CPC SOCCER
Developer: Voxel Tower Released: 2020
When it comes to footy games on the CPC, there’s certainly no shortage of them. Plenty have tried to cash in on the beautiful game, but sadly the vast majority of them were hardly Premiership material. Most of them played like a knackered hungover pub team in the Sunday League. But aside from the great Emlyn Hughes, over 20 years later, CPC Soccer races onto the pitch, nutmegs Italy 1990, speeds past Match Day II, and blasts it into the top corner of the goal past Peter Shilton’s Handball Maradona!
The mark of a good footy game is in the creative and entertaining ways you can build up and score goals and decent AI. CPC Soccer succeeds in the former and just about in the latter. Whilst you can’t swerve your shots, the power meter works well, allowing for tap ins to lofted balls over goalkeepers (who are no pushovers). And if you’re skilled, you can shoot in a mixture of angles. The passing system works well, sending balls to the nearest player, and the ball stays glued to their feet but is affected by momentum, which means you have to think and
react carefully before moving.
With the speed, top-down viewpoint and tiny sprites, it’s Sensible Soccer on the Amstrad!
It is a significantly cut down, wonky, glitchy, and downright bonkers version of Sensi, but dear God, is it fun. Did I mention it was bonkers? Utterly bonkers —as mad as kung-fu kicking Eric Cantona.
Who doesn’t love that?
PRESENTATION 89%
Excellent cover art and a lovely cassette.
GRAPHICS 69%
A bit a rough in places with glitches and the semi-cirlce lines look a bit shoddy. Doesn’t affect gameplay.
SOUND 72%
No music sadly but decent ‘thumps’ when you kick the ball. Ref’s whistle and crowd noise also decent.
ADDICTIVENESS 95%
If your a footy fan you won’t put this down! Great for beginners and a good challenge for seasoned gamers.
LASTABILITY 92%
The utter barminess of the fast paced footy action will draw back even the most cynical.
OVERALL 88%