Previous Next

"'Ere, didn't I review this somewhere else in this ish? Oh well, 'ere we go, 'ere we go, 'ere we go... again.

Microprose Soccer is one of my favourite games of all time, a superbly playable sim of that 'funny old game'. Like so many of its computer counterparts, it's viewed from overhead, the pitch scrolling to follow the action.

And what action there is! It's end-to-end, thrilling stuff throughout the whole match (the clock even stops when the ball is dead - boo hoo, he'll be sorely missed!).

Skilful dribbling is easy 'coz the ball's glued to your foot, and you can soon zoom up towards the opposing goal. Or quicker still, send a couple of nifty passes upfield - you soon learn where your team-mates are.

Mind you, getting through defences ain't that easy: defenders can nick the ball off you by slide-tackling - although this has unpredictable results when it rains.

All this is basic stuff, though. For real excitement, try a curling banana shot - in the pre-match options you can alter banana power; on the highest setting, the ball's like a boomerang! You can even do a stunning overhead kick! And when you score a cracker of a goal, you can watch it again on the slow-motion replay (this can be turned off).

Two-player games are great fun, of course, but playing solo can be just as good with a full World Cup tournament and the Microprose Challenge - playing all international teams in order of difficulty.

It's not just the playability which is of the highest standard, though - graphics are excellent with fast smooth scrolling and superb cartoon player sprites. Even sound is brill with good in-game FX plus optional music, and an infectious title tune.

What more do you want for four quid? The six-a-side indoor game? Yes, you get that too! (And for those clever dicks asking why I've given it a higher rating here than in the footy feature, it's 'coz I didn't know it was on budget then. And also, I've just beaten Steve about 20 times in a row!)