VR Soccer '96

"For the last time it's FOOTBALL! F O O T B A L L ! ! !"

Made by a british company, I am very shocked on why the game is called Actua Soccer and not Actua Football, considering Soccer is the american term for the great game and Football is the proper word in English terms (For those who don't know, American Football is rugby in the United Kingdom). However, this dreadful word does not make the game any bad in any way, most football games are called soccer (boo!) and Actua Soccer is a great game in it's own right.

The game has spun off a few sequels and spin offs such as Actua Soccer 2, Actua Soccer 3, Actua Golf, Actua Ice Hocky, but this is one of the best of the bunch, and is also the cheapest. If you are living in the United Kingdom, You can pick this game up for less then £2, and I am not lying, it will be the best £2 you will ever spend.

The game offers you a chance to play as football teams from around the world such as England, Italy, Spain, Brazil, France and China, going head to head in the Actua Soccer tournaments. The control of the players is unique and very easy, one bnutton does a direct pass to another player, another button shoots and actually aims for the goal, Throw ins and Goal kicks are done with a yellow line and a series of buttons for powerful kicks and weaker kicks, the control sounds very simple, and it is!

The graphics of Actua Soccer are in fact, poor. The sequels have much better graphics, the quality is appauling due to the fact the players is blocky and there is not much animation between any of the football players at all.

Actua Soccer is worth the money (come on, It is £1.99 at Gamestation... You can't go wrong at all!), worth every penny because it is very cheap and fun to play, too bad the graphics are bad. The best thing about the game is playing a 2 player game, with or without a friend, it is great to play a friend or yourself and beat them 23-0.

Good:

- A decent football game for the Playstation
- Good control
- A Right laugh in multi-player
- Possibly the cheapest Playstation game on the selves

Bad:

- Bad graphics and not much animation
- Once completed, no real reason to go back and play again
- Not enough Underdog teams

Summary:

Graphics: 4/10
Sound: 5/10
Music: 5/10
Gameplay: 8/10
Multi-Player: 9/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Lifespan: 6/10
Challenge: 3/10
Overall: 6/10

Alternatives: You could try the first Football game which was good, Soccer for SNES, Another Actua Soccer game, This is Football, ISS (International Superstar Soccer), Fifa (especially Fifa 95 or 98) and if you are a Megaman fan, Megaman Soccer, if you are a Disney fan, try the lastest football game, Disney Soccer. Please... Enough 'Soccer' and more 'Football'!

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 08/25/02, Updated 08/25/02