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1988 · Sensible Software · Association football · Sports

MicroProse Soccer

This soccer simulation was programmed by "Sensible Software" (known through "Wizball" and "SEUCK") and published by "Microprose" (which until then had made a name for themselves with mostly warlike simulations). The game consists of two different soccer simulations, you can carry out a match in the stadium or indoors. The field is always shown from the top and scrolled softly into all directions. The player that is controlled at the moment can be recognized by a flickering football shirt.

Released: 1988
Platforms: Amstrad CPC Commodore 64 Commodore C64/128/MAX MS-DOS ZX Spectrum
Genres: Association football Sports
Developers: Sensible Software
Publishers: MicroProse
Modes: Multiplayer Single-player
Perspective: Bird view / Isometric
Country: United Kingdom

About

MicroProse Soccer is an association football video game published by MicroProse in 1988. The original Commodore 64 version was developed by Sensible Software and ported to other systems. In the United States, the game was released as Keith Van Eron's Pro Soccer, named after Keith Van Eron.

Designed by Jon Hare and programmed by Chris Yates, they adapted the gameplay format of arcade video game Tehkan World Cup (1985) while adding their own elements to create MicroProse Soccer. It is the forerunner of the 16-bit Sensible Soccer series.

Keywords

soccer

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The game can simulate a full 11-a-side game of football on a grass pitch, or 6-a-side soccer, based on the American indoor league of the time.

A single player can work through a World Cup (or Indoor League) tournament, or take on a series of increasingly tougher computer teams. A two-player friendly can be played head to head.

Development

The game was designed by Jon Hare and programmed by Chris Yates. Hare cited the arcade video game Tehkan World Cup, released by Tehkan (Tecmo) in 1985, as the basis and the inspiration for the game. He referred to it as an "arcade conversion" of Tehkan World Cup, but said it was not "a carbon copy" as they also added their "own elements" to the gameplay. Tehkan World Cup used a trackball to control the direction and speed of the shot, which they incorporated into the game by adapting the game physics for more conventional joystick controls.

Preview pictures of the game appeared in an issue of Zzap!64 magazine, with a plea for a publisher to come forward.

Reception

Crash gave 90% for the game.

The game was voted Best 8-bit Simulation of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards. In the Spectrum sales charts, it briefly reached the number one position before being replaced by Kenny Dalglish Soccer Manager. In the all-formats charts, the game was kept off the top position by Robocop, which had been at number one for a record eighteen weeks.