On the Ball 2 is better known in Europe as Ansto 2 and is the sequel to a previous European football (soccer) title that was very popular, especially in Germany. It is not an officially licensed game and features parodies of all the famous stars, teams and stadiums of the time. It is more of a management simulation as opposed to an action arcade style of soccer game.
In On the Ball 2, the user plays the part of a soccer coach. He can begin in the lower divisions and improve his status and fame through wins and excellent coaching.
He can manage his favorite team in the league as it stands, or build his way up from scratch. Without an official license, the teams and players are skewed a bit, but players can certainly tell who the characters represent. Moreover, On the Ball 2 features an editor, so users can change the available players to anyone they choose.
The user is in charge of a plethora of activities that directly and indirectly relate to team play. The user selects and trades players with other teams. He sets the game day lineup and is in charge of the overall coaching tactics to be used during the games. Players are trained under the user’s instruction. The user is also in command of the stadium itself and can make decisions
about expanding or improving the field. The user negotiates contracts with sponsors, and also develops and sells merchandising articles. There is a co-trainer, also hired by the user, who can help with some of the tedious minutia, and can also offer advice on the talents of certain players and so forth. The concept of sales can be handled by a marketing agency, if the user does not want to deal with this aspect of the game himself.
On the Ball 2 feature many statistics for each player. Players are ranked according to speed, stamina and shooting strength, and also feature many special traits, such as natural born leader. Their play on the field reflects their abilities, and it is up to the user to choose tactics that best exploit his player’s abilities. The resulting simulation is usually pretty accurate, except for on April 1st, when just about anything can happen. That is an interesting little Easter egg.
In summary, On the Ball 2 is an unfortunately obscure soccer game with some great in depth game play and excellent micro managerial features. It is recommended to all soccer fans and should be downloaded immediately.
