“Give us a J – JONI!”
“Give us an U – UNA!”
“Give us an A – ALIX!”
“What have you got? THE JOURNALIX!”
But it’s the Alix part of that which is important today because he’s here to talk football video games. And when we say “football” we mean “soccer”. Here is a beautiful guide to the beautiful game:
Sensible Soccer 92/93 (1992) on Sega Master System
This just can’t be ignored, great playability and the capability to reenact some great football moments. Required skill.
FIFA SOCCER (1994) on SNES
3D shapes representing footballers and a football. Including a shiny scoreboard and celebrations, this was very Americanised but probably the best representation of the game in a digital format at the time and not a bad effort. Like all copies of a football video game, ultimately it would allow you to play out a 0-0 boring draw, a 4-4 classic, a last minute winner or a game littered with red cards. That’s the beauty of the sport.
ISS PRO (1997) on PS One
You can read all about why this is the greatest football video game, right here.
FIFA ’99 (1999) on N64
A re-introduction to the FIFA series for me, one that would continue to be an on-off relationship. But it was the chance to play as the players you idolised every week that really mattered; the official license was telling here. Plus it had a kick ass soundtrack with Blur’s Song 2.
ISS Pro Evolution (1999) on PS One
The Master League introduced a format which combined the fun of assembling a super strong team based on your ability at the controls
Championship Manager 3 (1999) on PC
How to be thorough with your facts and knowledge of football, and be rewarded for it! Yesssssssssssss!