1st January 1986
The Roar Of The Crowd...
At the beginning of this football game, the menu screen gives various options - you can pit your wits against the micro or play against someone else. There's also a choice of keyboard with default keys or user-defined ones, or you can use joysticks.
The big day arrives to the music of Match Of The Day (At least, I think it is - I can't remember that far back!) and at the kick off you have to make your first choice - I kick to my inside right (joystick right and fire) but the ball's flying off the pitch because I forgot to put the joystick down.
It's a throw-in for the opposition and the ball lands in the space where I can't get my men. It's a fix, ref! The other team scores to a roar from the crowd - well, the speaker crackles and the screen goes dark.
Back to the centre circle - practice makes perfect! My men seem to have minds of their own and control is given to them when the ball gets close.
Now the opposition's got the ball again, so I try a tackle - but the two players merge together (graphically speaking). Separated again, the other side's got the ball still, he passes and I manage to intercept. Dribbling down the wing, my opponent's man merges into mine again and, of course, emerges from the tackle with the ball!
His attack reaches a position to shoot, he does so; unfortunately, my goalkeeper dives the wrong way, and me and the speaker crackle and hiss.
I'm sorry to say that I didn't manage to win or even score a goal against the micro - it would have been nice to say "I'm over the moon, Brian", but who could do so when the last game finished with a goal kick and my man taking it kept running into the side netting, into the side netting, into the side netting...
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