Super Sidekicks 3: The Next Glory

Super Sidekicks 3: The Next Glory[lower-alpha 1] is a 1995 soccer arcade video game developed and published by SNK. It is the third installment in the Super Sidekicks series, preceding the original Super Sidekicks 2: The World Championship (1994). Featuring an arcade-style approach to soccer like its predecessors, the game allows players to choose any of the available game modes to compete with AI-controlled rivals or other human players with their preferred team. Though first launched for the MVS hardware, the title was ported for Neo Geo AES and Neo Geo CD, in addition of being re-released through compilations and download services for various consoles. It proved popular among players and garnered positive reception from critics, however most reviewers noted that it felt as an update than a true successor to Super Sidekicks 2. It was followed by The Ultimate 11: SNK Football Championship in 1996.

Super Sidekicks 3: The Next Glory
Developer(s)SNK
Publisher(s)SNK
Director(s)H. Kawano
Producer(s)Eikichi Kawasaki
Designer(s)Kanitaro
Performaru
Programmer(s)Uzumasa Seven
Composer(s)Akihiro Uchida
Pearl Shibakichi
SeriesSuper Sidekicks
Platform(s)Arcade, Neo Geo AES, Neo Geo CD, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release
  • WW: 7 March 1995
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)
Arcade systemNeo Geo MVS

Gameplay
Gameplay screenshot showcasing a match between Italy and Holland.
See also: Super Sidekicks 2: The World Championship § Gameplay

Like its predecessor, Super Sidekicks 3: The Next Glory is a soccer game that is played from a top-down perspective in a two-dimensional environment with sprites. Though it follows the same gameplay as with other soccer titles at the time and most of the sport's rules are present, the game opts for a more arcade-styled approach of the sport instead of being full simulation.[1][2] New features in this game include naming the player scoring goals for his team and keeping score of how many goals he scores during his team's use by the player. Alongside the "Top Teams" ranking which serves as a high score table for teams, there is a "Top Scorer" table for individual players. The name and use of scoring players is random.

The second new feature include regional tournaments, in which a team (from any region) can enter a tournament within its own region or other regions. This is good for those players who like a particular team but don't want to be facing the same opponents every time, as they would if they played the World tournament. Championships include World Tournament (FIFA World Cup), Europe Tournament (UEFA European Football Championship), South America Tournament (Copa América), Americas Tournament (CONCACAF Gold Cup), Africa Tournament (African Cup of Nations), and Asia Tournament (AFC Asian Cup).

Teams

There are 64 teams available to choose from before the start of any mode, each one divided into 8 geographical "regions" and representing their country:[3][4]

Europe (group A)
*  Italy
*  Netherlands
*   Switzerland
*  Norway
*  England
*  Turkey
*  Portugal
*  Poland		Europe (group B)
*  Germany
*  Spain
*  Ireland
*  Belgium
*  Romania
*  Denmark
*  Wales
*  Czech Republic		Europe (group C)
*  France
*  Sweden
*  Bulgaria
*  Russia
*  Greece
*  Austria
*  Hungary
*  Finland		Africa
*  Nigeria
*  Morocco
*  Cameroon
*  Egypt
*  South Africa
*  Zambia
*  Ivory Coast
*  Guinea
North America
*  United States
*  Canada
*  Guatemala
*  Mexico
*  Costa Rica
*  El Salvador
*  Puerto Rico
*  Panama		South America
*  Brazil
*  Colombia
*  Argentina
*  Bolivia
*  Uruguay
*  Ecuador
*  Peru
*  Chile		Asia (group A)
*  Australia
*  New Zealand
*  China PR
*  Taiwan
*  Iran
*  Vietnam
*  Iraq
*  Singapore		Asia (Group B)
*  Saudi Arabia
*  South Korea
*  Japan
*  United Arab Emirates
*  Hong Kong
*  India
*  Thailand
*  Malaysia

Development and release

Super Sidekicks 3: The Next Glory was co-headed by director H. Kawano and producer Eikichi Kawasaki, who was involved in the two previous Super Sidekicks entries.[5] A member under the pseudonym "Uzumasa Seven" worked as main programmer, with "Kanimaro" and "Perfomaru" acting as designers.[5] Shinsekai Gakkyoku Zatsugidan members Akihiro "Ackey" Uchida and Pearl Shibakichi handled the sound design.[5][6] Other members collaborated in its development.[5] Super Sidekicks 3 was first released by SNK for the Neo Geo MVS on March 7, 1995 and for Neo Geo AES in April 1995.[7][8] The game was later re-released for the Neo Geo CD in Japan on June 23, 1995 and North America in October 1996.[7][8][9] In 2008, it was included as part of SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 for Wii, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable.[10] In 2013, it was also included as part of the Volume 2 game card for Neo Geo X.[11] Hamster Corporation re-released the title for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in June 2018 under their Arcade Archives series.[12]

Remake
See also: Neo Geo Cup '98: The Road to the Victory

In 1998, a remake titled Neo Geo Cup '98: The Road to the Victory was developed and released by SNK for Neo Geo MVS to coincide with the FIFA World Cup 1998, serving as the final entry in the Super Sidekicks series due to the failure of the fourth entry.[2][7][13] A Neo Geo Pocket Color was released under the name Neo Geo Cup '98 Plus Color.[13]

Reception

Super Sidekicks 3: The Next Glory proved popular among players and received positive reception from critics, however most reviewers felt that the game was a mere update rather than a true sequel to Super Sidekicks 2, with some regarding it as inferior to the previous release.[2][16][27] In Japan, Game Machine listed Super Sidekicks 3 on their April 15, 1995 issue as being the tenth most-popular arcade game at the time.[33] Electronic Gaming Monthly's two sports reviewers praised the Neo Geo AES version for its graphics, sound, and particularly the easy playability.[17] Andreas Knauf of MAN!AC commended the visual and sound designs, stating that the title was an updated version of "an excellent soccer game".[23] Stefan Hellert of Mega Fun similarly commended the graphics and sound but felt that the title was almost the same as the second Super Sidekicks.[25] Likewise, Ralph Karels of Video Games remarked that the designers took the second Super Sidekicks entry and implemented minimal improvements in various gameplay areas.[32]

Stephan Girlich of Play Time gave positive remarks to the audiovisual presentation, however he stated that Super Sidekicks 3 would prove uninteresting for players of previous Super Sidekicks titles but accessible for newcomers.[28] Christophe Delpierre of Player One commented very positively about the graphics, animations, sound and playability.[29] GamePro's Scary Larry called it "a fun, fast-paced game that will appeal to fans and nonfans alike." Larry particularly praised the graphics and the "quick and intuitive" control interface.[18] Micromanía's F.D.L. reviewed the Neo Geo CD version criticized the long loading times but praised the addictive gameplay with multiple options and presentation.[26] Next Generation reviewed the Neo-Geo version of the game, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "If there were no other soccer games out there, this one would probably be considered great, but..."[19] Javier Iturrioz of Superjuegos praised the presentation, sound effects and responsive controls but remarked the music to be the most neglected aspect, stating that the game preserved elements from the Super Sidekicks 2 while improving the base gameplay.[30]

Hobby Consolas's Sonia Herranz praised the graphics, music, sound effects, playability and addictive gameplay.[21] Hobby Hi-Tech's Manuel del Campo noted that Super Sidekicks 3 did not introduced many additions compared to the second entry.[22] The Electric Playground's Victor Lucas reviewed the Neo Geo CD version and gave positive remarks in regards to controls, visuals and sound design.[20] Maximum gave the Neo Geo CD version two out of five stars, saying it suffers from "wooden" gameplay and inaccurate ball physics.[24] Última Generación's J. Luis Sanz criticized the long loading times of the Neo Geo CD port.[31] AllGame's Kyle Knight felt that Super Sidekicks 3: The Next Glory felt like Super Sidekicks 2 gameplay-wise while altering certain aspects negatively.[15]

Sequel

A sequel, The Ultimate 11: SNK Football Championship was released in 1996 for the arcades and Neo Geo AES.[7][8] However, The Ultimate 11 proved to be less popular than its predecessors and was ultimately deemed as a failure.[7] It was later re-released in recent years for the Virtual Console, Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Network and Xbox Live.[34][35]

Notes
  1. Also known as Tokuten Ou 3: Challenge to Glory (Japanese: 得点王3: 栄光への挑戦, Hepburn: Tokuten Ō 3: Eikō e no Chōsen, lit. "Goal-Scoring King 3: Challenge to Glory") in Japan.

References
  1. Super Sidekicks 3: The Next Glory user's manual (Neo Geo AES, US)
  2. "Arcadias: Super Sidekicks". Club Nintendo (in Spanish). No. 199. Editorial Televisa. June 2008. pp. 66–67.
  3. "Neo Geo CD: Super Side Kicks 3 - Fútbol-espectáculo en su máxima expresión". Hobby Hi-Tech (in Spanish). No. 2. Hobby Press. April 1995. p. 67.
  4. "Hobby Sports - Sports Preview: SNK seguirá demostrando su buen hacer futbolístico - Super Sidekicks 3: La siguiente gloria (Neo Geo)". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). No. 47. Hobby Press. August 1995. pp. 110–111.
  5. SNK (1995). Super Sidekicks 3: The Next Glory (Neo Geo MVS). SNK. Level/area: Staff roll.
  6. Fuentes, Edgar S. (August 31, 2016). "Vandal Game Music: SNK Sound Team — Realizamos un recorrido por el equipo interno de compositores de SNK desde sus inicios". Vandal (in Spanish). El Español. Archived from the original on 2020-11-06. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  7. "Dossier: Neo Geo Y SNK — Deportivos". GamesTech (in Spanish). No. 11. Ares Informática. July 2003. p. 60.
  8. "Title Catalogue - NEOGEO MUSEUM". SNK Playmore. 2010. Archived from the original on 2018-08-28. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  9. "Neo•Geo CD: The Arcade In A Box". GamePro. No. Premiere Supplement. IDG. Spring 1996. pp. 100–103.
  10. vysethebold (January 18, 2008). "SNK Classics vol. 1 Lineup Revealed". Siliconera. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on 2020-08-04. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  11. Hernández, David Alonso (May 30, 2013). "Primeras recopilaciones de juegos para Neo Geo X". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). Axel Springer SE. Archived from the original on 2015-05-11. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  12. Moyse, Chris (June 13, 2018). "Kick-off with Super Sidekicks 3, coming to PS4, Switch and Xbox One - Who needs FIFA 18?". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on 2020-11-07. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  13. Moyse, Chris (December 2, 2018). "Blast some balls with the return of Neo Geo Cup '98: The Road to Victory - (Not to be confused with any other soccer tournament of 1998)". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  14. "Super Sidekicks 3 for NeoGeo". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
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  16. "Testscreen - Super Sidekicks 3 (Neo-Geo CD)". Edge. No. 24. Future Publishing. September 1995. p. 68.
  17. Iceman; Cowboy, Video (May 1995). "Team EGM - The Next Glory: Super Sidekicks 3 (Neo•Geo) By SNK". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 70. Sendai Publishing. p. 118. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  18. Larry, Scary (July 1995). "The Sports Page: Super Sidekicks Is a Soccer Sensation - The Next Glory: Super Sidekicks 3 (Neo•Geo)". GamePro. No. 72. IDG. p. 71.
  19. "Finals - Neo-Geo - The Next Glory Super Side Kicks Three". Next Generation. No. 8. Imagine Media. August 1995. p. 72.
  20. Lucas, Victor (27 October 1995). "Reviews - Super Sidekicks 3: The Next Glory (Neo Geo CD)". The Electric Playground. Archived from the original on 1 May 2001. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  21. Herranz, Sonia (September 1995). "Hobby Sports - Nuevo: La fácil complejidad del fútbol según Japón - Super Side Kicks 3: La siguiente gloria (Neo Geo)". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). No. 48. Hobby Press. pp. 140–141. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  22. del Campo, Manuel (September 1995). "En vanguardia: El inconfundible fútbol espectculo´de SNK - Super Side Kicks 3 (Neo Geo CD)". Hobby Hi-Tech (in Spanish). No. 6. Hobby Press. pp. 68–69.
  23. Knauf, Andreas (May 1995). "Spiele-Tests - NG: Super Sidekicks 3". MAN!AC (in German). No. 19. Cybermedia. p. 49.
  24. "Super Sidekicks 3". Maximum: The Video Game Magazine. No. 1. Emap International Limited. October 1995. p. 157. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  25. Hellert, Stefan (May 1995). "Test Neo Geo: Super Sidekicks 3 - Für Sidekicks-Fans erscheint nun der dritte Teil dieser SNK-Fußballreihe". Mega Fun. No. 32. Computec. p. 89. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  26. F.D.L. (August 1995). "Punto De Mira (Neo Geo CD): Super Sidekicks 3: The Next Glory - El Mundial De SNK". Micromanía (in Spanish). Vol. 3 no. 7. Hobby Press. pp. 86–87.
  27. "NF編集部にまる - ネオジオゲームㇱインレビュー: 得点王3". Neo Geo Freak (in Japanese). No. 25. Geibunsha. June 1997. pp. 124–128.
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  29. Delpierre, Christophe (June 1995). "Tests De Jeux: Neo Geo/Neo Geo CD – Super Sidekicks 3". Player One (in French). No. 54. Média Système Édition. pp. 86–87.
  30. Iturrioz, Javier (August 1995). "Neo Geo CD - Review: El 3er Tiempo – The Next Glory: Super Sidekicks 3". Superjuegos (in Spanish). No. 40. Grupo Zeta. pp. 74–77.
  31. Sanz, J. Luis (October 1995). "Versión Final - Neo-Geo CD - The Next Glory: Super Sidekicks 3". Última Generación (in Spanish). No. 7. MV Editores. pp. 78–79.
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  33. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 493. Amusement Press, Inc.. April 15, 1995. p. 21.
  34. "得点王 炎のリベロ - ゲーム情報GAME". SNK Playmore (in Japanese). D4 Enterprise. 12 March 2013. Archived from the original on 2017-07-31. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  35. Moyse, Chris (March 3, 2019). "Win the cup of the world with The Ultimate 11: SNK Football Championship - TWAT! That was liquid football!". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
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