1st November 1989
Many football simulations of one sort or another have come and gone but I think this one rises above the rest, not least because of the two tunes that alternate with loading.
The game has one excellent feature - it can cope with up to 24 players, each with their own team and country.
Many options are included to mould game-play to personal requirements, such as the skill of the goalie, speed of play and the length of each half.
Human can play against human or computer and a whole league is automatically set up, again depending on how the options are set.
There is even a 'friendly' mode, in which any team can play any other without feeling the need for immense professional effort.
The game itself employs some good ideas. The scrolling is virtually flicker-free and this allows the game-play to 'feel' smooth.
However, there is one bad point: during kick-off and corners, the computer players seem to wander all over the place and some even walk through goal posts!
The game has a default time limit of one minute per half but it is possible to expand this to five.
Overall the game is remarkably realistic and it includes nice throw-ins, corners and good action but I get the feeling it lacks something.
Nevertheless, I'd still recommend it to any football fan, particularly if you find a group of friends to join the league. It's good fun.
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