Retro Football Games That Still Hold Up Today
If any genre of video games feels oversaturated these days, it’s probably sports games. Though they are a fantastic way to socialise and bond with friends and family, it does seem that the market has been flooded with sports titles that offer little different in the way of mechanics. This is especially true for FIFA or football games.
However, the history of football video games is rich with a lot of classics that have aged a lot better than you might think.
Here are some of the best football games that broke new ground when they were launched, and still offer a lot of fun to be had with.
International Soccer
If you really want to go retro, 1983’s International Soccer will be a great opportunity to equip your nostalgia goggles and go back in time a few decades. Originally released for the Commodore 64, this game was what AAA gaming was like back in the early 80s. Though the graphics will be too primitive for some to enjoy, the charm and simplicity have not gone away.
Like any great football video game, the moves and strategies are based on real-life counterparts. It may not have the glamor of modern-day football games, but hopefully the controls speak for themselves.
Kick Off
In a reference by the great Daniel Smyth, one of the games that was mentioned was Kick Off. Although this game isn’t related to modern-day sports betting, or website ratings like Smyth often deals with, it was a nod to a forgotten gem, which certainly belongs on this list.
Kick Off was originally released in 1989 for the Amiga system. Compared to International Soccer, you’ll see major differences and improvements in fidelity, as this game has 16-bit graphics and a mini-map in the screen corner.
Though it’s clearly retro, Kick Off gets some points for its more modern top-down perspective, which is still used to this day for many 2D sports games. The players look smaller, but this adds to the realism of how large a football field truly is.
Kick Off can also be played with two players, making it a great game to play with friends or with children, especially to help improve their reflexes and management skills.
Actua Soccer
If 2D games aren’t your style because you’re too used to the latest FIFA or soccer manager titles, consider giving Actua Soccer a try. Released for the original PlayStation in 1995, this is widely considered one of the first truly great 3D football video games. It helped to popularise many standard camera angles and control schemes that became football game standards over the generations.
Part of what makes Actua Soccer so special is that it went out of its way to motion capture the movements of actual football athletes – thus the use of the word “actua”. The implementation of real people, real locations and the sounds of crowds roaring constantly also helps this game feel more immersive than many of its contemporaries.
Ultimate Soccer Manager
Football isn’t all about playing, it’s also about team management. If you want to see what management games were like back around 1995, Ultimate Soccer Manager is an excellent option.
Like many great 16-bit games of the 1990s, the pixelated art style holds up very well. Every office, building and locker room gives off that classic, retro feel that modern games have lost.
Though the prospect of building an even bigger stadium or hiring an even more lucrative all-star player is a huge appeal for many, there’s also something to be said about the comfort of managing a high-stakes team from the luxury of your office chair.
Tehkan World Cup
Not too many people these days have heard of 1985’s Tehkan World Cup, but it was an arcade classic back in its heyday. It managed to make the top-down camera perspective work without feeling too crowded or clunky, and it was considerably much faster paced than contemporary football video games. This gave it an edge in attracting players who were interested in fast-paced shooter or action games.
It had bright graphics, excellent audio, a well-placed mini-map and, as we’re realising today, played a great role in getting kids involved in real football by exposing them to the sport in a manner they could understand.
International Superstar Soccer
If you owned a Super Nintendo back in the 1990s, there’s a pretty good chance you or someone you knew owned this best-selling classic. International Superstar Soccer, the first in a very successful series, was a mind-bending game back in the day due to its amazing graphics, sound design and a wide variety of game modes that elevated the sports game genre.
Even today, the game looks great. There’s something about 16-bit visuals that are timeless, and this game proves that when you look at the detail on each player’s face and jersey. It even had secret codes, a secret team and a wide variety of moves. This was a truly skill-based football game, but it was also well-designed from all angles. Gamers who never cared about watching or playing football before all wanted a piece of this action, and if you play it today, you’ll quickly see why.
