With the release of FIFA 10, which some have speculated is greatest soccer game of all time; let’s take a look back at some of the other iterations of the beautiful game.
Striker- We start our look at the world game on Nintendo's Super Nintendo. Striker was developed by Rage Studios and released in 1992. The game was fast paced relying on dribbling for success and was one of the first with a 3D perspective. The game allowed you to play both indoor and outdoor matches along with editing the 64 national teams available. Striker on the Super Nintendo received many positive reviews because of its fast paced game play.
Sensible Soccer- Another Super Nintendo game Sensible Soccer was released in 1993 and developed by Sensible Software. Unlike Striker which relied on speed and the ability to dribble Sensible Soccer's dribbling was much harder to use. Instead the game focused on passing and the use of three star players for each team who were more skilled than the others. The game camera was permanently zoomed out so over half the pitch was always visible.
FA Premier League Stars- Developed by EA this game allowed you to create and play the FA Premier League the way you wanted to. Utilizing the star system which entailed playing games and earning stars for your team you could then give them to your players to upgrade their skills. This feature from FA Premier League Stars is now something which is common in modern FIFA games, that is match experience.
Actua Soccer- Part of the Actua series of games developed by Gremlin Interactive this game was released in 1995. It's tag line "there's nothing virtual about actua" was meant to signify that this was the most realistic representation of the game. It boasted the first fully 3D match engine, that is both the field and players were fully 3D, and used motion capture to develop it's player animations. Players controlled one of 44 national teams and choose from a roster of 22 players.
Michael Owen World League Soccer- With an endorsement from Michael Owen this THQ developed game for the Nintendo 64 was released in 1999. It was famously edited for the American market to be Mia Hamm Soccer 64 and contain all female players. Owen himself was supposedly motion captured for the game to add to its authenticity. Players could choose two difficulty settings, easy or professional, and in professional mode you could perform special tricks and maneuveurs. Interestingly you couldn't choose who you wanted to control on defense, instead the choice was made for you. The graphics were okay but for the most part everyone was very tall and skinny.
UEFA Striker- Released on the Dreamcast by Infogames it's another entry into Rage's Striker series. This version utilized the Visual Memory Unit that could be purchased for the Dreamcast. Players could load extra tactics into the unit and change them during the game via the memory unit. You could also undertake a series of training drills to hone your in game abilities and get rewarded with new, more advanced teams to play against.
This is Football 2002- Developed by SCEE Studio Soho. This was probably one of the most realistic versions of the beautiful game I have ever played. The game was licensed by FIFPro so it had real player names but not club names so big clubs like Liverpoool were called Merseyside Red. Players could give away free kicks for handballs, dive and perform a tackle that would garner a straight red card ala Roy Keane on Alf-Inge Haland. Players could embark on a proper season mode as well complete with promotion, relegation and European qualification while they could also indulge themselves in some school yard soccer on asphalt with jumpers for posts.
International Superstar Soccer- Not to be confused with Pro Evolution Soccer International Superstar Soccer was developed by the Osaka branch of Konami. The International Superstar series was developed before Pro Evo was and has a long history on the Super Nintendo and Megadrive before moving to the N64 and PlayStation 2. Superstar Soccer for the PlayStation 2 was released in 2000 and featured licensed player names. It was a huge challenge to the FIFA series and labeled by some as the leader of the genre. It blended arcade elements like huge graphics that said GOAL or FOUL with immersive and realistic game play. Just checking out all the button combinations in the manual shows you how detailed they tried to make the game.
International Superstar Soccer- Not to be confused with Pro Evolution Soccer International Superstar Soccer was developed by the Osaka branch of Konami. The International Superstar series was developed before Pro Evo was and has a long history on the Super Nintendo and Megadrive before moving to the N64 and PlayStation 2. Superstar Soccer for the PlayStation 2 was released in 2000 and featured licensed player names. It was a huge challenge to the FIFA series and labeled by some as the leader of the genre. It blended arcade elements like huge graphics that said GOAL or FOUL with immersive and realistic game play. Just checking out all the button combinations in the manual shows you how detailed they tried to make the game.
RedCard Soccer- Created by Point of View and released in 2002 on Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Gamecube. Memorable for its focus on generating a fun arcade experience RedCard was the soccer game for those who didn't like soccer. Players chose a national team and took them on a quest to conquer the whole world, even Antartica, and would play against other national teams along with teams of Dolphins, the Army and SWAT on normal pitches and fantasy pitches like an Aircraft carrier. RedCard had impressive graphics and allowed players to perform absolutely brutal tackles, like a charged headbutt, without fear of being booked and ridiculous special moves like bicycle kicks 10 feet in the air and cartwheel kicks. 
SEGA Soccer Slam- SEGA Soccer Slam takes the silliness of RedCard and amplifies it to give you a very fun and accessible take on the world game. If you are looking for an accurate representation of the game SEGA Soccer Slam isn't it as there are no corners, throw ins, penalties or free kicks. Players control a team of three people who loosely represent a continent ie Team Spirit's members hail from Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. Each team has their own home field and special attributes like speed, shooting or aggressiveness and players compete in a variety of game modes like quest mode where you play ten games and earn money for team power ups. The character designs were outrageous and sometimes hilarious which just added to the game. Well there you have it, just some of the other weird and wonderful soccer games that have been released over the years. Check back soon for my review of FIFA 10.
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