Part II

Kick off

Released: 1989
Developer: Anco
Console: Amiga 500/600, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore C64/128 & PC DOS

Since the late 1980s, soccer gaming turned its emphasis on pure arcade fun. The players became smaller, the ball bouncier and the action got faster and more intense. This transition is most evident in Kick Off, the first football game of its kind to have a top-down view. Unlike other titles of that time, in Kick Off the ball was not glued to the feet of the players. The game required coordination and skill, especially for controlling the ball. There is an option that lets you learn these skills as well as set pieces, passing, sliding tackles and dribbling. Each player on the pitch had a unique combination of four attributes, namely Pace, Stamina, Accuracy and Aggression. As you progress you had to adapt to different types of players. You had to compete in a league consisting of teams that had diverse styles of play with player attributes to match that style.

Sensible Soccer

Released: 1993
Developer: Sensible Software
Console: PC DOS

This is the first football game to challenge the supremacy of the Kick Off series. The graphical view is from overhead, making the players small on screen, but giving you better visibility of the pitch. The basic control system involves dribbling with the ball and an emphasis on one-touch passing, which can be easily performed by tapping the fire button. The game featured customizable league and cup competitions as well as pre-set ones including the 1992 European Championship. There are 168 teams in total with 40 European nations, the 64 top club sides and 64 custom teams with names ranging from self-indulgent to comical (their details are fully customizable). Each team or club had three star players who are more gifted that the others.

International Superstar Soccer

Released: 1994
Developer: Konami
Console: Super Nintendo

Konami took a big leap in soccer gaming with the release of ISS in 1994. This game had it all: good controls, graphics, challenging enemy AI, arcade dynamism... In the mid-90s most gamers were in awe by the level of realism in ISS. The game let you intercept the ball with sliding tackles, play through passes, one-two combos and so much more. There was also team strategy and a large number of adjustable variables down to referee leniency. ISS is probably the farthest anyone has ever taken a 2D soccer game. It was so refined that it forever raised the expectations soccer gamers.

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