That said, fans of
true soccer simulations still have nothing here for them. Scoring occurs in the same
manner it always has, based nearly entirely on rebounds. A power team will slaughter a
weaker squad every time. It leads to tense matches between the powerhouses, yet
unfortunately makes it almost impossible for anyone else. The biggest problem from every entry of this series is the view. The claustrophobic horizontal camera is too close to the action. It's hard, and most of the times impossible, to see teammates anywhere outside of a few yards. There's nothing to help either, whether that would be icons or a radar-like feature.
For as simple as this all is, that doesn't affect the game as much as you would think. It's easy enough to know where defenders are with practice, and passing to a general area (except on the hardest difficulty) is usually enough to make a play. The clean graphics, a step up from the pixilated sprites of the previous title, make a mark too.
There are other minor quibbles to pick at if you're easily frustrated, like the AI, which underwent little improvement. The defenders are fine. Your teammates stand around as if they're in some other game. Their lack of enthusiasm is infectious since it seems to spread at times.
With those same mistakes, Super Sidekicks 3 is frustrating. The lack of needed improvements is a source of major aggravation, but the basic gameplay is enough to makes this one a winner. Just try to ignore your teammates.
