Capcom Sports Club (
Capcom, 1997) is a mixed sports game that includes “mini-versions” of (association) kick, Dunk and Smash. The game is notable for its colourful, late CPS-2 graphics, mix of Latin Samba/Calypso music (pseudo urban techno for the Dunk game) and cartoon-like characters. Players can play against the CPU or in vs. mode. Upon starting a credit, players can choose which sport/mini-game start first. If a player wins a single tournament, the game will offer a prompt allowing players to end the credit or continue with another sport/mini-game. Players who can win all three tournaments (i.e. clear each mini-game) will be treated to the credits, effectively having 1-CC’ed the game. After each victory, players receive a prize that represents their cumulative score. Interestingly, players can choose three-letter moniker and sex after the first match won, and thus aim to get the best score/prize money by clearing each mini-game.
The idea of combining three games in one was not new for Capcom:
Three Wonders in 1991 included an action game, a shmup and a puzzle. This conceptual successor focuses on three sports, and allows players to complete each game if they have the skills and interest to do so. In this mini-article, however, I will discuss how this game manages to handle the three sports in a delightful way and should find some time in your gaming schedule. Before I continue, though, a simple consideration: arcade sports games never pursued realism, at least until the advent of 3D titles such as Sega’s
Virtua Striker. This title clearly aims to offer an entertaining mix of mini-sports and offer a quirky experience to players. If you need EA/Konami levels of detail and realism in your sports game, you can stop reading now….unless you are curious anyway, of course.
The three mini-games are called
Smash Stars,
Kick Stars,
Dunk Stars. Once starting a credit, players can choose one of the three games, and then choose a team (Dunk, kick) or player (Smash).
Smash Stars offers a choice between eight “beginners” and “advanced” players (i.e. 16 players in total), but only features ladies. Each character has differing skills (e.g. strength, control, “miracle” shots), even though one skill prevails over the others in each character. You will probably notice that the Chinese advanced player “Li Li” resembles another famous Chinese Capcom character.
Kick Stars is actually a street foosball game: choose one out of eight national teams and their respective modules (defensive, offensive, balanced).
Dunk Stars is a 3-on-3 street basketball game, also with eight teams, and with different combinations of power guards, forwards and centre players.
The games distinguish themselves in having quirky visual designs and adorable but somehow appropriate OSTs.
Smash Stars features “chibi” (i.e. cute/miniaturised) Smash player ladies with small bodies and big, adorable hairstyles and eyes. Matches are played in quaint locations such as forests and beaches, while samba and other vaguely Latin-sounding music plays in the background.
Kick Stars features lanky male players with disgruntled faces and comical running gaits. Samba themes go in full swing, and matches take place in down-to-earth locations such as beaches and small squares at night.
Dunk Stars features triplets of male players with heads vaguely resembling Duplo characters but switches to 90s style Euro/techno beat, with the final stage apparently being a court on a skyscraper’s construction site. Players need to win three matches to clear a single game, for a total of nine games. A tenth match may occur under certain conditions: I discuss them after explaining the game systems, though.
In
Dunk Stars, players can shoot for points with the A button, and pass it from one player to another with the B button. Three pointers are possible, but follow rigid rules. Depending on the type of team you are using, characters must be next to the 3-point line and at certain fixed spots (e.g. the lower right corner for 1P players). Shooting from a “non-designated” position will usually end in missing, though players can fight for the rebound anyway. Players can then shoot or dunk for two points, depending on the distance from the net. The B button is used for passing the ball or performing a “steal”, which is a thinly disguised slap on the hands of the other character (…or face, in some cases). Hold A for long distance shots and powerful dunks: you may even smash the net, in some cases.
A general impression that should emerge after playing the three games, or even just reading this mini-article, is that the Dunk and Kick games are really easy. In
Kick Stars, a simple technique to score goals is to shoot at goal from an angle, close to the goal keeper, and then tap in the bouncing ball. Bash and mown down adversaries as soon as they catch the ball, and keep them under pressure by scoring goals. In
Dunk Stars, let adversaries attack, then steal the ball before they shoot, and pass it to another player. A bit of footwork to dodge defenders, and dunk as you wish. Both games can however be incredibly fun when played in 2P mode, from my experience. Matches can be very balanced and involve a mix of dirty fights but also decent technical skills: players can enjoy the zany experience insofar as they do not worry about realism.
Smash Stars is a quite more refined game, instead. Each player has a mix of strengths and weaknesses, and there is a definite difference between the beginners and the advance players/courses. The CPU is also smarter: while the Kick and Dunk games can boil down to slug- and score-fests once players master the right tricks,
Smash Stars offers a quite more advanced challenge on at least two fronts. First, the game has a flexible rank system. Adversaries will become faster and more tenacious if players core quickly and aggressively, but will suddenly lower their skills if players drop sets or simply play poorly. Second, dcoring points is not a matter of using one-two techniques, as in the other two games. Players must make an effort of controlling the flow of the exchanges and be sure to place the ball beyond the reach of adversaries. Aggressive baseliners will nevertheless have an advantage.
Depending on players’ skills and tastes, the longevity of the game can be surprisingly high. Perhaps the easiest way to achieve a 1-CC is to choose
Smash Stars, beginners course, and then move onto
Dunk Stars and
Kick Stars. By playing the games in reverse order of difficulty/challenge, players should have an easy time to 1-CC the whole game. Changing order increases this difficulty, since the second and third games become harder (but
Kick Stars is really a push-over). Throw in the beginner/advance distinction for Smash, and players have quite a few combinations to test their skills on. The really dedicated players can then 1-CC the game with each of the 16 characters, and eight plus eight teams: the game is easy enough and perhaps entertaining enough to warrant all this dedication.
Another aspect adding replay value to the game is the possibility to play against the secret characters: Melody (i.e. the girl appearing in the cut-scenes) for
Smash Stars, the golden team(s) for the other two sports. The conditions for triggering these encounters are interesting even if flexible. Simplifying matter a bit, players must not concede any sets/goals/dunks, and must score points awarding high money prices after each match. When these conditions are met, the much stronger Melody/golden teams will enter the fray. Melody is a very strong, very punishing character who can only be beaten via specific patterns. The two golden teams are very aggressive, but also fairly manageable adversaries (…they just put up a decent fight). If you want a challenge, leave
Smash Stars as the last game, choose the advanced course and trigger Melody after winning the championship: good luck on returning 1-frame aces
By this point, the obvious answer you will have is: is the game fun? My answer is: yes, why not?
Smash Stars was ported as
Netto De Tennis on Dreamcast, even though it was a fairly obscure release. As a stand-alone tennis game, it might remind you of many previous titles (e.g. Mario titles on the GBA, I guess). However, it is well-designed, simple and yet deep enough to be a full game on its own.
Dunk Stars and
Kick Stars are simpler games that vaguely resemble previous arcade titles (e.g.
Street Hoop by Data East,
Hat Trick Hero titles by Taito). They can be hilariously fun in 2P mode, given their flippant attitude to the sports they represent. Case in point, I had the pleasure to play these games with friends under various degrees of inebriation, and enjoyed their silliness immensely (“F!@#$ing hell ref, it’s a bloody penalty!”).
Another question that you may have floating in your head is whether the game looks and sound good, of course. My answer is that you must really be into cartoony design, pastel palettes typical of late CPS-2 games, fluidly animated characters and cutesy sambas and techno beats. I am sure that you can
grow a taste for these aspects quickly, also because they are all well executed and accompany quite entertaining games. Be sure to buy a
Capcom Home Arcade and have some friends around. I would also suggest to choose a summer day, or at least a holiday day that allows you to relax, drink, and in general approach the games in a completely careless manner. Perhaps you could play them at the pub, if there is a MAME cab around (we implemented an alternative, not-so-legal approach, back in the day…). Have fun, and do some
real sports outside: you will be happier, I daresay.
(1916 words; the usual disclaimers apply).
"The only desire the Culture could not satisfy from within itself was one common to both the descendants of its original human stock and the machines [...]: the urge not to feel useless."
I.M. Banks, "Consider Phlebas" (1988: 43).
I think at one point, either one of my characters or an enemy was given a card and time-out (represented by an animation of the character tossed into a garbage can) for excessive roughness. 
