I've made no bones about my love for arcade soccer games or my anticipation for this game, so I'd imagine no one would be surprised by the fact that I'm going to pore over this list, which is located at the bottom of the article.
Besides the usual arcade soccer special moves that involve things like crazy shots and ridiculous tackling, Academy of Champions also has special special moves for its guest stars: The Ubisoft and Rabbids teams.
As I detailed in my E3 impressions, Splinter Cell's Sam Fisher can use his night-vision goggles to get past opponents with ease. The veil has been pulled from the other members of the team, though. Assassin's Creed's Altair lets him jump into the air and dive bomb the goalie, Beyond Good & Evil's Jade uses her photo to stun opponents, and the Rabbids use plungers to shoot on goal.
Also, the game's two other co-stars, soccer stars Pele and Mia Hamm, have their own special moves as well. Pele's spectacular dribbles stun opponents while Hamm unleashes a devastating bicycle kick.
My excitement for Academy of Champions is still only going up. I hope the story mode turns out to be fun, but my real hope is for fantastic multiplayer. I'm hoping that happens.
Academy of Champions is set for a November 2009 release.
Academy of Champions super moves description
Super tackle: Take the ball off your opponent's toes in a blink of an eye with this lightning-fast slide tackle.
Helix Kick: Bamboozle the goalie with this insane corkscrew shot.
Banana Kick: Put extreme bend on the ball - the keeper won't know which way to turn.
Chopper: A spinning tackle frenzy that will send anyone in your path flying - including your own teammates!
Unstoppable Rush: Release that pent up aggression by knocking over anyone that gets in your way as you charge towards goal.
Cat-like Grace: Glide through tackles and defense like a knife through butter.
Stealth Attack: When Sam Fisher turns on his night-vision goggles nobody can see him - ideal for getting through on goal undetected.
Eagle Strike: Altair's assassin training helps him to launch into the air and unleash a lethal strike that will take out the keeper before it hits the back on the net.
Acrobatic Leap: Why go through the defence when you can just leap over it? The other team won't expect that!
Plunger Shot: The Rabbid weapon of choice makes for a very potent shot at goal.
Photo Fanatic: Jade will use the flash of her camera to temporarily stun her opponents and make them lose the ball.
Perfect Dribble: Opponents will be stunned by Pele's unbelievable ball skills rendering them unable to stop him.
Bicycle Smash: Mia Hamm's stunning backflip bicycle kick makes her one of the best strikers around.
Speed Burst: An explosion of pace that will help you catch up to opponents.
Dodge Move: Jump over or go around players quickly with these cool and easy to use tricks.
© 2009 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Academy of Champions, Ubisoft, ubi.com, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries.
