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This article is based on a video game that was not released. Although this article is based on an official subject, its was never officially released or produced. |
| LEGO Soccer Adventure | |
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| Developer(s): |
Blitz Games |
| Date Released: | |
| Platforms: |
PC, PS2, Xbox, GameCube |
LEGO Soccer Adventure, also known as Football Mania 2, was a canceled video game in development by Blitz Games around 2002-2003. While it was something of a sequel to Soccer Mania, to many of the developers it was simply a new game, and they were only vaguely aware of the existence of a previous LEGO football game.
Two demos were created by Blitz, with the second successfully appeasing LEGO, but the game was ultimately canceled anyway.
While the game was never officially announced or advertised, various pieces of artwork from the game have surfaced online, posted by its developers. The game was also brought up in an interview with Jonathan Smith, producer of LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game:
 This is a description taken from Jonathan Smith. Please do not modify it.
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GSUK: Were there any ideas that came before it? JS: We made a game called Lego Soccer Adventure, which never came out. It was a test. We started thinking about things that we could do with Lego that had never been done before. The game was basically a series of fantasy environments, and you kick the ball at things to make things happen, avoid animated creatures and tackles from enemies. You never die in the game; you just lose the ball. Dying and then having to go back and do things again and again and again, that's something that we decided we wanted to do differently. In the end, however, we just couldn't justify the amount of money it would cost to make that game. |
Most of what's known about the game's demo comes from a few developers:
| This is a description taken from a developer of the game. Please do not modify it.
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I got involved with the project on the second iteration, having worked on one or two other pitch demos at Blitz, the first iteration of Lego Football was being worked on by a different team. I didn't know much about it, but I heard through the rumour mill that the client wasn't happy with the direction of the project, and Phillip and Andrew opted to get a new team to attempt to salvage the pitch. I never saw the first iteration, but I think it had a greater focus on playing football. The managers of the new team got together and planned out what they could do within the time available and re-use as many assets as possible from the original. They planned out and we made a short demo of a 3rd person adventure where the main character (named Striker) would control a football, and shoot the ball at puzzle triggers to advance thru areas. Enemies would attempt to take the ball away from Striker, so there was some rudimentary football basics involved as well. There were Wild West and Medievel themed levels. I distinctly recall the managers planned to create the new demo without any overtime, just good planning. This was a concept unheard of, with the trademark crunch periods being all too standard. However, they pulled it off - no overtime was required, all work was completed within the time available, and the client was happy and moved forward with the project! Unfortunately other external forces caused the project to stall so it never got further, but it felt like a success at the time. I recall creating a set of animations for Striker, lots of standard movement anims, but always keeping control of the ball at all times. |
| This is a description taken from a developer of the game. Please do not modify it.
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Lego soccer. Not actually a soccer game (think Go go Beckham! on the GBA, a platformer where your “weapon” is a football, in 3d, and you’re more or less where this was). Only one level, IIRC, with 4 sub-bits, all set in the wild west:- (1) Break into the town (kick ball at two targets) (2) Run down a street where three mexicans try to get the ball, and then do a “which of us has the ball?” dance. (3) Another western street where something resembling a soccer game occurs (a couple of opponents plus a goalie, and a goal. Much tackling back & forth) (4) Boss fight. Enormous skeletal bull / minatour thingy, defeatable via a “make it get its horns stuck in the wall, kick the ball at it”, three hits and it’s out, deal. |
According to another developer, you played on top of an old wild west train, went through a fort, tribal village, western town with a saloon, and shot the ball at various targets/enemies like cacti, bears, and rattlesnakes.
