Major League Soccer action for the 2002 season.
- ANA release: 25th March 2002
- JP release: N/A
- EU release: N/A
- Developer: Konami America
- Publisher: Konami
- NGC Magazine Score: N/A
- Mods Used: Widescreen Hack
North America didn’t get International Superstar Soccer 2, instead, Konami got the license for America’s football league, Major League Soccer, and let their American division adapt ISS to their needs, while also licensing ESPN to make it feel like a TV airing of a football match. This means that this version has a lot more content in terms of clubs, modes and stadiums. It also has a slightly different feel to it.
The main difference to me was the passing, it felt much more reliable than in ISS2, making the game more enjoyable to me. This is a fun, decent football game. The series ended here as MLS gave an exclusive license to FIFA after this. Looking into this game, this is seemingly based on Winning Eleven 4/ISS Pro Evolution, and not Winning Eleven 5/Pro Evolution Soccer.
Fun
Although you’ll initially curse the rigid control system, ExtraTime soon comes together as an above average soccer game. It runs at a smooth 60 frames per second at all times, there’s virtually no load time, and it’s got a great set of modes and options. The objective-based Scenario Mode in particular adds a welcome dose of originality to the standard array of modes found in almost each and every soccer game. On the flipside, there are also a number of problems that keep this game from being a favorite. In-game strategy options aside, it’s simply not as well-rounded a package as last year’s FIFA, lacks key licenses, and plays nowhere near as well as Konami’s other soccer offerings.
Peer Schneider, IGN
Remake or remaster?
There are other football games to look at.
Official Ways to get the game
There is no official way to get MLS ExtraTime 2002.
Europe
Japan
North America
GameCube Games by Date
2002: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2003: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2004: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2005: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2006: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Interesting! Had no idea that the US got a different version of ISS2.
BTW, it really strikes me just how many more sports games the GCN got over the N64. Even at this early stage in the GCN’s life, the difference is night and day!
Early days is crazy. Although after a couple of years, they fizzle out due to EA pricing out the competition and other companies ditching the GameCube. So it goes from a ton of sports games to pretty much just EA’s ones.