It’s really great when you have games that are accessible for both the PlayStation 3 and Vita. And it is even better when you only need to purchase that game once to get both versions. That’s the case with Foosball 2012, developed by Grip Games who is known for other PSN content like Blimp: The Flying Adventures. Now you can enjoy relive those college years playing your favorite past-time onto your video game consoles.
The objective is simply to get the ball into your opponent’s goal by moving a set of players on the table. It does become a button-mashing session and can get to the point where it feels repetitive. But when taken in doses, you can still have some fun.
Foosball 2012 offers a couple of modes you can engage your gameplay in. There’s the quick match which allows you to face off against a computer opponent immediately. This is where you can tweak different options, such as the difficulty, the rules, and the playing field or table. You can even change the type of ball you’re using during the match.
World Tour allows you to participate in a Foosball tournament with 20 opponents worldwide. You begin this mode with the objective of being the first to reach five goals. As you progress, the requirement gets higher. The transition during this mode is well paced. It doesn’t seem that the game’s difficulty boosted significantly, but rather gradually. Every time you win, you are rewarded with stars which allow you to unlock new shots or moves. Furthermore, if you win against enough opponents and consistently get 3 stars for your rating, you get to unlock a bonus mode where you can include more cities during the tournament.
For a game like this, you need to have online multiplayer. And in this case, Foosball 2012 delivers. You can play against anyone online. There’s also the ability to play cross platform, meaning that a PlayStation 3 player can challenge a friend who’s playing on the Vita.
The controls are pretty good by and large. By moving the left analogue stick, you’ll be able to move the players set. The right analogue stick along with the face buttons allows you to perform different kinds of shots. For a more authentic feel to the foosball experience, the game also allows you to use the Move controller which plays out really well. Looking at the Vita, it works in the similar fashion as if you were using the PS3 controller with the added ability of shaking the table in the event that you wish to manipulate the ball in a stuck position.
Foosball 2012 gives you quite a number of customization. To illustrate, you can change the player set on the foosball table to a hot dog if you want. You can even change your country’s flag to your heart’s content. This added degree of flexibility and autonomy is what helps to give this game a little kick to the overall experience.
Graphics may not necessarily leap out of the screen. But there’s enough color and effects to keep things from appearing boring. The music functions well in Foosball 2012. However, it doesn’t really help to keep things exciting during the matches. On the other hand, the sound effects of the ball being shot do give some positive impression.
The price of $7.99 is a fair price to pay for a game like Foosball 2012. But if you take into account that a single purchase will get you both the PlayStation 3 and Vita versions, you do get some value out of it. It’s just a matter of trying out the demo to see if the game works for you. But in the event that you do get a kick out of this type of game, you shouldn’t wait to get Foosball 2012.
