Street Cricket Champions

Street Cricket Champions brings yet another sport I didn't know existed, street cricket. This isn't just a game developer creating an urban culture out of the game; it exists (admittedly, I had to look it up). So some clever clogs decided that street cricket could translate well into a video game, and honestly, you can see where they're coming from with this one.

Despite the far reaches of the world knowing nothing about cricket, it's a wildly popular sport in some of the world's most populated countries. Kids' there undoubtedly play street cricket, and a video game taps into that culture. It all sounds good to me. Though what's left to understand is whether Street Cricket Champions is a decent video game. Let's get up to the bat.

Stop, Drop, and Bowl

One of the most attractive features of Street Cricket Champions for the outsider is the immersion into street cricket culture. The game is not made for the global audience, but rather local ones where the sport is rife among the populous. Environments feature typical South Asian regional locales, from beaches to dusty urban streets, and it's fascinating to see something different.

But then we need to play the game to discover if Street Cricket Champions is mechanically exciting as it looks. The answer is not, and the main reason is that the title has all the hallmarks of being rushed. The control schematic and mechanics are almost copy-pasted from the more prominent cricket games, only translating them into different environments.

Even though nothing is outstanding about gameplay, there still seem to be bugs in every corner, such as random bowler injuries or incorrect batting trajectories. There's also an element of cringe from oddly-named teams, less-than-accurate visuals, and sounds that resemble an overly enthused arcade game.

We'll admit that Street Cricket Champions is playable. But the game could have been better, given the original concept. There's potential to have seen the game reach a global audience as there's intrigue behind the largely unknown street cricket culture. Instead, the title was rushed to be released for local festivities.

Rushed for a Six

Street Cricket Champions isn't a lousy title; it just feels uninspired, considering the concept. It takes everything that built foundational gameplay from EA Cricket 2007 and stuck into the core mechanics, leaving little originality and stripping the title down to basic. There's a feeling that there was no interest in being innovative but only churning out the game to get it to market.

Round-Up - Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Generally fluid gameplay
• Introduces street cricket culture
• The achievements will keep you playing

Cons:

• Animations are erratic
• Cricket mechanics feel copy-pasted from other titles
• Visuals don't meet generational expectations

Street Cricket Champions is a great simulation of an exciting sports game invented in England. Build your street team of the school's best batsmen and win respect.

Play Street Cricket

Let's uncover a couple of basic details:

• Place an athlete at each position that you have pre-discovered. The unit is endowed with two characteristics (skill and strength)
• Instead of a stadium, there is a sandy area. On the side, there are blocks of flats, pedestrians, and cars
• Control Bowler and Batsman and victory is yours