Goal!

The Good
The control system of Kick Off 2 allowed for some clever tricks to be performed, and required a lot of practice for the best to be got out of it. This was basically taken forward into Goal!, but most of the game's faults were corrected as well.

Set pieces can be played in a number of different ways, with a view line allowing you to set up a precise aim. The corners are especially versatile.

Real teams and players are now present, with several files representing the best teams from several nations, and one from Europe as a whole. Players can be easily 'transferred' between these, team lineups can be selected, and teams can be moved between files - which, contrary to the words of the existing review, effectively means you can take your team to play in Europe after a successful domestic season. Overall the detail of the player attributes and data is ahead of the crowd.

The range of options is amazing - especially in version 2 which has a fully definable cup competition to go with the leagues. 5 different speed levels, selectable for yourself and your opponents, 10 different refs, 4 different pitches with greatly varied reaction (thankfully not including Kick Off 2's horrid plastic pitch), wind on or off, view the pitch left-right as well as top-bottom, variable match lengths....

The Bad
The control wasn't as instinctive as Sensible's, and matches occasionally got bogged down in a succession of hit-and-hope play. If you didn't grasp the controls quickly, it was tempting to give up.

The Bottom Line
A follow-up to Kick Off 2, using a similar control system. This means that you can trap the ball (by holding down fire - release it to spray a pass to the nearest player), and pull off moves such as overhead kicks and diving headers. When the ball approaches a striker in the area, tap fire to release a 'Super Shot' - a great remedy to the common football game problem of finishing being too hard.

Alongside the standard gameplay modes, there's an 'Arcade Challenge' featuring five increasingly difficult matches, in which the margins of victory affect your overall score.