Zzap


Footballer Of The Year 2

Publisher: Gremlin
Machine: Commodore 64

 
Published in Zzap #77

Footballer Of The Year 2

Can you beat Arthur Scargill to become the number one striker in the country? Well in this game it's of course goals you need to score, although the method is as unrealistic as Arthur's hairstyle.

In this computer version of a board game you can earn goal chances by playing up to three of your 'goal cards', each representing a different tactical move by your teammates (shown by a diagram) before hopefully you stick it in the net, holding down fire to set the shotpower. Its not very difficult and you don't really have to bother following the tactical plan. The trouble is, even if you score a hat trick, you have no control over the rest of the match and your team can still lose!

Goal cards eventually run out and must be bought for £600 each. Your paltry wages won't cover this, so extra money must be earned in the 'Double Your Money' footy quiz: risk anything up to £500 and double it up to three times (to a maximum of £4,000) by correctly answering multiple-choice trivia questions within a time limit. As well as playing in the British Superleague, your team can enter the Gremlin Supercup, the Supercup, and European Supercup competitions. However, if your current club is rubbish you can pay £5,000 for a Transfer card. If you're lucky, another club will bid for you - though you'll have to prove your worth by either answering trivia questions or scoring a number of goals in the next match. Consistently score goals and you may be called up for your chosen international team and play in the World Supercup. At the end of each season, the top goal-scorer is announced, plus the all-important Footballer Of The Year.

Footballer Of The Year 2 scored a respectable 71% in Issue 58. Robin liked the "attractive, user-friendly menus" and thought it a "worthy sequel". Footy Phil had his doubts though: "There are very few tactical decision to make... following the ups and downs of a footballing career is absorbing. But the game's shallow nature shortens the appeal."

It does eventually get repetitive, but this interesting mixture of simple board game strategy, trivia quiz and a dash of arcade action is worth another look on budget.