picking it up. It's titles like this that remind me why I love videogames so much. Now, if only SNK had retained the Anime box art of the original...this game would be virtually perfect.