Games for people who like Soccer/Futball

[generalbusiness]

Ok, so I really like soccer. I really like video games.

What are some good soccer games? I have never really been interested in playing a soccer video game. Is it like the billion different titles there are for football(us) games? Madden, Gameday, so on and so on? Or is there one great title that everyone plays?

Please, school me you hooligans.

[pacmanhat]

There isn't one universally accepted title, but FIFA is probably the most popular, even though Winning Eleven is usually better reviewed in spite of the lack of full licenses.

The best I've played, however, is International Superstar Soccer '98 on N64. Pure gameplay goodness. Nintendo World Cup on NES is a great one, too.

[Daltone]

I'd ignore FIFA entirely. I recently bought FIFA 2006 (mainly because Pro Evo wasn't out) and have been less than impressed. Yes, it has the official player names. Yes, it has a few passable representations of players, but over all it just doesn't play as well as some other games and the graphic frills are looking less and less impressive each year as Konami's flagship game improves in leaps and bounds. The manager mode is disappointingly easy and rather confusingly laid out.

Pro Evolution Soccer is the way to go. Pro Evo 5 should be out soon, and as such Pro Evo 4 is dirt cheap and still crazyily good.

If you want to try your hand at football management I'd go for Football Manager 2006. It's made by Sports Interactive, the guys behind the Championship Managers of old. Whilst CM got a new development team and a total overhaul, it also became very, very bad. You find yourself winning by huge amounts. Football Manager isn't a great departure from SIs previous games, but it is nicely refined and just, well, downright works. I dread to think how long I've spent playing it.

[Enixis]

Winning Eleven all the way!

[Satac]

Winning Eleven all the way!

Winning Eleven is called Pro Evolution Soccer in the west ;)

[Julio III]

I'd ignore FIFA entirely. I recently bought FIFA 2006 (mainly because Pro Evo wasn't out) and have been less than impressed. Yes, it has the official player names. Yes, it has a few passable representations of players, but over all it just doesn't play as well as some other games and the graphic frills are looking less and less impressive each year as Konami's flagship game improves in leaps and bounds. The manager mode is disappointingly easy and rather confusingly laid out.

Pro Evolution Soccer is the way to go. Pro Evo 5 should be out soon, and as such Pro Evo 4 is dirt cheap and still crazyily good.

If you want to try your hand at football management I'd go for Football Manager 2006. It's made by Sports Interactive, the guys behind the Championship Managers of old. Whilst CM got a new development team and a total overhaul, it also became very, very bad. You find yourself winning by huge amounts. Football Manager isn't a great departure from SIs previous games, but it is nicely refined and just, well, downright works. I dread to think how long I've spent playing it.

This guy has got everything right. In England this is the way it happens. And I would definitely recommend you try Football Manager as the Champ Man series is one of the most addictive games ever, just make sure you dont actually buy the latest 2 Champ Mans as the team that made it left Eidos for Sega and so lost that lucrative license.

[CYRiX]

The best I've played, however, is International Superstar Soccer '98 on N64. Pure gameplay goodness.
That game is the shit. I LOVED IT.

[DoctorAwesome]

Has anyone tried the Winning Eleven 9 for PSP?

[Daltone]

Has anyone tried the Winning Eleven 9 for PSP?

Yeah, I'd like to hear people's thoughts about it too. It could well be the first PSP game that I'd actually want to buy, and while it's probably not enough to make me finally get a PSP, it would be a step in the right direction.

[Neil Koch]

The best I've played, however, is International Superstar Soccer '98 on N64. Pure gameplay goodness.
That game is the shit. I LOVED IT.

I third the recommendation -- that game is the reason I kept my N64 as long as I did... I wasted a whole summer playing a season as Germany.

The only reason I went with FIFA last year was because Winning Eleven wasn't on Xbox Live. EA has been getting lazy with FIFA the past few years -- I'll probably go with the new Winning Eleven this year since it will be on Xbox Live.