I cannot be sure but I have the slightly embarrassing feeling that Soccer Kid is an English game. Certainly there are plenty of idiosyncratic English symbolism and iconography. That's to say that the introduction, while mildly entertaining, looks like a Cosgrove Hall creation. (The makers and writers of Danger Mouse and Count Duckula here in the UK.) The only hint that Soccer Kid had even the slightest intention of being popular outside of Britain is the use of the word 'soccer' rather than 'football'. I'm embarrassed by association - because in my opinion and despite the love apparently lavished on it, Soccer Kid is rubbish.
Before I start - I don't want people thinking that I believe that graphics equates to game-play. As obviously it doesn't. However, if I tell yout Soccer Kid looks like an Amiga game. Sounds like an Amiga. Plays like an Amiga game. Yes, Soccer Kid is a sloppy port of an Amiga game. Visually, looks every bit what it is: A 16bit game on a 32bit console. Then its not unfair to call it rubbish. The makers, way back in 1994 made no real attempt to update the game, it looks like they re-compiled it and sent it back out the door. They had the opportunity to enhance it. They didn't take it. Rubbish game.
Even back in 1994 Soccer Kid didn't put up much of a fight against it's counterparts. The reason being was that the 3DO Multiplayer arrived at the tail of end of the biggest platformer-game storm since Atari had gone digging in the desert. So Gex was good, as was Another World, Flashback, Jonny Bazookatone and so on. Each of these games of course had been enhanced or written specifically for the 3DO Multiplayer. Sadly, Soccer Kid had not been tarted-up or written specifically and while it was considered mediocre with a few inspiring moments on the Amiga, it was considered far less on the 3DO.
The other point of issue is that the game is aggressive. OK you say, all games are aggressive and you'd be right. But Soccer Kid is unusual because you are aggressive towards enemies within the game that have not shown much, if any, aggression towards your character. And once you've noticed it, the game starts to feel a bit weird. Asking yourself questions like - 'Why am I kicking this ball at this builder?'. These questions haunt you throughout the game. How kicking a football at a kid on a skateboard is supposed to assist you in finding parts of the shattered World Cup is not fully explained. O.K. games are fantasy. O.K., again, you'd be right. But it needs a frame-work and Soccer Kid doesn't have that frame work.
The game itself is , if I'm to be fair, reasonably solid. The mechanics are sound, the feel is good and Soccer Kid, along with his football have enough special abilities to make the game interesting and varied.
But the downs out weight the ups and Soccer Kid was 'old school' even in '94. And if you want 'old school' platforming fun then or now, then I'd recommend you play the far superior Gex on the 3DO or dig out a SNES and play a Mario game.
3DO Kid.
They even released this on the Atari Jaguar in it's afterlife.