Judge & Jury : Episode #5 (Kick-Off & Sensible Soccer/Amiga)

[@CreationBrosZone-km5be]

Loved MP Soccer on the C64 (worshipped more like) so it's nice to find out about the very next generation. Fantastiche. These are going on the A500Mini.

[@BastichB64K]

Enjoy the games

[@CreationBrosZone-km5be]

Cheers. There's a stack load to play now.@@BastichB64K

[@darrenlonghurst4433]

Hey Buddy! Great Job! I remember both of these games. Back when I had my amiga I played the heck out of both of them. Kick Off was great but when Sensible came out that became my goto soccer game of choice! Had some great 2 player games with my mate at the time. Thanks again for this episode it brought back some awesome memories!! Keep up all the great work you do!!

[@BastichB64K]

Cheers , yeah it was nice for me to finally play the Amiga versions and they are excellent games 🕹️👍👍

[@ninoinoz4437]

I think the key advantage of these two games over the cartoony-but-fun Micropose Soccer was the huge pitches. This meant you could have fast paced action without the 5-a-side, end-to-end vibe.

[@BastichB64K]

That is true Microprose does feel like a smaller 5 a side game compared to them

[@computing8389]

​@@BastichB64KThere was an actual six-a-side version supplied with the version you reviewed.

[@merman1974]

The original MicroProse Soccer was inspired by Tehkan World Cup, and that legacy continued to be Sensible Soccer - it's my favourite of these two, and Sensible World of Soccer's huge team database remains an amazing achievement. The original Kick Off remains fun but has several bugs, and I was never a big fan of its control method. (It becomes a better game with the add-on disks, the link with Player Manager and the improved Kick Off II - that gives it a lot more depth). I've had the chance to talk to (and interview) Jon Hare several times, and love discussing the history of Sensible Soccer with him. And he continues to make soccer games, with the current Sociable Soccer.

[@BastichB64K]

😀🕹️👍

[@laetarnus]

Amiga for the win!

[@BastichB64K]

😀👍👍

[@mvagusta]

Kick Off 2, The Final Whistle was the king. Sensi was great but KO was the OG

[@BastichB64K]

😀👍

[@ninoinoz4437]

Now, for some personal memories. My friend programmed our old school team into Sensible Soccer - with correct strip (*yawn*), but with correct hair colour and racial characteristics. This was the first soccer game I remember actually having Black players in it. Perhaps that why Ruud Gullit was on the box art? For both games, kicking up a vertical one-in-zero slope felt...hard. The 'one-button-control' was less endearing in Kick Off (2) when the ball was in the air; if your opponent headed the ball under challenge from you, he was designated 'in possession' and your button turned in 'tackle' and the most appalling mid-air tackle was effected, leading to an instant red or yellow card. Bring back Micropose's 'glue-ball'. One of your real soccer clips featured Crystal Palace in their 'South American' strip - which was on the box of Kick Off 2! Sensible Soccer had Half- and Full-time highlights. Furthermore, by touching the space bar you could record interesting incidents that didn't lead to goals. This knocked spots off Kick Off (2) for two player gaming fun. Finally, something probably unique to me and my sadly departed friend. He absolutely hated my excessive back-passing in defence and would try to incept them. He had to time it just right (which he usually didn't). This led to: 1. A foul on the back-passer (your single button, again) 2. Very rarely a shot and maybe a goal. 3. Usually, nothing. It went back to the keeper and everybody bar him ran to half-way. It is this that the anecdote relates to. Nothing untoward was happening, but I could feel my friend's body convulse in excitement sitting next to me going for the interception, which was at odds with what was going on the screen. RIP Mike

[@BastichB64K]

Thanks for the insight , very interesting

[@ninoinoz4437]

I see you didn't pick up some of the 'features' in Sensible Soccer i.e. bugs. England vs. W.Germany was in black and white like the TV broadcast in 1966. Less endearing was the algorithm that centred the goalkeeper. Fine for normal outfield shooting and play, but disastrous when an opponent got to the by-line and dribbled along it: the goalkeeper would back away towards the centre of the goal leaving the near post completely exposed. Still loved the game, though.

[@ninoinoz4437]

Now I think about it, the programmers probably thought someone on the byline would CROSS the ball back to a team mate.😆

[@BastichB64K]

We are definitely not overanalyzing the games to that degree its more of a how do these games feel now playing them in 2024 and was their reputation justified 👍

[@amerigocosta7452]

I can't play either game to save my life 😅but anyways I think Microprose Soccer even on the Amiga is a great alternative for the less skilled!

[@BastichB64K]

Yeah thats true 🕹️👍

[@solsticeprojekt1937]

1:20 ... the hand ... OMG THE HAND D: ... lol AI generated. :D

[@BastichB64K]

The judge is inhuman ... His hands are capable of incredible things , dont judge 🤣🤣🤣

[@ninoinoz4437]

Interesting that a South African and American were chosen to review these games and a single European, Certainly provides a different perspective, but this leads to my only genuine criticism of this video. The key difference between the two games amongst the 'hardcore' soccer fans was that Sensible Soccer incorporated the (then new) back pass rule. The 'kick-and-chase' nature of Kick Off (2) meant LOADS of back passes to the keeper, whereas Sensible Soccer had the modern sweeper-keeper (he didn't pick the ball up).

[@BastichB64K]

Its the same team that reviews all these games in the episodes , having variety and different backgrounds makes it more interesting IMHO any way 🤣

[@ninoinoz4437]

I could fill this thread with comments (and will), but here's your starter for 10: why not Kick Off 2? It's the one I played.

[@BastichB64K]

Simply because its only fair to compare the 1st game in a series to another ... Most sequels improve in many ways.

[@miltiadiskoutsokeras9189]

Sensible was the best football game before Konami's Winning Eleven.

[@BastichB64K]

🕹️👍

[@plisskensghost2951]

Justified