International Superstar Soccer Advance

"Not bad... just not good."

Soccer on a handheld system has never been so good, although ISS (International Superstar Soccer) Advance still has a few gameplay holes it is definitely worth a look. The ISS series spans across several systems and has traditionally been one of the best soccer franchises around offering great soccer gameplay blessed with a euphoria of tactical options. When announced for Game Boy Advance, soccer fans were excited and they were sure it would be an awesome title - but has it lived up to expectations?

International Superstar Soccer Advance is almost a direct port of ISS Deluxe from the Super Nintendo however this time round it is blessed with true player names, updated squads and of course the ability to play multiplayer through the Game Boy Advance link cable.

The simple menus allow easy navigation through the game however with only a few options from the front menu this title lacks depth with only 4 options available - friendly, international cup, penalty shootout and options. Naturally the options menu allows you to tweak the games rules and change a few variables such as half length. International Cup is where the heart of ISS Advance is and you can save up to 2 campaigns.

There are over 40 international teams available to play ranging from Brazil in South America to Turkey in Western Europe (no New Zealand, of course) each with its own strengths and weaknesses and they generally reflect the situation in worldwide soccer at the moment. Players too have their own individual attributes and this affects their performance on the field and this is the start of the tactical fun. During the game you can set up your teams formation, playing style (attack, defend, offside trap and so on) and also set players to mark certain members of the opposition. The great thing about ISS Advance and ISS in general is that players can lay down their favourite tactics and make them suit their style of play. For example if you can't defend very well but enjoy pushing your midfield towards the oppositions goal, simply set your formation so you have five backs and set your team to 'defend mode' and now you can attack openly knowing you'll have five players backing you up.

One of the biggest problems with ISS Advance is that the camera is too close to the field meaning you can't see very far around you making it very hard to play long lobs across field knowing a player on your team will be there. It also makes it difficult shooting from long distance as you cannot see the goal or the edge of the penalty area in your screen. However once you get comfortable with the camera and take confidence in the 'player radar' on the lower half of your screen, player navigation is a lot easier.

Another problem is the control set out - unlike other ISS games the pass button is also the slide tackle button and for veterans on the Nintendo 64 versions of ISS, this is very hard to get used to. And, because of the limited number of buttons on the GBA, the one-two pass and other trickier moves are a lot hard to pull off. As an example, to do a one-two pass you must press L, R, A and B simultaneously and this often doesn't work as it is hard to press all four buttons at the same time. However with only 4 buttons to use the developers have done reasonably well with L is to sprint, A to pass, B to shoot. Lob and through-ball are done buy holding R and press B and holding R and pressing A respectively. The controls take a bit of work to get used to but once players grasp them the game plays a lot easier.

Graphically speaking this game is pretty average but compared to other soccer games I have seen on GBA it stands out as the best. Players move smoothly and there are quite a few cool player movements after a goal is scored. The fields are reasonably clear but again the camera really holds the game back from being something special.

Sounds in this game are top notch. There is a full commentary and the clarity is very good - especially for a GBA title. When a player takes a free kick or corner the commentator announces his name (''Petit to take the free kick''), which means that all the players names are stored away in the audio files - nice. However after a while it all becomes a little bit repetitive and it soon becomes unnecessary. The crowd is also good changing volume and rhythm to suit the on-field action, but again this to becomes repetitive.

ISS Advance certainly holds out to be the best soccer game on Game Boy Advance so far and die hard fans of the series will enjoy this title. However with limited gameplay options and only the international cup to play, add in the fact that the camera angle is not up to scratch and the controls are a little hard to get used to and the game begins to fall away. There is room for improvement and it leaves the door wide open for a sequel. However if you love soccer or have previously enjoyed ISS games then be sure to get out and buy this one.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/15/02, Updated 10/15/02