A game that actually makes soccer fun... for a while.
The gameplay is pretty solid except for one major flaw. Every time you charge up a shot to max, it goes to an annoying 5-10 second cutscene that has no business being shown right in the middle of a sports game. Sure it is ok once or twice, but if you are playing with a friend and keep charging up your shots then you will be annoyed and bored out of your skull. Other than that the gameplay is pretty fun especially with checking and items. The running, passing, and ball movement are all superb and very well done.
Where the game really starts to hurt is in the graphics category, but it is not the games fault it is the lacking power of the Nintendo Wii. This game feels like a last gen game due to is terrible graphics with flat faced objects and terrible jagged edges. I also don't like how far the camera is zoomed out. I have played around with the options and can't find a camera angle that suits me well. With next gen graphics and better than 480p resolution the game would have been more enjoyable, we are in the age of high definition not "enhanced definition of 480p; but that too is the fault of the console and not the game.
The controls for this game are solid but don't use the motion sensing too much other than to switch items and to lay out a large check. The rest of the controls feel good and play good too. Nothing to complain about here.
Another issue with this game are the sounds. They are annoying and repetitive and sometimes sound like "other things" that can make gamplay very awkward when a sudden image pops into your head. I usually play with the sound off and my headphones in listening to other music.
Replay value for this game is a major let down. While there are several cups that you can play for, the game will get old fast and will be quite tedious to play especially when you have played the previous one on the GC that feels quite similar. This game will only last for about a month of on and off playing before you put it down forever.
The multiplayer modes for this game are no better than the single player modes. Whilst there is on-line play, it too gets old very quickly. Plus, the lack of voice chat takes some of the fun out of the game especially when playing with people you know. One good thing that Nintendo did with this game was include leader boards. At least that gives you something to play for other than fun.
Overall MSC is only an average game. I would suggest that you rent it before buying it to see if you like it since it is one of those love it or hate it kind of games.
Final rating: 7.5/10