European Club Soccer
Encyclopedia
European Club Soccer is a 1992 soccer/football video game by Krisalis Software
released for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and is mostly based on Manchester United Europe, released one year before for the Commodore Amiga, among other platforms. Like the previously endorsed game, European Club Soccer focus on European competitions, but with only on the European Champions Cup
, which can be explained by the lower capacity of the console and the lack of differences between competitions other than the number of teams. If the player won the Champions Cup, the ending credits will only appear if the player beats a South American team in the Intercontinental Cup.
European Club Soccer has dozens of teams from all across Europe (around 170), and each country is represented by at least two teams. In addition to correct club names, it also has recognizable imitations of team badges and kits; although more elaborate kits (such as those worn by Juventus, FC Porto or Celtic F.C.
) are simplified (Juventus have a silver shirt, Porto blue and Celtic green). Player names, on the other hand, were made by mixing names found on real squads. Portuguese teams, for instance, had a large number of Yugoslavia
n players in the early nineties
, and that was reflected by players with names such as Valentim Ivic (of Valentim Loureiro
and Tomislav Ivic
, then Boavista FC
chairman and S.L. Benfica manager, respectively). Names could not be changed, and since the game lacked a battery, it does not store changes done to kits and password
s were used to resume tournaments (example of a password sheet). Rotherham United are included amongst the English clubs despite never playing in the top tier of English football, this is due to the developer, Krisalis Software, being based in Rotherham
. All other clubs have played in their own country's top tier.
The game puts several tactics at the disposal of the player, while the computer has a predefined tactic for each team. Each tactic has its own advantage: the 4-3-3 tactic using a sweeper is the only one that allows a player to recover if the goalkeeper is beaten and 4-4-2 allows midfield control from the wings, for instance.
released an arcade game entitled "World Trophy Soccer", this being the same exact title as European Club Soccers North American port. Though the two games are similar, the arcade game shows the point of view of the runner heading towards the opponents goal while the other shows a sideways pan of the field. In 1988, Arcadia Systems' parent company, Mastertronic
, was merged with Virgin Games
thus Virgin had access to that particular game title.
Krisalis Software
Krisalis Software Ltd. was a video game developer and publisher founded by Tony Kavanagh, Peter Harrap, and Shaun Hollingworth in 1987 under the name Teque Software...
released for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and is mostly based on Manchester United Europe, released one year before for the Commodore Amiga, among other platforms. Like the previously endorsed game, European Club Soccer focus on European competitions, but with only on the European Champions Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, which can be explained by the lower capacity of the console and the lack of differences between competitions other than the number of teams. If the player won the Champions Cup, the ending credits will only appear if the player beats a South American team in the Intercontinental Cup.
Game modes And options
The game allows the player to play friendlies or the Champions' Cup. Options allow choosing game length (from 4 to 90 minutes), difficulty and player change control.Teams
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
) are simplified (Juventus have a silver shirt, Porto blue and Celtic green). Player names, on the other hand, were made by mixing names found on real squads. Portuguese teams, for instance, had a large number of Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
n players in the early nineties
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
, and that was reflected by players with names such as Valentim Ivic (of Valentim Loureiro
Valentim Loureiro
thumb|230px|Valentim LoureiroValentim dos Santos de Loureiro is a Portuguese politician, and former football chairman of Boavista F.C. and Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional. He has the rank of Major of the Portuguese Army...
and Tomislav Ivic
Tomislav Ivic
Tomislav Ivić was a Croatian football player and manager.Often described as a brilliant strategist, Ivić is credited with helping develop the modern style of the game...
, then Boavista FC
Boavista FC
Boavista Futebol Clube, commonly known as Boavista , is a Portuguese sports club from the city of Porto. Founded on 1 August 1903, it is one of the oldest clubs in the country, and currently plays in the third division...
chairman and S.L. Benfica manager, respectively). Names could not be changed, and since the game lacked a battery, it does not store changes done to kits and password
Password (video games)
In many video games of the 8-bit and, to a lesser extent, 16-bit eras , after a level was beaten and/or when all continues were used, the game would display a password, that when entered in the game would allow the player to return to this part in the game...
s were used to resume tournaments (example of a password sheet). Rotherham United are included amongst the English clubs despite never playing in the top tier of English football, this is due to the developer, Krisalis Software, being based in Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
. All other clubs have played in their own country's top tier.
Gameplay
Gameplay is simple, and works only with two of the buttons of the gamepad - "B" is used to pass the ball low, and "C" to lob the ball. While a button to shoot is absent, if a button is held pressed, when released the ball goes at a much higher speed. The directional button can also be used to give the aftertouch to lobbed balls and change direction or touching the ball backwards with the heel in low passes. Optionally, the "A" button can be used to swap to the nearest player, if the automatic option is disabled.The game puts several tactics at the disposal of the player, while the computer has a predefined tactic for each team. Each tactic has its own advantage: the 4-3-3 tactic using a sweeper is the only one that allows a player to recover if the goalkeeper is beaten and 4-4-2 allows midfield control from the wings, for instance.
Alternate versions
While European Club Soccer was only released for the European market, the Japanese market received J-League Champion Soccer, and North America yielded World Trophy Soccer. The Japanese port, as the name points out, is based on a league system with J-League teams. The North American version replaced European clubs with worldwide national teams, but with a much more limited selection. The winning screens on both games feature a player and a goalkeeper raising the champions cup, which indicates the original title.Similar game title
In 1989, Arcadia SystemsArcadia Systems
Arcadia Systems was a subsidiary of Mastertronic which developed arcade games during the mid-late 1980s. The systems were based on Commodore Amiga technology...
released an arcade game entitled "World Trophy Soccer", this being the same exact title as European Club Soccers North American port. Though the two games are similar, the arcade game shows the point of view of the runner heading towards the opponents goal while the other shows a sideways pan of the field. In 1988, Arcadia Systems' parent company, Mastertronic
Mastertronic
Mastertronic was originally a publisher and distributor of low-cost computer game software founded in 1983. Their first games were distributed in mid-1984. At its peak the label was the dominant software publisher in the UK, a position achieved by selling cassette-based software at the £1.99...
, was merged with Virgin Games
Virgin Interactive
Virgin Interactive was a British video game publisher. It was formed as Virgin Games Ltd. in 1981. The company became much larger after purchasing the budget label, Mastertronic in 1987. It was part of the Virgin Group...
thus Virgin had access to that particular game title.