16
FIFA InTERnATIOnA L
SOCCER
The arrival of sports gaming’s most lucrative
series. The must-have Mega Drive cartridge
of Christmas ’93 adopted an isometric view,
with an incredible array of player animations
and nations (78!) to play as. The year’s big
seller, despite coming out on December 15.
BEST BIT Follow-up FIFA 94 offered a laugh
out loud twist: running away from the ref for
as long as you liked, to escape being booked.
15
FOOTBALL
MAnAGER 2022
Any Football Manager edition from the past
10 years could have occupied this spot, but
we’ve decided to roll with the most recent –
the series’ lone shortcoming is that each new
release renders the previous one redundant.
Notable additions to the current title include
Transfer Deadline Days that go hour by hour.
Essential, as per.BEST BIT Snatching a filthy 88th-minute win
with your only shot on target.14
KICK
OFF
We’re nearing Hall Of Fame territory now, as
we move into the business end of our top 40.
Italo-British creator Dino Dini mastered the
birds-eye view first introduced by MicroProse
Soccer, then improved on that rival by having
the ball kicked ahead of players, rather than
being stuck to their feet. Fast, addictive and
historic gameplay.BEST BIT Getting to know which refs would
dish out red cards and which would let some
tactical fouling go – Kick Off featured a dozen
officials in total.13
ACTUA
SOCCER
Before Pro Evo rattled FIFA’s cage, this 1996
offering from Sheffield studio Gremlin – with
Wednesday players Chris Woods and Andy
Sinton on motion capture – took number one
slot in the purists’ eyes for its 3D visuals, slick
match engine and iconic commentary from
the legendary Barry Davies. It sold a million
copies and spawned two sequels.BEST BIT Undoubtedly the commentary and
Bazza’s entirely unsympathetic deadpanning.
“Oh no. The striker’s going through a bit of
a lean spell at the moment.” Leave the poor
guy alone, Barry.12
PRO EVOLUTIOn
SOCCER 3
The sim which firmed up Konami’s reputation
as guardians of ‘real’ football, and made ‘PES
vs FIFA’ as heated a rivalry as Spurs-Arsenal.
Touch-perfect controls, realistic ball physics,
intelligent team-mate play and immaculate
passing all felt dreamy, while Master League
made heroes of fictional players like Valeny,
Castolo and Espimas.BEST BIT Inimitable referee Pierluigi Collina
being on the cover – despite not appearing
anywhere in the game.11
FOOTBALL
MAnAGER
The second oldest game in the list (after NASL
Soccer) isn’t related to the modern series by
Sports Interactive. Buying and selling players,
building a squad, watching match highlights
(even if the players were stick men!), swearing
at the injustice of an unmerited last-minute
equaliser: this 1982 delight from Kevin Toms
invented the genre.BEST BIT Finally earning your first promotion- no matter which team you picked, you had
to start out in English Division Four.
FourFourTwo June 2022 57FOOTBALL
VIDEO GAMES