I first played Microsoft Soccer towards the end of the 90's we had bought a new PC and the game was included in the package of software that came with the PC.
At first on seeing the game I was some what sceptical of installing a free program as the majority of the software received was free trials etc.
On installing the game I found it hard to get to grips with the controls, however once I knew the controls the game became easier to play.
The next thing to contend with was the way the screen would scroll during gameplay.
You only had a view of the area of the pitch in which the ball was being played. As you went on the attack and out of screen there was a delay in the next part of the pitch being shown and you had to pre-empt where you were going to be positioned on the pitch when the next screen was shown. This created the possility of your attack ending as there was always the likely possibility of the team you were palying against having a player in position to take the ball.
With this in mind, once you had played the game a few times this was something that you came to understand and knew what was needed in regards to position on the
pitch, also coming to grips with the game controls and a fair amount of trial and error when attacking.
This may make the game sound as if it is not worth the effort; you could not be more wrong as the first time you score... like on any football game...it gives you the rush and if you are picking a team that has a significance to you, as I am sure most will when playing any football game, you have that drive to want to win and the more you play the more you will be drawn in with that want to suceed
The thing that kept my interest in this game was my interest in football and also the competition between my brother and I over who would win the World Cup on the game. Initially it started out with who could win a game by the highest margin and as our experience of the gameplay advanced the bar was constantly raised to be the first to hit milestones.
All in all a great memory of my youth and of good times spent with my brother playing what can only be described as a RETRO game of the 90's.
A great game once mastered.
