Go!Go! Beckham! Adventure On Soccer Island Review

By Tom Bramwell Published 12 September, 2002

Review - you thought it would be awful, and so did we, but it isn't - it's actually very good...

Version tested: GameBoy Advance

Admit it. When you first heard about Go!Go! Beckham! Adventure On Soccer Island, you thought it was going to be awful. All the signs were there! Rage's less than stellar output of late, the other Beckham games, the... odd looking screenshots. Fortunately, this is a very different and much better game than any of the others, and it's all thanks to the genius of Scottish developer Denki.

Our nation's saviour!

Anybody who has spent some time with Denki's previous release, Denki Blocks, will be immediately familiar with the interface. A little fella with a dodgy moustache is coaching the young Beckham on his trip to Soccer Island, and instructs him by means of a speech bubble in the bottom right. From here, the moustachioed one teaches Beckham about dribbling, running, jumping and using the ball to collect coins and defeat enemies. When he has the ball, Beckham can kick it straight along the ground by holding down and hitting B, or he can angle it upwards by picking a some other direction first. Monsters require a couple of hits, once on a weak spot and once again to vanquish them, but Beckham has to be careful to keep control of his ball.

The more you run, jump and kick the better Beckham gets at these key abilities, and you can also pick up "spells", which translate to enhanced ball skills. In the third training level, for example, you pick up a star which enhances your heading control. As the ball comes down, instead of bouncing away the ball drops helpfully at your feet. Other special moves include enhanced dribbling, trapping and shooting skills, naturally, and it wouldn't be much of a Beckham game without a "bending" skill. Make of that what you will, eh?

Golden Balls

As you would expect from a Denki title, the graphics are cute, cuddly and beautifully realised. The tones and thick outlines are very fitting and extremely agreeable to the eye. And the developer hasn't been afraid to play with finer detail either - this is the sort of graphical approach that all those rampant SNES porters could do with paying attention to.

The adventure itself is set across 40 or so levels in five zones, which effectively translates to various graphical changes and not much else, but the level design is consistently engaging and more than a little reminiscent of some excellent 16-bit platformers of old, like the James Pond series and Super Mario World. Beckham goes about booting enemies off the map and securing skills and coins, before activating a goal and then popping the ball in it to finish. Admittedly, the ball-kicking approach to defeating enemies and collecting items isn't altogether new - we've seen it in games across the ages from Plok to Rayman under various guises - but the implementation is excellent, and it would be harsh to criticise Denki for being unoriginal. They were, after all, charged with making a decent David Beckham game for the GameBoy Advance, and they most definitely have.

The only real criticism I can level at Beckham's adventure is that it's a mite too easy. Of course from the, cough, "plot", it's easy to work out that this is aimed at those south of my age group, but even so, I did find it a bit too easy to get past some of the bosses and when I did finish it, which took only a handful of hours, I did lust for a bit more.

Wake me up before you Go!Go!

It may have an annoying name, and it may star a cute version of one of the girliest sounding footballers in the country, but he keeps his mouth shut and what's in a name anyway? Go!Go! Beckham! Adventure On Soccer Island is probably the best original platformer released on the GBA this year, and even if you hate football and hate Beckham, it's definitely worth slipping into his boots.

8 / 10

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About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (69) Latest comment 10 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • skalmanxl #1 10 years ago

    Oh...somewhat of a suprise ain't it?

    Shoot my spelling.
    Edited by 2 at 12/09/02 @ 11:46

  • Alastair #2 10 years ago

    I would love to hear Beckham's opinion on it!
    :o)

  • Blerk #3 10 years ago

    And you could! If he could string more than two words together.

  • Moonbender #4 10 years ago

    Bizarre.

  • otto #5 10 years ago

    Crumbs. I'd be tempted, but someone might think I support Manchester United. :p

  • st3ph3n #6 10 years ago

    Denki! sure! love! their! exclamation! marks!

    Denki blocks was fabulous, good to see Scottish development shining through again.

    I was going to say I could go round and congratulate them on some fine work, but they are in Dundee, and only the promise of a beautiful woman (not likely in Dundee) or loads of cash could ever get me to visit that place.
    Edited by 1 at 12/09/02 @ 12:16

  • Nemesis #7 10 years ago

    and what’s in a name anyway?

    Depends how much you have to pay for it!

  • Errol #8 10 years ago

    Beckham's mistake in the game last night against Bolton was criminal. Shockingly bad (as was the entire teams performance).

  • Nemesis #9 10 years ago

    He did apologise.

    Not as bad as Spurs throwing away a 2-0 lead at Fulham. /resigned sigh/

    Different season, same mistakes.

  • Khab #10 10 years ago

    Beckham in good game shocker!, eh? (Note the clever double, there.)

    On another note:

    otto, I fell to your recommendations today and purchased 'Lone Star'. As I joyfully got home and opened the DVD box, I discover the nitwits at Åhléns forgot to put the disc in... AARRGHH!.... So I guess I'm going back up town, then. See you in a bit. :p

  • Nemesis #11 10 years ago

    God knows how we're still 2nd in the league. Oh, hold, on, every1 else is messing up too!

    Have a butchers over at http://www.premier-lea gue.com, their fantasy footy thing is quite cool.

  • otto #12 10 years ago

    Wow, another person falls for one of my recommendations. Soon they'll be calling me a pundit. :o

  • Moonbender #13 10 years ago

    Yes, like the friendly people from the home shopping channels! :)

  • Ainudil #14 10 years ago

    Looks japenese, acts japenese but made by the english... And it is a good game.

    Today I have seen it all :)

  • mal #15 10 years ago

    Erm, Ainudil...English? You'd better edit that comment before st3ph3n sees it.

  • Sir Icey #16 10 years ago

    Yep. Soccer Kid (named "Football Kid" before release). Brilliant lil game. And as far as i can see, this is a pretty blatant ripoff :)

  • K.A.G #17 10 years ago

    I'm thinking of eventually getting a GBA. What is the best game to get for it?

    I'm a bit partial to Mario Kart, but just wondering if there is anything better available?

  • otto #18 10 years ago

    cripes, what a question...

    Which genre? Can't think of anything to beat Mario Kart though F-Zero might be more your think if you'd prefer a 'proper' racer to the cartoony type.

  • Nemesis #19 10 years ago

    THPS all the way on the GBA. Good stuff!!!

  • Alastair #20 10 years ago

    Got to recommend Advance Wars.
    It's the bees knees!
    Also recommend Tony Hawk 2 or 3, Mario Advance 2, Kuru Kuru Kururin, Chu Chu Rocket, Golden Sun, erm, that'll do!
    :o)

  • eviltobz #21 10 years ago

    then there's the huge back catalogue of GB and GBC games that also run on it.

  • st3ph3n #22 10 years ago

    GTA Advance, superb game. Tony Hawks 2, also great.

    I seem to have got the reputation of some kind of raging Scottish Nationalist, which I'm not. I just don't like the term "english" being used to describe the whole of the UK. If the comment had of been "Looks japenese, acts japenese but made by the British" I wouldn't have been minded, but it wasn't made by the English.

  • K.A.G #23 10 years ago

    From reading the reviews, Advance wars seems to be good. Is it the type of game were you can have a quick go for 30 minutes or so while commuting?

  • otto #24 10 years ago

    och st3ph3n dinnae git yer sporran in an auchtermuchty helpmaboab ;)

    must get THPS for GBA one of these days

    I must be one of the few people in the world to find Mario Advance 2 irritating beyond belief. But then I was never one of the NES/SNES crowd.

  • Mr_Sleep #25 10 years ago

    "I just don't like the term "english" being used to describe the whole of the UK."

    I am with you there! It does get very tiresome, as does Wales/Scotland/Ireland, London.

  • Alastair #26 10 years ago

    'From reading the reviews, Advance wars seems to be good. Is it the type of game were you can have a quick go for 30 minutes or so while commuting?'

    Yeah, pretty sure you can save mid-campaign. Haven't actually played it since about April, as I've lent it to a mate.
    Tony Hawk is _ideal_ for commuting as each run only last 2mins. Or is it 3...???

  • Khab #27 10 years ago

    Advance Wars has a save-anywhere, so no worries there - and it's excellent, although if I were to niggle I suppose the AI does get a bit stupid sometimes. Of course, it gets decently hard anyways.

  • Super Stu #28 10 years ago

    Ah excellent... I can talk football and not worry about getting zapped. Well, my comments are twofold:

    1. GUNNERS

    and

    2. WALES!

    After that splendid performance against Finland on the weekend, we've moved up the FIFA world rankings slightly, such that we're not now the worst team in the UK (the dubious honour falls on NI). Furthermore, consultation of the group table we're in cautiously suggests that with the form we've shown recently (drawing with Argentina, beating the Germans, 2-0 against Finland etc), we stand a small chance of qualifying second in the group. Ownage :)

    *proud, nationalist moment over*

  • DaM #29 10 years ago

    Yeah, well done Wales! Unfortunately Scotland are the new Wales. (There must be a Faroe Islands joke in there somewhere, given they eat them!). Given the UK/England thing, have you noticed newscasters getting really confused- because the other UK nations get stroppy about it, they try really hard to get it right, but sometimes it is just too hard for their poor little brains!

  • otto #30 10 years ago

    I remember us taking some Yank visitors to South Wales one day and them insisting on giving their passports to the toll collector on the Severn Bridge. They wanted a stamp. lol

  • Gestalt #31 10 years ago

    "we're not now the worst team in the UK (the dubious honour falls on NI)"

    Hardly surprising when your own supporters threaten to kill your captain, I guess. o_0

  • mal #32 10 years ago

    I seem to have got the reputation of some kind of raging Scottish Nationalist, which I'm not.

    I think any Scotsman would object to having Scotland thought of as part of England proper. You're only a raging Scottish Nationalist if you always object to being called British. I should know, my flatmate is one.

    I'm thinking of eventually getting a GBA. What is the best game to get for it?

    I know otto will disagree with me, but the best thing for a GBA is a lighting system. Mario Kart on GBA is a cracking little game and possible the best incarnation of it, but I couldn't race on any of the Banshee Boardwalk type circuits without randomly falling off until I got a light. Kuru Kuru Kururin is a nice bright game though which you can get cheap these days, and it's very easy to get into (if a bit repetitive after a few days). And the Mario platformers have been occupying a lot of my time recently, especially because I'm only 30 minutes into Golden Sun and stuck already.

  • mal #33 10 years ago

    I must be one of the few people in the world to find Mario Advance 2 irritating beyond belief.

    I prefer the dynamic in Mario Advance (1) to Mario World (Advance 2), despite the fact it's the least respected game in the series. Unfortunately both games have the same second game (Super Mario Bros).

    I heard that a GBA with a back-light really will be made - anyone know anything on this?

    Nothing apart from the standard rumours. Otto says spong has a story about a backlit GBA being tested by Nintendo Europe, but didn't provide a link. I'm hoping the proper unit doesn't have the funky glowing console effect that my newly kitted out GBA does though!

  • mal #34 10 years ago

    Quotes taken from website.

    Right. Thanks for those. But you don't suppose that if we gave a toss what 'Total Advance' magazine thought we might have bought it already rather than waiting for the Eurogamer review written by people whose opinions we trust, do you? Bit of a difficult concept, I know.

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #35 10 years ago

    "Bit of a difficult concept, I know."

    Steady on. I think he was just making the point that we're not the only ones to be surprised by this.

  • mal #36 10 years ago

    Alright, fair enough. It read too much like another attack of the PR drones, but I suppose I should give the benefit of the doubt.
    Edited by 1 at 12/09/02 @ 19:58

  • otto #37 10 years ago

    Otto says spong has a story about a backlit GBA being tested by Nintendo Europe, but didn't provide a link.

    Sorry. spong.com - top story... ;)

    Oh, & if I were a Scot I'd be dead pissed off too. I'm a European and it gets my goat when people in England (I use the word advisedly) say "oh I went to Europe for my holidays" etc. The English: famed for their geographical laziness.

    (edit - second story, now...)
    Edited by 1 at 12/09/02 @ 20:30

  • mal #38 10 years ago

    Hmm, I tried that url before but I get a 403 error (whatever one of those is).

    I think we're having a slow argument about nothing re: scotland, by the way. There is nothing wrong with being a Scottish nationalist, though it doesn't stop Scotland being part of the Union (poll tax issues notwithstanding). Just as closing your eyes and going 'la la la' is not going to stop Britain being part of Europe, though I have more sympathy with one point of view than the other of course.

  • st3ph3n #39 10 years ago

    The things I've learned about Scottish Nationallists in the last 14 months that I could tell you about but can't due to national secrets act. I am not really for or against it, but then I've lost all interest or willingness to care about politics ever again.

    Anyway, last day working for the Parliament tomorrow before I go back to university to finish the honours off.

  • Nobby #40 10 years ago

    There is nothing wrong with being a Scottish nationalist, just as England lost its colonies, it will lose Scottland as well.

    If only those damn voters agreed with you don't you think? It's a shame they don't. Perhaps it's because the SNP are a joke to half the country? Or how Scotland would financially survive in 5 years after north sea oil runs out? Besides, there is no similarity between British colonies and the Union.

    As for the whole England thing. I hate it when someone calls Britain England, but to call Scotland England is just going too far. The Americans are easily the worst at this, but I'm sure the rest of the world are just as annoying. To me the issue of calling Britain England is kind of like the issue of calling football soccer. In other words, I despise anyone who does either.

  • Moonbender #41 10 years ago

    Here in Germany, basically everyone calls GB England. Most people are not aware that there is a difference, or perhaps rather that you English, er, British folks care about the difference. I think people use it because it's rather more convenient to say someething happened in England than in "Großbritannien".

    Edit: HTML strike tag not allowed. Grr.
    Edited by 1 at 12/09/02 @ 22:28

  • otto #42 10 years ago

    I used to get stuff addressed to me at "Oxford, London, England"... (you can guess from where) *me rolls eyes*

  • Moonbender #43 10 years ago

    On a sidenote, I kind of understand how you might feel. I definitely would be pissed if people used the words German/Bavarian synonymously. Which some do. Rawr!

  • otto #44 10 years ago

    It's even worse when you're from Baden-Württemberg. People say, "oh right, Bavaria!"

    RAWR

  • sam_spade #45 10 years ago

    You're still talking about Germany, right guys? Guys? ;)

  • Moonbender #46 10 years ago

    Yep. South-western part of it. As opposed to Bavaria, which is south-eastern Germany. Yes, south-eastern! Confused yet? ;)

  • sam_spade #47 10 years ago

    Confused yet? ;)

    Yes please

  • lee3p0 #48 10 years ago

    This games was always going to be good. I remember Soccer Kid on the Amiga, Which was ACE. This looks to have captured the feel of that game perfectly. I think I`ll get it!!!

  • otto #49 10 years ago

    Bavaria and the rest of Germany are pretty much separate coutries, even the language/dialect are quite different.

    See, this is what I mean. Lumping us Schwabs in with "the rest of Germany" as if *we* don't have a separate dialect and identity - rawr etc

    ;)

  • DaM #50 10 years ago

    "If only those damn voters agreed with you don't you think? It's a shame they don't. Perhaps it's because the SNP are a joke to half the country?"

    The thing is though that the SNP are the main opposition party in Scotland (the Tories are 4th!), and so sooner or later, at Scottish Parliament elections, the populace will get pissed off with Labour (later rather than sooner), and give the SNP power up here. A UK government would at least have to offer a referendum on independence. ..And I'm not a raving Nat either, its just bound to happen one day!

  • sam_spade #51 10 years ago

    <A href=" http://www.germany-tourism.de/e/dest_con_main_e.html#&qu ot; target=_new>This</a> is an excellent map of Germany, courtesy of the German tourist board, for those interested in this geographical exploration of Europe.

    Otto, I take it Schwabs, as you call them, are from Baden-Württemberg? If so, how come Schwabs?

  • Moonbender #52 10 years ago

    Schwaben is a district in the westernmost part of Bavaria (which is a state), actually, on the border to the state of Baden-Württemberg.

    Edit: 'cause I seem to edit all posts tonight.
    Edited by 1 at 13/09/02 @ 00:18

  • otto #53 10 years ago

    Schwaben is a district in the westernmost part of Bavaria (which is a state), actually, on the border to the state of Baden-Württemberg.

    /otto adopts a look of shock and outrage

    Schwaben (Swabia) is the name given to a region of Germany which is roughly contiguous with the ancient Duchy of Swabia, itself the descendant of the lands of the Suebi, an ancient German tribe described by Tacitus in his Annals. At one time Swabian territory extended well beyond its current frontiers and down into Switzerland, Lombardy (the Ghibellines of Milan were so named because they came originally from Waiblingen) and even into the Carpathians (with resettlement into Transylvania). Nowadays, though, 'Schwab' is usually used to refer to the people of Württemberg (as opposed to Baden) and Schwäbisch is their dialect. Stuttgart can be thought of as their capital, though as Moonbender points out Swabia does extend into Bavaria along the Danube as far as Augsburg (which used to be the capital of the old Duchy) - known as 'Danube Swabia' or Donauschwaben - he's dead wrong though if he thinks that this is anything more than a minor offshoot of the main branch nowadays. ;)

    That probably exhausts the subject, but you can find out more from here or here or here...

    Oh if you're wondering why the hell I know and care, it's cos my mum comes from deepest Swabia and I grew up speaking the dialect. :)
    Edited by 2 at 13/09/02 @ 10:18

  • Gestalt #54 10 years ago

    "has anyone seen Tenebrae"

    Woah, that looks really funky. The one problem they have at the moment is the original Quake textures, which are ugly and low res by modern standards, but I see there's already an effort underway to replace all of those with new high res versions (which look great so far).

  • sam_spade #55 10 years ago

    has anyone seen Tenebrae

    I thought you were talking about the Argento film and got v. confused.

    Thanks for the info Otto, I shall read with interest.
    Edited by 1 at 13/09/02 @ 11:34

  • Ainudil #56 10 years ago

    st3ph3n, sorry mate, being a non-british poster I sometimes use the wrong terms.
    Scottish then - anyway, I tried it at my gameshop and it was fun.

    Good job.

  • Moonbender #57 10 years ago

    Rawr, I visited two websites about Schwaben, both merely said it's a district of Bavaria, none went into historical details. At first I wanted to point out that this might just be the political division, but revision two of my post kind of removed that part. :)

    Re: Tenebrae. Yep, saw it a week ago when it was mentioned on Slashdot, and it's way cool. While we're at it, that Shockwave Q3A renderer is also very nice.

  • st3ph3n #58 10 years ago

    DaM, I have so many wonderful replies I can post. Most of the AHEM Members (IFYSWIM) of a certain party with an upturned infinity symbol are ......... (it's my last day, stuff it) Twats. Collective chip on shoulder, obstructive to proceedings, take everything going.

    Now if you excuse me I have to leave the building, I fear they can see my PC screen from the floor above.

  • otto #59 10 years ago

    both merely said it's a district of Bavaria

    There is an administrative part of Bavaria called 'Schwaben' which is a bit like saying there is an administrative part of Italy called the Tirol. It's true, but it's not the whole picture. Tell you what - go to Stuttgart and announce on the Königsplatz that Schwaben is part of Bayern and then see how long you last. That should convince you. :)

  • otto #60 10 years ago

    st3ph3n - I can see it now: tomorrow morning's 'Scotsman', "Scottish Parliament worker quits after calling Nats 'Twats' shock!"

    Do you need an agent?

  • st3ph3n #61 10 years ago

    Otto, yes, you may represent me.

    Although more helpful would be a couple of grand to keep me in this life of new DVDs and CDs and games (£72 in Fopp last night when I just went for a browse) that I have become so accustom to.

    Anyway, Reservoir Dogs DVD is only £7 in Fopp. A worthy purchase.

  • mal #62 10 years ago

    Cool. Fopp recently opened in London, I think...although I haven't been there yet, my flatmate (predictably) has.

  • Alastair #63 10 years ago

    Fopp - haven't heard that name in yeaaaaars! :o)
    Is it still on that street that goes from High St down to near Waverley? Starts with a 'C' maybe....????
    (What a crap description - I keep thinking of Victoria St, but I know that's from Grassmarket to George IV)
    Actually, I'm going up to Edin next Wed, for a wedding in Corstorphine on Friday. Yippee!! :o)

    EDIT: it's Cockburn St!
    Edited by 1 at 13/09/02 @ 17:00

  • Gestalt #64 10 years ago

    "Reservoir Dogs DVD is only £7 in Fopp"

    Probably clearing out the old copies before the new Collector's Edition or whatever it's called arrives. ;)

  • Daryoon #65 10 years ago

    What drugs were they on when they made this? Doesn't he have to saves the balls of his fellow players from an evil warlord or something?

    Now, how about turning this into a franchise?
    Go! Go! Michael Schumacher!
    Go! Go! Steve Davis!
    Go! Go! Tim Henman!
    Go! Go! Bobby Davro!

  • st3ph3n #66 10 years ago

    Yes, Fopp on Cockburn street (That's pronounced "Coburn" before anyone gets their innuendo in). I came out of Fopp on Thursday night after just going in for a browse minus 72 of my pounds.

    According to reviews the collectors edition (currently available in R1 flavour) has the worst most arsed up transfer of a film ever. Good extras, poor film transfer.
    Edited by 1 at 14/09/02 @ 13:56

  • Razz #67 10 years ago

    I have passed wind

    -Razz

  • Nobby #68 10 years ago

    The thing is though that the SNP are the main opposition party in Scotland (the Tories are 4th!), and so sooner or later, at Scottish Parliament elections, the populace will get pissed off with Labour (later rather than sooner), and give the SNP power up here. A UK government would at least have to offer a referendum on independence. ..And I'm not a raving Nat either, its just bound to happen one day!

    The thing is people who want indepedence generally vote for the SNP. If people get fed up with them then most will either vote Tory or more likely (the Tories being the Tories after all) the Lib Dems.

    st3ph3n, I was under the impression that all MSPs were twats. Are they just even worse than the rest? It's a scary thought.

    Go! Go! Tim Henman!

    "Teaching to kids that coming third is much better than anything else!"

  • st3ph3n #69 10 years ago

    I can't possibly comment.





    (Yes)