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This is an arcade soccer game with so many features that it is impossible to cover them all in this review. You can start playing immediately or can select any one of 24 teams of the world. You can then play for the World Cup or challenge every other team. One excellent feature is that up to 24 other people can play the same game. This makes this a possible basis for a football party for your friends. If you do have lots of people playing it would be nice to be able to save and load the game status as the game will take a long time to play to completion. This option has been included and commendably so.

Other options include altering the time of each match and the skill levels of the players. You can play the computer or another person. You can have keyboard or joystick control for either player. Sound can be switched on and off before or during a game. Even the speed of the overall game can be selected. All selections are made via a friendly icon-based menu using the function keys to make choices. There is no redefine keys option as in Superior Soccer. Despite this there are many more options to select from and the keys are sensibly placed anyway.

The game itself is very exciting to play and the alterable skill level makes it easier to avoid games which are too hard or easy. The screen shows a small section of the pitch where the ball is. As the ball is moved the screen scrolls keeping the ball central. Your active player has a flashing jersey. If you hit the T key, your man will also have a flashing box around him. I recommend having the box as it makes recognising which man is active much easier. You control your active man to get possession of the ball. When you control the ball it stays with you until you kick it or are tackled. This method of control is much better than the one used in Superior Soccer as it allows you more freedom to move about. There are throw ins and corners but no offsides or fouls to worry about. This makes for a game which is furious fun.

The graphics are well defined and animated and the scrolling is fast if a little jerky. There is no full pitch scanner as seen in Superior Soccer. This is not a fault as you need to keep your eye on your player all the time anyway and a scanner would only serve to distract. The sound is well used in the game with roaring crowds when goals are scored and a starting whistle. A half-full time whistle would have been nice though.

In comparison to Superior Soccer this game has more options. It has a better gameplay. It lacks the management simulation but on the arcade side of things this is a much "superior" game. Well recommended.

Matthew Fifield