Game: Soccer
Console: NES
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: March 1987
As the earliest football game I've ever reviewed, there's no real pressure on 'Soccer' to be anything other than a basic representation of the game of football. On the game's main menu there's a choice of 7 international teams to choose from, 5 difficulty levels and 3 match length options. While this is basic by today's standards I was impressed that players had been given so much choice. There's no option to choose which team you face, but that's not a huge problem.
The d-pad is used to move the currently selected player around; the game does rather well with picking the player closest to the ball for players to control as there's no button for players to control this. The A and B buttons are used to kick the ball, and as far as I could tell there wasn't a button to tackle the opposing team's players, as gaining control of the ball is achieved by successfully running into the player currently in possession.
Gameplay is pretty standard for an early football game; passing is difficult to do successfully so players will mostly be trying to hold onto the ball. When the time comes to shoot, there's an arrow which players can set shot direction with, in an attempt to beat the goalkeeper. The difficulty options provided cover a good range with 1 being far too easy and 5 being pretty hard. Graphically the game is basic, but offers enough differentiation between players and environments to get by. The accompanying music is enjoyable, and the sound effects and crowd noises are fairly standard for 1987.
Overall Soccer plays well for an NES sports game and would no doubt have been enjoyable for football fans back in the day. Although it'd be nice to have a tackling option, and better passing there's still some fun to be had, especially if you can get a friend in on the action. The game provides a decent base for subsequent football titles to build upon.
Rating: 46/100
Grade: D
Game: Power Soccer
Console: Nintendo Entertainment System
Developer: Kitty Group
Release Date: 30th March 1990
Power Soccer was released 3 years after Soccer for the NES so although they're both for the same system, I'd expect to see a little progression between the two titles. Power Soccer gives players a choice of two teams to play as; Eagle and Shark but I don't think there's any difference between the two, save for their kit colours. Opposing teams also have the same sort of names, such as Buffalo and Star. There are no other options to the game, and once the player's team has been picked, the match begins.
Unlike 'Soccer' the game is played up and down the pitch, instead of left and right. Personally I prefer to control football games from the sideline view rather than the goal line view, as I would assume most people do. Kick-off is difficult to gain an advantage from as players can only kick the ball towards their opponents rather than passing back to their own team. This can become frustrating if players find themselves kicking off a lot due to being several goals down.
Another complaint of the game is that the viewpoint switches when the ball gets near to either goal to a zoomed, slightly harder to use angle. While this angle is technically impressive for the NES it doesn't really help players to score or save goals. Switching between players is also difficult in the game, although it is user controlled it's hard to see who's currently selected. Graphically the game is a little less basic than Soccer in terms of its players, but shows less pitch features. Soundwise there's a nice tune which plays behind gameplay, but the sound effects can be a little lacking.
Overall Power Soccer is a bit of a let-down when compared to other NES football games due to its viewpoint, strange controls and overall high difficulty level. These days there's not much point playing anything but the best NES titles, so this is a game that's already been forgotten by most.
Rating: 23/100
Grade: F
Game: ISS Pro Evolution
Console: Sony Playstation
Developer: Konami
Release Date: 6th June 2000
Skipping forward 10 years or so to the end of the original Playstation era, ISS Pro Evolution the forerunner to the PES series was released. The important new feature of this game to note was the Master League Mode which allowed players to take control of a club team (from a choice of 16 of the best European sides of the time) and gain points based on match results, to transfer in players from other teams and make a custom all star team, of sorts. Whichever team players selected had its squad replaced with a generic set of fictional players, to give a blank slate.
The controls in the game are similar to other Konami football games such as PES, allowing players to pass, shoot, cross and tackle at will. There are also some skill moves available, although they're rather specific about when and where they can be used. In general the game controls well when compared to most football games of the time. Mode options include Exhibition Match, Cup Mode, Master League and Training, all of which are fairly self explanatory.
Matches tend to be contested defensively on Normal difficulty mode, with the AI providing a tough back line, and defensive controls for the player being easy to master. Scoring goals isn't impossible but will take practice and skill, much like real football. As the game has difficulty options all players should be accommodated, whatever their skill. Graphically the game doesn't compare well to Dreamcast football games of the time, or PS2 titles but has a distinct original Playstation feel. The commentary and crowd sounds are generally good, if a little repetitive and unintentionally amusing at times.
Overall ISS Pro Evolution is a decent football title which at the time of its release was one of the best available, as evidenced by its glowing reviews. As time has progressed certain elements of the game have become outdated, however the overall gameplay and freshness of the Master League Mode remain, meaning that even today players can get something out of the game.
Rating: 62/100
Grade: C
Game: Euro 2000
Console: Sony Playstation
Developer: EA Sports
Release Date: 10th August 2000
Released a couple of months after ISS Pro Evolution, in conjunction with the Euro 2000 football tournament, Euro 2000 by EA Sports uses a modified version of the FIFA 2000 engine. In addition to the Euro 2000 tournament mode the game also features a tournament format Challenge mode, Golden Goal mode where a set number of goals will win a game, Skill Drill which acts as a training mode, and Classics mode where players can play from the semi finals of all the previous 10 Euro championships.
Controlwise the game is pretty poor, as the dash has been bound to tapping the triangle button, and swapping players is set to the X button. Not only does this lead to players falling over their own hands while trying to input their actions but there's no autoswapping between players. If you're currently controlling a player and that player goes offscreen then you continue to control them until the X button is pressed, rather than being swapped to a player closer to the action. This gets frustrating pretty fast and takes a lot of getting used to. The controls for shooting and passing aren't too bad, however.
The AI in the game is pretty bad as I managed to score 19 goals in my first 2 games, with 3 of those being penalties; considering this was on the default time and difficulty settings, I doubt any assortment of options would be truly challenging. The AI also seems to lack any real intent to take the ball off players, only intercepting passes when they're already in the way of them. Graphically the game is pretty poor; any close-up on players reveals hideously chunky appendages and body parts. The commentary isn't up to the standard of ISS, but is alright.
Overall Euro 2000 is a let down due to its lack of challenge, disappointing AI, poor control selection and lack of auto swapping between players when the action moves across the field. The variety of game modes and licensed players could have been so much more enjoyable with better gameplay and other improvements. It's still passable as a football game, but there's definitely better games out there.
Rating: 45/100
Grade: D
Game: LMA Manager 2003
Console: Sony Playstation 2
Developer: Codemasters
Release Date: 15th November 2002
Done correctly, football management games should provide players with enough options to feel as if they're making a difference to the results and gameplay of the team as a whole, while making sure not to confuse players with a sea of options, stats, and other confusing information. Unfortunately LMA fails on both of these counts, providing both complex and confusing menus alongside a feeling of powerlessness when it comes to winning matches.
Outside of matches the main screens are not only difficult to navigate and understand, but are also time limited meaning that players who are new to the series have little to no chance of being able to change anything significant. While matches are played, players can shout basic commands and control substitution and formation options. None of these seem to do anything much, however and this results in frustration as your team tends to throw games away while you watch.
Graphically the game isn't particularly impressive, looking more like an original Playstation title in its match highlights. The menus and other game features aren't as bad, but still tend to look rather boring. There's very little in the way of commentary or interesting sounds from the game, and overall the audiovisuals are pretty poor.
LMA Manager 2003 fails to excite both as a football game, and a management simulation. With an array of options that seem to change nothing about the results, which are presented to players in a visually unappealing way, there's not much to like about the game. Unless you're an aspiring football manager who wants to understand the complexities of running a club, I'd give this a miss.
Rating: 20/100
Grade: F
Game: Premier Manager 2002/03
Console: Sony Playstation 2
Developer: Zoo Digital
Release Date: 19th December 2003
Released after the 2002/03 season that it features, Premier Manager was already at a disadvantage sales wise against LMA. Luckily game quality is the only thing that matters in this review since both games are now 11 years out of date at least. Taking a more meeting based, personal approach to football management than the menus and confusion of LMA, Premier Manager sometimes ends up feeling like a meetings simulator rather than a football management one.
At the beginning of each career mode game, players are invited to negotiate their contract with the chairman of their chosen football club, and begin preparations for the upcoming season. Once every member of training and commercial staff has been met with, players can arrange transfers and organise training for their squad. Enticing any players to join your club is a difficult business and quite possibly reflects the real life challenges of signing a player. Assuming the player hasn't quit after a month and a half of meetings and setting things up for the upcoming season, games will actually begin to be played.
The highlights system for the game is what you'd expect from a management game, but better graphically than LMA 2003. When meeting and interacting with staff, their faces and models lack detail somewhat, but are fairly representative of graphics from 2003. There's hardly any sounds in the entire game, save for background noises such as the crowd or whirring equipment in the medical centre. This is disappointing for a game based around interaction, but understandable as there'd have been a lot of lines to voice.
Overall Premier Manager may oversimplify football management a little, but it shows players all of the options available to them and allows them to set up the team as they see fit. The choice of responses for conversations is a nice touch, although sometimes there's no way to convey how you're really feeling, but it's a clever way to hide all of the management options. On the whole, while I'm not the biggest fan of management games, this seems to be on the right track.
Rating: 48/100
Grade: D
Game: Mario Strikers Charged Football
Console: Nintendo Wii
Developer: Next Level Games
Release Date: 30th July 2007
Mario Strikers Charged Football is the odd one out in this roundup of football games; it takes itself far less seriously than any of the other games featured and focuses on fast paced 3 minute games where scores of 31-0 are entirely possible. There are 3 different game modes as well as a training option, and now inaccessible online mode via Nintendo WiFi. Domination mode is the equivalent of exhibition match, allowing players to adjust many of the options and go head to head, Road to the Strikers Cup mode acts as the career mode, with 3 progressively more difficult cups to win and a maximum of 39 games to win, and Challenge mode provides scenarios in which players must meet certain goals.
The controls for the game are simple; teams consist of 4 players switched between by pressing A (also the pass button), the d-pad tackles when players aren't in possession and does tricks when they are, the B button is used to shoot, C to use items, Z to lob the ball upfield and the analog stick of the nunchuk to move around the field. Moves using the A and B buttons can be charged for more power, and holding B for a long while without being tackled (when in possesion of the ball) will set off a Megastrike which can score up to 6 goals, depending on the speed of the shots and the goalkeeper's skills.
The overall difficulty of the game ranges from fairly easy in the early stages of the career mode to nearing impossible for the final matches. The best bet for well matched difficulty is multiplayer mode against a friend of equal skill, otherwise there'll only be a small amount of games which are at a good level. Graphically the game looks good, although players can be a little small onscreen at times, and there's a slight amount of slowdown in pre-game cutscenes. The music featured in the game isn't quite as memorable as you'd expect from a Mario game, but it's not bad either.
Overall Mario Charged Strikers Football is a fun, but short and slightly unbalanced game. The fast paced and easily changeable arcade action makes a nice change from more serious football titles, and isn't affected too badly by the large gap in AI difficulties. The scenario mode is a fun concept but past the first few, they become pretty difficult. The fact remains that sports games need a unique twist to stand out, and this game has just that.
Rating: 76/100
Grade: B
Game: FIFA 11
Console: Nintendo Wii/Sony Playstation 3
Developer: EA
Release Date: 4th October 2010/28th September 2010
While the PS3 and Wii versions of FIFA 11 are entirely different experiences, I don't want to spend too long pointing out everything different between them. I'll start with FIFA 11 on the Wii as it's the first of the two games that I played; featuring 2 career style modes as well as the option to play in any tournament you wish, or exhibition matches, FIFA 11 on the Wii's mode select menu seems pretty sparse, though it actually covers pretty much everything you could want.
There's not a huge amount of motion control needed to play the game if you own a nunchuk; the A button is used to pass, the B trigger to charge up and shoot, the control pad for tricks and the Z button to sprint. The only moves requiring motion control are slide tackling and self volleys which are controlled via shaking the wiimote and nunchuk respectively. The only complaint I have of the controls is when players are not using a nunchuk; the computer controls movement, leaving players to "focus on the fundamentals of football" (i.e. passing and shooting).
Streets to Stadium mode is the best experience, as it challenges players to create a footballer who spends his first season playing matches on the streets before being signed by major football clubs for the next 4 seasons. Throughout the 5 seasons players will compete in some of the fixtures of their chosen club as well as some training matches, earning XP and Fame points by completing selected challenges. With enough Fame points (getting up to Level 10), players can represent their chosen international side, and take them to a World Cup at the end of Season 5.
The viewpoint in Streets to Stadium mode isn't typical of most FIFA games, showing action focussing on the created player, who is the only footballer on the pitch that players are in full control of. It's possible to call for passes between your team and orchestrate some pressuring defensive moves, but there's no control of movement for other players. The viewing angle definitely takes some getting used to, and Fame/XP matter far more than actual results a lot of the time, but this is definitely the most engaging mode I've come across in a FIFA game.
The other career style mode included in FIFA 11 for Wii is the manager mode where players can take control of a side in a more traditional football game style. It's possible to control formation, squad and transfer settings while also playing the fixtures as normal. There's also the option to simulate games for players who prefer a more managerial role. The only real stand out feature of this mode is the managerial aims, which if met can earn players game booster cards which help players to perform.
Overall the Wii version of FIFA 11 is tolerable as long as you're in possession of a nunchuk and don't mind incredibly blocky graphics that make it clear how little effort EA put into making the game look nice. Streets to Stadium mode is incredibly engaging once you're used to its viewpoint, and provides an interesting RPG-esque take on football as a whole. Outside of this mode though there's very little to like, and I'd advice picking up literally any other version of the game for the "classic FIFA experience".
Rating: (Wii Version) - 66/100
Grade: C
Now to the PS3 version of the game; Lacking a Streets to Stadium mode, FIFA 11 for PS3 allows players to sign for whichever club they'd like to straight away in its main career mode. Having chosen a team, and played fairly well for a few matches I was surprised to find a email from the coach (the game's email system is completely unnecessary by the way) telling me that I'd been dropped because "my level was too low". 5 matches on the bench later (which literally forced me to skip each one and wait for a simulated result) and I was wondering whether I'd ever get to play the game again.
There's a choice of just controlling your created player or the entire team, which is an improvement from the Wii version but overall the game feels a lot easier when you're controlling the entire team; I was winning 8-0 regularly when I actually got the chance to play. Other minor problems like not being given man of the match after scoring 5 goals in a game, and a general lack of skill upgrades save for being emailed by the assistant coach also frustrated me.
Graphically the game looks excellent, and it's easy to tell that a lot of effort has gone into the lighting and general look of the game. The commentary and sound also are impressive and give players some of the most realistic football gaming available. My biggest problem with the game is that outside of exhibition matches, there's no depth to the game modes; I didn't feel compelled to continue with the career mode as my player's progress wasn't something I was in control of, and even with managerial options available, nothing felt like it was going to be as exciting as the Streets to Stadium mode featured in the Wii version.
Overall both games have a wide range of licensed leagues and cups to compete for, but exhibition and multiplayer matches are clearly better in the PS3 version. Without depth or real control of progression in its career mode though, and several small annoyances which could easily turn into bigger ones when enough time is spent in career mode, the PS3 version falls short of being an engaging football experience for me, and ends up being a hollow football engine that's good for the odd game.
Rating: (PS3 Version) 62/100
Grade: C
Game: FIFA 13
Console: Nintendo WiiU
Developer: EA
Release Date: 13th November 2012
While it's commonly known that FIFA games don't vary too much from instalment to instalment, I was still a little surprised to find that FIFA 13 for the WiiU is literally FIFA 11 for the PS3 with very minor changes, save for the WiiU touchpad gimmicks that have been added. While it's said that the games are constantly improving little by little (at least that's what EA say), and their metacritic ratings have been steadily rising to match that apparent progression, I saw no sign that any of the problems from FIFA 11 had been dealt with at all.
Because of the game's similarity to its last instalments I'd like to just take a moment to give my view on the ratings given to FIFA games. FIFA 13 for PS3 holds a Metacritic rating of 88, the exact same rating as Shenmue, one of my favourite games of all time. Does this mean they're at all comparable in quality or lasting impact? Of course not. I'm not sure how, but I think the gaming press need to re-evaluate their ratings of FIFA games so as not to just reflect the apparent slight progression between instalments. If it's basically the same game, then give it the same score. Simple.
Controlwise the game feels very much like the PS3 version of FIFA 11, save for additions made for the WiiU touchpad which are optional. Touchpad shooting for example, allows players to press the right stick in to bring up a goal on the touchpad screen, which can be tapped anywhere to shoot there. Touchpad passing allows players to tap for a precision pass anywhere on the field of view. Unfortunately both of these require players to take one of their hands completely off either the buttons or left analog stick, and considering that play is still continuing this isn't ideal, and I found myself ignoring pretty much all of the new additions for the touchpad.
While the WiiU's primary audience isn't exactly the same market that'll be buying FIFA every year, it's a shame to see a game that feels so clunky when controlled by the WiiU gamepad. I couldn't help but think how much I'd rather have a conventional controller in my hands whilst playing (although the game does support the pro controller). A combination of the touchpad controls and general control layout means that the game doesn't feel as good as on other platforms, thus harming the WiiU's image in the eyes of those who would play the game on this system.
Graphcally the game is excellent, but the same can be said for many of the other platforms the game came out for, as well as previous instalments. The commentary seemed to have some new phrases, but again it wasn't significantly better than in the last game. Overall there's almost no reason for the game to exist, save for making EA money. The updated rosters and leagues could be downloaded as an update pack, and a new instalment made when there's been a real advance in technology. The only purpose buying the game new seems to serve is online play, other than that it's literally FIFA 11 in my view.
Rating: 62/100
Grade: C
Now that I've reviewed all the football games I own, there probably won't be any more football game reviews on the blog as they're not exactly my favourite genre of game. Below is a table with the ratings of every football game I've ever reviewed, and I think its telling that a game which didn't take the football aspect too seriously, but instead applied fun and unique ideas to the genre beat out the rest of the competition to take top spot.
| #1 | Mario Strikers Charged Football | Wii | B | 76.60 | ||||
| #2 | FIFA 10 | PS2 | B | 75.30 | ||||
| #3 | FIFA 09 | PS2 | C | 72.70 | ||||
| #4 | Pro Evolution Soccer 6 | PS2 | C | 68.60 | ||||
| #5 | Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 | PS2 | C | 68.50 | ||||
| #6 | Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 | PS2 | C | 68.30 | ||||
| #7 | Pro Evolution Soccer 4 | PS2 | C | 66.60 | ||||
| #8 | FIFA 11 | Wii | C | 66.55 | ||||
| #9 | FIFA 08 | PS2 | C | 64.60 | ||||
| #10 | FIFA 07 | PS2 | C | 63.40 | ||||
| #11 | FIFA 13 | WiiU | C | 62.27 | ||||
| #12 | FIFA 11 | PS3 | C | 62.25 | ||||
| #13 | ISS Pro Evolution | PS | C | 62.2 | ||||
| #14 | SWWS 2000 | DC | D | 54.20 | ||||
| #15 | Pro Evolution Soccer 2 | PS | D | 52.00 | ||||
| #16 | Premier Manager | PS2 | D | 48.30 | ||||
| #17 | UEFA Striker | DC | D | 48.20 | ||||
| #18 | Euro 2000 | PS | D | 45.85 | ||||
| #19 | 90 Minutes | DC | E | 44.70 | ||||
| #20 | European Super League | DC | E | 42.10 | ||||
| #21 | World Cup Italia '90 | MD | E | 32.10 | ||||
| #22 | Actua Soccer | PS | F | 27.00 | ||||
| #23 | Power Soccer | NES | F | 23.20 | ||||
| #24 | LMA Manager 2003 | PS2 | F | 20.50 |
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