Best Footy Game Ever

Right, with PES and FIFA coming in once again, we threw our minds back to all the other footy games that have enriched our gaming history.

I am torn between:

Kick-Off (best bugs ever)
Sensible Soccer (most loveable)
Actua (best use of single uber player per team)

What's yours?

Tim

Kevin Tom's original Football Manager on the Spectrum. Or ISS on the N64. All other arguments are invalid.

Oh yes--- Kevin Toms! Me and a mate phoned him once when playing World of Soccer on the BBC Micro. One Sunday afternoon it was, with a bug.

He answered us ... on the phone! On a Sunday! And fixed it.

Awwww!

ISS 64 was glorious - you could beat up the goalie at just the right time after a goal kick, and avoid getting carded because the camera wouldn't see it. Out of sight, out of mind. :) Also, the announcer was fantastically cack. "enGLAND vERsus WAYYYlz"

My favourite is definitely Sensible World of Soccer on the Amiga. It had such great depth for a footie game at the time. After that it's probably Pro Evo in its pomp on PS2 and maybe Striker on SNES. The latter had a crazy after-touch mechanic which meant you could bend the ball both ways when playing the indoor football.

I also remember the original Football Manager. My Dad was addicted to it. When I loaded the game up on my Spectrum last year it still had my Dad's team - which was comprised of all the lads in my Primary School class!

Where's Jimmer?

My first fond footy game memory is of Match Day on the speccy. I will never forget Ritman Rovers. Then there was a sequel which iirc allowed you to play with your mate on the same team - surely the first game to do this.

Then there was one on the Sega Master System, the name of which I cannot recall.

Kick Off 1, 2 and Player Manager were great on the Amiga, once you got to grips with the whole ball-not-sticking-to-your-foot thing. I remember chasing a long ball, then running around it a couple of times before heading off in the wrong direction. Brilliant.

Then of course we has Sensible Soccer on the Amiga. Wasn't this just a zoomed-out version of Kick Off with more teams? Wasn't there a team with player names like "A Nice Cup of Tea" and "A Nice Piece of Cake"? I think there was also a special WWI demo version that came on the cover of Amiga Format, where the ball was a live grenade (kind of like watching Bath City).

Super Soccer was great fun on the SNES. Remember that? When footy games were about fun?

Then it was all about ISS on the SNES and then the N64. Oh, and Hat-Trick Hero, I think that was on the SNES.

It's a bit of a blur after that, until the glorious Actua Soccer 3 on the PlayStation. That's probably my fondest footy game memory, although that may be largely down to the Tuesday night PlayStation pie, a bottle of red and great company, eh Tim?

Since then I got a bit obsessed with Pro Evo until they ruined it a few years ago by being lazy/greedy. I am sad to say I am now a corporate FIFA fan, although I am yet to be convinced that the series has actually improved since the brilliant FIFA 08.

Did you want an essay or just a list?

Virtua Striker 2 Ver.2000 on naomi arcade spent so much money playing that game
Fifa International Soccer for the snes might have to dig that out a box and have a play
International Match Day for the zx

PlayStation Pie! Oh yeah. I remember baking the first one (steak and ale I think) with the PS Buttons in pastry on top!



Yeah, Actua, ISS Pro, PES... then... FIFA 08. I agree.



Eassy's fine by me. I'm making a pie on Sunday to celebrate.

You should listen to Fleetwood Mac while baking that pie. I know I would...