FIFA is the biggest and most polished of all the football games, and also by far the most successful. It’s the obvious first pick for our Video Game Super League, but not necessarily the best to play. Just like Manchester United, the FIFA series has been hugely successful over the last 20 years, but has leaned more and more towards capitalism in recent years, losing its values in the process.
The purist’s choice. Just like Barcelona, the Pro Evolution series has a foundation in passing football and a possession game, at least when it’s played well. Also like Barcelona, this series has struggled under poor leadership and ended up with virtually no budget. Most recently abandoned its single-player elements to go online-only.
In Football Manager, you don’t even play a game of football. Instead, you play a game of excel sheet management. For most of us, that means figuring out who the best young talent is at the start of the season, and snapping them up on the cheap – knowing they will turn into world-beaters. That’s pretty much what Dortmund do in real life.
Players running around like headless chickens, yet somehow scoring goals? Has not been relevant since the ‘90s? Yet when it works, some of the most fun you can have with a football game. Sensible Soccer is the original high-paced, heavy-metal football game. Although there’s not much room for that in the modern game, Sensi still nabs a place in our Super League.
Super Soccer was a launch title on the Super Nintendo and while it was great for its time – the times have changed. Still, we still like to see it, and remember how football used to be played. In Super Soccer, the pitch grew narrower at the far end of the screen, meaning players attacking towards the screen had far more space to use and a big advantage. Not even a bus could help that.
Where do the galacticos of Nintendo sign? They sign for Mario Strikers, the ludicrously over the top game where players can super-charge shots and do all manner of crazy arcade moves. A game for those who love overhead kicks and long-range bullets, while seeing their favourite gaming celebrities run around a pitch. A bit of a joke, but a great game.
A pioneer of 3D football games on consoles on the PlayStation 1, which quickly faded away after being overtaken by FIFA and others. Actua Soccer was horrendously difficult to control, with an awful camera system, but the feeling of playing soccer in real 3D and on a ‘life-size’ pitch was incredible at the time.
What happens when cars meet football? Rocket League, one of gaming’s bigger success stories in recent years. If the Italians could combine two things, we’re pretty sure wheels and football would be the choice. Still going strong, Rocket League has a competitive scene in eSports and gave many non-sports fans a chance to enjoy a simulation of the beautiful game.
Blocky men running around a pitch with limited skills. Virtua Soccer was the only arcade presence for football in Ireland and it was a welcome sight among the shooters and beat-em-ups. Although the controls were extremely limited, the sense of spectacle was unmatched at the time. So, maybe not like Burnley then.
