Soccer / JAP

Soccer is one of Nintendo's early sports games and was also released for the Famicom Disk System in 1986. Despite its simple presentation, the game was a considerable step towards digital team sports at the time.

The game offers classic 11-on-11 soccer action from a bird's eye view. There are seven national teams to choose from, including Brazil, Germany and the USA. Before the game starts, you can set the game speed and half-time length individually - a special feature for the time.

The controls are simple but effective: one button to pass, one to shoot. Attention is also paid to defense - pressing is direct and requires good timing. By the standards of the time, the fluid animation makes for a pleasant gaming experience, even if you can't expect any tactical depth today.

The game is simple but charming. It scores with its nostalgic flair and is considered one of the pioneers of the soccer game genre - a cornerstone for later series such as FIFA or Pro Evolution Soccer. The Famicom disk version also allowed high scores to be saved, which was a real bonus at the time.