It’s Started the poll of the year: Vote the best indie soccer game of 2006! Vote the best Old-school Football game of the year here: The best old-school soccer games of the year

Sensible Soccer 2006

http://www.kickoffworld.net/blog/sensible-soccer-2006/

Jon Hare, designer and producer of the original Sensible Soccer series, here collaborates with Codemasters and developers Kuju Entertainment for the return of the long-standing soccer series. This revival plays up the fast action and wild multiplayer of the original series, now with 3D visuals and new aggressive new arcade-style gameplay.

Throw in

http://www.kickoffworld.net/blog/throw-in

Throw In is the tribute to the best game ever, Kick Off 2. It’s developed by Gianluca Troiano, the 2003, 2004, 2005 Kick Off 2 World Champion. Throw in attempt to reproduce the classic gameplay of Kick Off 2 and is designed to offer fast action with responsive controls. You can do anything on the pitch with just a single fire button.

Yoda Soccer

http://www.kickoffworld.net/blog/yoda-soccer-73-released/

The Open Source clone of Sensible World of Soccer is available for all OS: Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. It’s developed by an italian team of coders to reproduce the playability of the classic Sensible World of Soccer.

www.kickoffworld.net/blog/pulp-of-soccer/

The vocation of Pulp Of Soccer is to procure a lot of sensations for everybody who like funny video games and soccer, purposing easy but efficacious gameplay. Pulp Of Soccer is an original concept purposing intuitive gameplay accessible to everybody

New Star Soccer 3

http://www.kickoffworld.net/blog/new-star-soccer-3/
New Star Soccer 3 is the award winning career football game that lets YOU be the star player. Take full control of your career and work your way to the top. Defender, midfielder or attacker, the choice is yours, just make sure you keep the boss, fans and everyone else happy on your rise to football stardom!

Netsoccer

http://www.kickoffworld.net/blog/netsoccer
Netsoccer is a Multiplayer Online Soccer game. Each gamer controls a player, not a team as is common in most Soccer games. You can join different teams and have matches aginst other teams or you can just have a practice match online.
Sensational Soccer

www.kickoffworld.net/blog/sensational-soccer-released/>

Sensational Soccer is a New game made by the same creator of New Star Soccer 3. The match engine of Sensational Soccer is the same as New Star Soccer 3 (updated a bit though). The tactics editor is complete, and available on a Sensible Soccer style with a 2-player football game where you control the whole team

Webchamps 06

http://www.kickoffworld.net/blog/webchamps-06

In webchamps06 you play with your team against a variety of computer-controlled teams. webchamps06 doesn’t only convert the fascination of football into a clever online game and give us a virtual foretaste of the World Cup atmosphere.

Kickin’ Soccer

www.kickoffworld.net/blog/kickin-soccer/
Kickin’ Soccer is a fast-paced arcade soccer game. Dribble the opponent players, slide into their defenses with quick and accurate passing, score with shoots from a distance or use crosses and try to head the ball in the back of the net.

Pixelkick

www.kickoffworld.net/blog/pixelkick/>
pixelKick takes all the best elements from the classic footie games from the 90’s and is set in it’s own primary coloured, pixel playground world.

pixelKick is a game which captures all the excitement of a real football match and conveys it through 16×16 blocks.

Slam Soccer 2006

www.kickoffworld.net/blog/slam-soccer-2006/>
Slam Soccer 2006 is a funny football game in 3D-comic-style - it’s Freeware and open source with Funny 3d-comic-style

Addictive Football

http://www.kickoffworld.net/blog/addictive-football

Addictive Football is similar in style to the great games of yesteryear such as Sensible Soccer and Kick Off. Play 5-a-side rules on a variety of different pitches with 5 different game modes to choose from. Including Knockout Cups and League style games as well as a Custom Game Mode where you set the team skills yourself.

Nutella Football Game

http://www.kickoffworld.net/blog/nutella-football-game

Nutella Football Game is the soccer videogame created by gianluca troiano and Artematica, it was sold on italian big malls as a promotional gift together with a can of Nutella during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Goofy Soccer

www.kickoffworld.net/wikickoff/index.php?title=Goofy_Soccer

This game is designed to develop the creative skills of soccer gamers. Now it’s time to get the best soccer game that can reflect your creativity. Choose your team and league from the wide databases freely distributed or create your own league.

Technorati Tags: Sensible Soccer 2006, Throw in, Yoda Soccer, Pulp of Soccer, New Star Soccer 3, Netsoccer, Sensational Soccer, Webchamps 06, Kickin’ Soccer, Pixelkick, Slam Soccer 2006, Addictive Football, Nutella Football Game, Goofy Soccer, football games, soccer games

A new MAME has been released, bringing it into line with the regular version:

• xMAME for Linux
• MacMAME for Mac OS X
• MAME OS X universal binary for intel Mac
• Mame32 for Windows
• MAME Plus for Windows
• VectorMAME for vector games
• EEMAME, MAME for Symbian Mobile Phones
• PocketCultMAME for Pocket PC
• PalmMAME for Palm OS
• MAME4ALL PSP for Playstation Portable
• MAMEPSP for Playstation Portable
• PSPMame for Playstation Portable
• XMame PSP for Playstation Portable
• MAME has a sister project called MESS which applies the MAME philosophy to emulating home computers and consoles.
• MAME arcade cabinet, homebuild replicas of arcade cabinets to run MAME software.

As usual you can download from it’s home

Technorati Tags: MAME, 110, emulator, arcade

Here is the latest version, This version seems much more stable:
Sensational Soccer v1.17

Changes
Fixed keeper freekick bug.
Added match time option.
Fixed some translation problems.
Updated some languages.
Fixed random crashes.
Fixed Keepers getting swapped in database
Your choice of set-piece takers is stored during a league
Improved quick shot
Rain is quieter
Rains less often
Updated some languages

Technorati Tags: Sensational Soccer, football game, soccer game

It’s available version 1.2 of Addictive Football. The demo can be downloaded at here

In this version we’ve added the following:

• Names appear above players’ heads during the game. Can be turned off from the Options menu.
• Player Name Editor. Allows you to rename each player in every team.
• Improved A.I.
• Goal celebration improved - large 3D version of your player now appears on screen doing a celebration dance.
• Team running speeds have been increased.
• Passing speeds have been increased.
• Some extra polish to the game.

In the demo version you can have a look around at the Name Editor but you can’t save or make any changes. This is only available in the full version.

There’s also an offer of a 15% discount off Addictive Football.
Just go to the purchase page at here and click on the Buy Now button. Near the bottom of the actual purchase page there will be a box called “Discount Code”. Your discount code is UPM000X4.

This offer is available until Thursday 30th November 2006. So be quick to take advantage of it.

As always, all feedback about the game would be appreciated

DOWNLOAD NOW! 

Technorati Tags: Addictive football, soccer game, football game

Progress of the NSS game is steady at the moment but things are coming together very nicely. The core of the NSS4 database editor is up and running from a few weeks back and now work has begun on taking that data and doing something with it.

Here’s a picture of the Editor.  Well the really exciting thing is the competition editor. With a few careful selections in the editor you should be able to create any competition in the world and plug it straight into the main game. All the competitions basically break down into two types, league based or knock-out based. Pretty obvious really, but some competitions like the World Cup use a combination of the two, with a group stage then a knock-out stage. So in the editor you simply create two competitions; World Cup Stage 1 and World Cup Stage 2. Then the really neat trick is the section where you set the promotion places. For the WC Stage 1 you set places 1 & 2 to get promotion to WC Stage 2. Then when stage 1 is over the program finds the top 2 teams in all the groups and “promotes” them to the knock-out stage. This same technique can be used in all types of league or cup competition, even for relegations. For instance, you simply set positions 18, 19 and 20 of the Premiership to get promoted to the Championship. I use the word “promote” here, but in effect the same thing is happening whether a team is promoted or relegated.

Ok, so that’s the theory behind the competition editor, but the tricky part is implementing it in the game. So far all the World Cup Qualifying stages ticking over is made so that national teams are assigned fixtures and the group winners qualify from one stage to the next.

This is the game in it’s embryonic stages. All it does is run through the fixtures creating random scorelines at the moment. Once this is all in place so that the game plays through from World Cup Qualifications to the World Cup final then it’s just a matter of adapting the code so that it does the same thing (in principle) for the club competitions. Having multiple leagues, cups and international competitions running smoothly without any fixture clashes will be the first real milestone, and the foundation upon which the entire game will be built. Progress is steady and that milestone will be reach within a couple of weeks. Soon the competition engine will be available for people to download and test, just to make sure everything is working correctly.

The programmer is using BlitzMax for the main game this time around, which means development can move pretty fast. It also means that Mac and Linux owners will finally be able to experience the joys of NSS. Don’t get too carried away though people, it’s still early days.

Technorati Tags: New Star Soccer 4, NSS4, NSS, New Star games, soccer games, football managerial games

If you want to have a more personalized SWOS or just fix some errors on the team database you should use one of this great Sensible World of Soccer Editors:

• SWOEditorS ver 1.3.0 (94 KB)
• DIY Editor for Champions League 2006-07 (18.4 KB)
• SWOS Tactics Viewer You can see your saved tactics (73KB)
• SWOEditorS User Guide PDF Format (981 KB)
• SWOS League Name Updater Update the names of leagues, nations etc. It is part of SWOES NOW! (8 KB)
• General Team Number List for All general ID number of SWOS teams (26 KB)

Technorati Tags: Sensible World of Soccer, Sensible Soccer, SWOS, editor

Sensible World Of Soccer 2006-07 patch is now online, Here you can download the SWOS 2006/07 update patch for the new season.
Once you have all the files downloaded on your computer then put them into your swos folder and replace the old one.

Here is a complete list of national leagues what have been updated:

New league names, new national leagues, new FIFA codes

Argentina - all teams
Austria - all teams
Australia - all teams
Belgium - all teams
Brazil - all teams
Denmark - all teams
England - all teams
France - all teams
Germany - all teams
Greece - all teams
Holland - Premier teams
Italy - all teams
Japan - all teams
Macedonia - all teams
Qatar - all teams
Poland - all teams
Portugal - all teams
Russia - all teams
Scotland - Premier teams
Serbia - all teams
Spain - all teams
Switzerland - all teams
Turkey - all teams
USA - all teams

If you wish to update the other national leagues wich have not been mentioned on the list
or If you have noticed any mistakes or errors in the patch then please contact the main developer:

E-Mail - sensibleswos (at) hotmail.com
enjoy SWOS 2006/07 patch and be a Goal scoring Superstar hero!

Technorati Tags: Sensible World of Soccer, 2007, 2006, update, patch, teams

There has been keen rivalry between the two top football ( sawcer!! ) simulators for the platforms. Fifa Football, published by EA Sports and the Pro Evolution series, published by Konami. Both games had their good points…..Fifa had quicker, more arcade-like games, where Pro Evo had better depth and more realistic gameplay. For the last few years I have been firmly in favor of the Pro Evo series, mainly because of the realism of the gameplay. In the Fifa you could score the same type of goals over and over again..your center half could score overhead kicks from the edge of the area . Whilst Fifa undoubtedly had the better presentation, Pro Evo was always the essential purchase.. well no more!!
This year the depth of Fifa 07 is a huge improvement on previous years. There are two huge improvements in the game.
Number one is a hugely improved player-manager mode..whilst this has been in previous releases ( and featured in Pro Evo first ), the new all singing all dancing manager mode is excellent. You get a choice of teams from all four English leagues and at least two divisions from all the other top European leagues. All domestic and European cup competitions are included ( have a Carling cup game in midweek?….send out the reserves!! ). There is also an in-depth scouting and transfer system..plus a youth academy at each team, giving you the chance the mould the next Steven Gerrard.
Number two is the vast improvement in overall gameplay. Gone are the days of simply giving the ball to your quickest player and bashing the sprint button. In this new version the CPU defenders are too clever for that, and even if a trick works once against them the chances of it succeeding the next time are very slim. Scissor-kicking center backs are truly a thing of the past.
The presentation of Fifa’s games has always been top class and that remains the case here, but there has been a big improvement to the camera options available in the game mode, which were always under par. The commentary is also very good, and the same “Great save/goal/tackle/pass Clive!” comments aren’t repeated ad nauseum. The only minus point is that the music in the menus is rubbish…but you can’t have it all!
And so to Pro Evo 6 , the thinking man’s sim. With the gauntlet well and truly thrown down I was interested to see what Konami could come up with. Unfortunately the answer is “not much”. The presentation ( which was never its strong suit ) is absolutely amateurish and the in-game graphics look like a PS1 game. The game play and options are as good ( but the same ) as ever, but given the leap forward taken by Fifa, it seems the Pro Evo team have really taken their eye off the ball ( pardon the pun ). None of the depth added to the EA title is evident in its Konami counterpart. Hopefully they’ll come up with some fresh ideas for the next release, but in the meantime, it looks like for the first time this century EA Sports has the bragging rights in the footie sim market.

Which has the better gameplay? It basically depends what you are looking for. If absolute realism, in unique player movements, and shooting dynamics, pick FIFA. Recognition of players is pretty easy, especially players like Wayne Rooney, as a lot of time was spent with him in a body suit doing footballing stuff like tricks and shots- and it shows. Wayne runs like Wayne (well, if the real Wayne runs, anyway). The graphics are a shade sharper, a shade better as well, with better celebrations to boot. Pick of the celebrations is (I kid you not) Peter Crouch’s unique robot dance- superbly recreated, though possibly a very last minute edition, if the standard of finish is anything to go by.

Also, through balls on PES are pretty poor in comparison, with FIFA’s tending to be better by better players such as Alonso or Gerrard, and better control is shown by those who you would expect- Rooney being a good example.

Shooting is good on both, and with practice goals wouldn’t be too hard- strikes are more manageable on FIFA, long range efforts less likely to hit row Z, an annoying part of PES meaning the perfect strike is far less likely.

One on one multiplayer is as you would expect, with no odd tricks of the trade, but annoyingly if you press start mid game your opponent can use the menu to change his team first- something that can’t be done on Pro Evo. I have only played a four player (2 on 2) on Pro Evo but player switching and interplay was fairly good, and good fun.

Evolution has not been made in swathes on either game, so it seems at first pointless buying the new versions of either, but the revisions are plenty good enough and numerous to keep you entertained on either game.

FIFA team starting line ups offered another weird anomaly- Peter Crouch does not start for Liverpool, and Fowler and Garcia are not even on the bench- annoying, and this is just one example. Also annoying are the ’signing in’ and ‘profile’ sections, and it’s hard to see why these are really necessary, and the oddly complex menus. Making a sub could be much easier, but the menu is either looking at subs or on-pitch players, making substitutions are hard ship not a joy like on Pro Evo.

In short, if you are a person who doesn’t really spend a huge amount of time playing, and just wants to have a bit of fun, FIFA is probably the better pick. But if learning and improvement over long periods of time are your thing, then buy P.E.S.

Technorati Tags: Pro evolution soccer, FIFA 2007, PES, soccer, football, video game

The latest Pro Evolution Soccer is still the pinnacle of virtual footy. Touch, feel, movement - PES6 has it in spades.Enhancements include refs who actually allow some physical contact and more player control over shooting and heading. This is especially true of the sublime PS2 version, which packs in a lot more content than the 360 effort.

The Master League is genius (first you have to rack up some points tho if you want to set out Premiership/Serie A/ La Liga or you get jumbled up with anyone) and returns with no big changes tho I haven’t gone through it fully yet. The International Cup comes in a new form which you play qualifying games to qualify for the Worl…er.. I mean International Cup. And the best thing is your not resticted to the set team anymore. If Peter Crouch doesn’t do it for you, you drop his ass and bring in someone who does, or you can give some international call ups to someone at your favoriate club who’d normally never get a look in. If someone impresses you and (provided you qualify of course) you can pick them for your final squad.

Game play wise I feel evo has gone for a Arsenal/Man U approach (funny their the only two licenced Prem teams in the game) to the game in that they want to see you pass it around, open up the opposition with overlapping full back runs, etc… Its is quite difficult to score 30 yard screamers but they do come around. Free kicks also but its getting used to “the old mark on the power bar doesn’t get it in any more” and finding where they have hidden it. Goalkeepers are better but still are pron to make mistakes (but it doesn’t help if you come steaming out with them leaving an open goal). The annimation is better (attackers that go over goalkeepers bring out spetacular rolling on the floor falls) and the good players can run on to a high ball and bring it down (hurrah). But heres my moan, the quick start FK’s was a good idea but I feel not excuted to full effect. Referees were criticised (when aren’t they) in the last game for giving too many free kicks and now at times they don’t give “stone wall” penalties which can be frustrating. Corners I can also moan about cause surely your centre-backs should go up for any set pieces around the box as their the most likely to get their heads on it, But Konami think that Micheal Owen & Rooney will do. What’s up with that!

The Licences are what some people complain about but with Full French, Dutch, Italian, Spainish and then some from all around the world (including some internationals teams) their really is little excuse for people to stick with the FIFA alternative (Yes I did buy and play this year’s, and yes it has got alot better but I brought it back because its just not to the very high standard PES is at).

Technorati Tags: Pro Evolution Soccer 6, PES 6, football game, soccer game, konami

FIFA 07 is a fun, fast-paced game of soccer and EA’s finest effort to date. While the effort to imitate the best elements of Winning Eleven is obvious, EA does its own fair share of innovation with some great long-ball passing, jostling and the Interactive Leagues feature. With solid visuals and sound, a dearth of gamemodes and decent online play, FIFA 07 is one of the best sports games of the year. Though the gameplay must be tightened up before it can overtake the competition.

the games comes with 6 Football Leagues from around the world one of them being International League. A total 117 clubs and 37 national teams. It now includes the manager mode which you play as the manager of a club, manage your team, make or lose money, player transfers and lot more. The controls have been redefined, now to call the second defender you have to keep the B button press, instead of the Left Trigger like before or as seen on the PSP, I believed the game did not progressed a lot from Road to the World Cup and World cup 2006, the engine has change which makes the game very different but you can use to it by practicing. Some other things were added like challenges, a little like the ones on the PSP.

Presentation
Excellent list of game modes and soccer atmosphere. More licenses than any other sports title in history. Soccer fans will salivate at the long list of teams.

Graphics
Well-directed cutscenes and recognizable stars. Excellent animations, but the player models from most camera angles are a bit fuzzy.

Sound
All crowds should get this excited. Great commentary and a surprisingly pleasant soundtrack from EA Sport Trax.

Gameplay
EA’s best effort, but in need of polishing. Passing and jostling for position are excellent, but shooting, defense and goalkeepers need of work. Where’s the midfield play? Still, a damn fun game.

Lasting Appeal
Interactive Leagues is the most innovative online feature this year. Manager Mode is pleasantly deep, and a long list of challenges will keep you busy.

Technorati Tags: FIFA 07, soccer game, EA, review, release