Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions recensione
Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions is the new game dedicated to Holly and Benji.
If you're around my age - around 30 (better not to go into specifics) - this will all sound very strange to you. Who is Tsubasa? Wasn't Oliver Hutton the captain? And is Benji there?
Forgive me but I must destroy part of your childhood: Holly and Benji don't exist. Or rather, there are no Oliver Hutton and Benjamin Price. These are in fact the names with which they were baptized when the anime landed for the first time in Italy but in reality the protagonists of this classic of the 90s are not called that. Oliver Hutton is actually Ōzora Tsubasa (hence Captain Tsubasa), Benjamin Price is called Wakabayashi Genzō, Tom Backer becomes Misaki Tarō and the rough Mark Lenders is actually Hyūga Kojirō. These are obviously just a few examples but they make you understand how little relevant to reality the original names were and how much the game is faithful to the anime.
Leaving the initial trauma aside, it's time to move on to the Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions review.
A return to the 90s
The narrative sector is undoubtedly the strong point of this title. Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions presents two different single-player campaigns, which we can find under the heading Travel, a name that recalls quite clearly what FIFA proposed with the good Alex Hunter.
The Journey proposed by Tamsoft e Bandai Namco includes an episode dedicated to the good Tsubasa and one that will allow us to create a new promising Japanese footballer.
But first things first.
Let's start fromEpisodio Tsubasa that no, it does not start from the beginning but takes us to the times of the youth tournament. Our athlete is committed to winning his third consecutive title, meeting and clashing with some historical characters of the series such as Misugi Jun (Julian Ross), the aforementioned Hyuga Kojiro and the unforgettable Tachibana brothers, namely James and Jason Derrick. Genzo is missing and, you will remember, at the time he had moved to Germany at the suggestion of his private coach.
The middle school tournament is though an excuse to teach us the basics of gameplay and to make us relive a series of moments thanks to the videos taken directly from the remake of the 2018 anime. The nostalgia effect is guaranteed.
If, on the other hand, you are in the mood for something new, there isEpisode New Hero which will allow you to become real protagonists of the campaign. You will be able so create a player, place him in a middle school at your leisure and then guide him towards success, up to wearing the national team jersey. Basically, therefore, we will follow a similar path to that offered by other football titles, albeit with a fairly important role component: the dialogues will be multiple choice, the relationships with the other players will depend on your decisions and the Player Points will define your skill on the pitch.
On balance, therefore, we can consider the Tsubasa Episode a sort of tutorial that prepares us for a freer and more complete gaming experience, that of the New Hero Episode.
The gameplay is a real disaster
Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions could have been incredibly interesting. On the one hand we could have a cartoon that remember millions of people, on the other an arcade football video game far from the almost perfect simulation now offered by FIFA and PES. However, things did not go exactly like this. Of course, the narrative aspect remains but the gameplay is really disappointing.
Basically we have everything you need: short passes, through passes, shots and crosses, but also the strategies with which to control your team and dribble to avoid opponents. Too bad, however, that every move is really woody and frustrating, with players who don't always respond well to your commands. But this is only the beginning. Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions is full of frustrating and uninspiring mechanics.
Let's start with the main element of football: goals. As you know, a game is won by managing to throw the ball into the net more times than the opponents. Too bad that skill is not needed here. To be able to score you will first have to rely on the champions in your possession, starting with dear Tsubasa, and, secondly, exhaust the goalkeeper. In fact, each player has a bar dedicated to bunting: by continuing to shoot on goal you will exhaust that of the goalkeeper who, at that point, will no longer be able to save anything. This means that you don't have to invent strange shots or complex strategies but just roll whenever you get the chance.
Clashes with opponents are also uninteresting. Leaving aside the fact that every 1 vs 1 ends with a player on the ground (and no card), it will take very little to recover the ball while keeping it will be a matter of luck. Using your stamina and the dedicated button you can perform a couple of more or less spectacular dribbles after which you will run out of energy and they will steal the ball. It is almost inevitable.
It doesn't help artificial intelligence either with teammates who are never where you expect to find them while the camera often prevents you from understanding where they are positioned so the passes and crosses become inaccurate or even useless.
Then the defensive and offensive tactics are useless, controlled through the directional cross and practically useless on the pitch since there are no real changes in the team's set-up.
Finally we have the cut scenes that not only serve as a link for the narrative sector but also appear treacherously during the meetings, thus interrupting the game action and increasing the sense of frustration.
CAPTAIN TSUBASA - Rise Of New Champions [German Edition] 23,95 EUR Buy on Amazon
Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions recensione: e il multiplayer?
The Journey isn't the only mode available. There are also available online multiplayer, local multiplayer and challenges. The latter require you to hit a series of objectives to unlock movies, music and a coin to use to buy cosmetics such as t-shirts, shoes and hairstyles.
The online mode instead provides for friendly matches or participation in the Leagues. In the latter case you will need a fully customized team, complete with logo and uniforms.
The technical sector
Let's conclude by talking about the graphic aspect. The movies, needless to say, are perfect as well as the animations related to the special techniques of the individual protagonists.
Less attention was paid to everything else: the models of the players, the field and the stadiums are really poorly maintained and far from what this generation of consoles offers.
Definitely better instead the audio with a really well done soundtrack and songs that can enter and remain in your head.
Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions review: conclusion
Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions could have been a good news on the football scene, a fun and nostalgic arcade, but the big gameplay problems have turned it into an almost disheartening experience. Of course, if you are super passionate and really miss Holly and Benji it could still be a nice blast from the past, but nothing more.
CAPTAIN TSUBASA - Rise Of New Champions [German Edition] 23,95 EUR Buy on Amazon
