Soccer Kid

Soccer Kid is a platform game developed and published by Krisalis Software in 1993 for the Amiga. Years later, the adventure was ported to MS-DOS, PlayStation, and Super Nintendo Entertainment System, among others.

During its active time, the English company developed more than 40 games, launching approximately 5 per year.

The plot of Soccer Kid was set up in 1994, in the middle of the soccer World Cup final in the United States. Meanwhile, Scab, a space pirate who steals the most precious trophies in the universe, lays his eyes on the prize of that tournament and robs it, ruining the World Cup. While escaping, the criminal collides with a satellite, breaking the World Cup into five parts that fall in different places on the planet. Thus, a boy who sees everything from his home decides to take his ball, his sports clothes, and go out to find these fragments and bring the cup before the last game of the competition starts.

At first glance, the game unfolds like any other platformer. The protagonist must go around the world, collecting various items. Among these are the soccer players' collectible cards, which will allow him to advance in the plot and get the pieces of the trophy. At the end of each level, a boss is waiting for him—each one representing a different and traditional sport of the country where the hero is. Talking about countries, the release also allows the player to choose the colors of his shirt in the main menu, a small detail that not many games of that time had.

On the other hand, the title has a feature that makes it unique. The main character is accompanied by a ball, which will be his main companion during the adventure. The game allows a variety of interactions with this element, such as using it to jump and reach places that he couldn't by himself. Also, it is his primary weapon, with which the user must calculate the direction of the ball when kicking it or waiting for it to bounce and return. This mechanism allows the player to use many typical soccer shots, so there are several angles and forms of attack.

The title is visually very striking, with a variety of intense colors living together. The music is very animated and has some funk tones adapted to the scenario where the character transits. This happy tone allowed the game not only to be directed to soccer or platform lovers but to a broader audience regardless of their age or taste.

The critics received it positively, highlighting the colorful image and the vast repertoire of sound effects and songs that the game had. Although the 1994 World Cup ended a long time ago, Soccer Kid is still in force. Combining a platformer mechanic with soccer, it is a gate to the world of video games for kids and, why not, an alternative for gamers who want to experience a similar but different experience.