Videogaming brilliance assured! (International Superstar Soccer Pro Evolution (PS))

Member Name: Bones

Product:	International Superstar Soccer Pro Evolution (PS)
Date:	26/09/02 (354 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Amazing gameplay, Amazing gameplay, Did I mention the gameplay?

Disadvantages: Graphics are getting dated, Mediocre commentary

Introduction:

Konami's International Superstar Soccer (ISS) series has had a passionate following for many years; with its first incarnation dating (I think) as far back as the late 80's on the timeless Super Nintendo Entertainment System. With the arrival of the Sony Playstation (as well as other newer systems) the series was able to develop immensely, but the blossoming of ISS Pro Evolution (released in 1999) made gaming history. The refinements made to the game engine resulted in a football experience so realistic, so complex and so heavenly satisfying that the results were spellbinding. The game became a global sensation and, in many people's opinion including my own, deserves the title of greatest football videogame ever made (Those of you a little older than me will probably still argue that Sensible Soccer warrants this prestigious crown more than ISS). The greatest achievement of this game is that it is just so damn entertaining if you love football, and even after years of playing it remains enthralling and not the least bit repetitive. In short, this game is revolutionary.

A friend loaned this amazing game to me three years ago (he eventually let me keep it as he owned the Japanese version as well which he says is superior - I couldn't comment) and in terms of hours spent awestruck in front of a screen this has now surpassed all the Championship Manager games and finally, even the mighty Goldeneye has been forced into second place. On days where I look despairingly through my rather ancient videogame collection (Playstation and N64 titles), trying to find a game which I can just have some high quality, harmless fun for an hour or so - I normally opt for this. Playing the game is ridiculously simple; I mean c'mon, its football. Just passing and shooting right; well not quite - like all great sports games its easy to play but very tricky to master. Even after three years I know my game can improve, and astoundingly playi

ng the computer (albeit on the hardest setting) still offers a refreshing challenge.

Playing the game:

After the cheesy introductory movie, the game first prompts you to save an options file to your memory card (takes up two slots). This is highly recommended unless you are just renting the game, as the option file will register and save any changes you make to the games default settings, such as match length, volume control, default stadium e.t.c. The options file also saves any changes you make to the player database, whether you want to alter a player's appearance or name, or if you want to create new players. Unlike Electronic Arts FIFA series, ISS Pro Evolution doesn't boast an official license (although its sequel does fortunately) on player names and clubs, so if this proves to be too irritating (it hasn't for me - although hearing the commentator does make me cringe (or laugh) occasionally) you can alter the information. This is a time consuming progress, and so I have only altered the England team at the time of writing. Also unlike FIFA, the ISS series only features international teams, although a master league has been included with 16 of the best European teams (with altered names), such as Arsenal referred to as "London" and Juventus as "Torino" for example.

At the first screen, you are given a choice of options.

Match mode:
Here are listed three different types of football match - exhibition match, all-stars match and penalty kick match. The exhibition match is an uncomplicated friendly between two international teams. You first decide whether you want to play home or away, then pick one of the 53 included teams. The all-stars teams are also listed here so why a separate option of "all-stars match" was included in the game is a mystery to me. All the major teams are listed, as well as some more obscure (i.e. naff) ones such as United Arab Emirates and Scotland (lol)
. You
can also load any created teams from your master
league (which I'll come onto later) to play in an exhibition match and brilliantly, if a friend brings his memory card with his master league team round, then you can play each other's created teams.

League Mode:
Essentially a league of all the international teams, where you can play for a half or full season. Team at the top of the league at the end gets the trophy.

Cup Mode:
Here you can compete in any of six cup competitions with the international teams. Most of them limit your choice of team by geography, with the European cup for teams in Europe and the Asian cup - you get the idea.

Master League:
This is the best part of the game and so I am deeply thankful that Konami included it. You pick a European team and compete in a fiercely competitive league (you can only play it on the normal or hard difficulty setting), again over a half or full season. Winning a game gives you eight points, drawing four and losing none. These points can be used to purchase players from either the other European teams or from the international teams (Ok so you don't actually buy them off their country, but as they are current internationals they are available to play for your club). This is vital as bizarrely, no matter which team you pick you start off with the same default, created players. The other teams all have their "real-life" players. The "real-life" players of your selected club are now impossible to re-purchase as they have disappeared from the game (unless they are included in an international squad). To be on the safe side then I would choose one of the weaker sides (such as Amsterdam or Marseille), as you will not miss their original players if they disappear.

Training mode:
Here you can practice penalty kicks, corners or even dabble with direct free kicks practicing the perfect technique a la David Beckham. Or you can jus
t muck abo
ut and generally make fun of the opposing keeper like I do.

Game options:
You can look at your trophy cabinets and replays of your best goals. All the options that cannot be changed mid-match are here also. The editing mode for players is encompassed in this section too. You can even toggle the language of the commentary between English, French and German. (I particularly like French)

Overall there are enough options to keep me happy, but most of the time I just stick to playing the exhibition matches. My master league first team now consists of the following (remember this is based in 1999)
Chilavert, Thuram, Desailly, Hierro, Roberto Carlos, Davids, Rui Costa, Zidane, Rivaldo, Denilson, Shevchenko - so as you can see you can create some pretty "tasty looking" teams with the master league mode.

Graphics:

Graphically the game is beginning to show its age a bit, but this is not the aspect of a football game that matters the most. The replays are excellent though, allowing you to save your favourite strikes and watch them over and over again in 360 degrees, slow motion magnificence. The stadiums are decent, helped by an abundance of flag-waving supporters in the stands. As for the players they can be differentiated by looks alone, but only just. Hair and skin colour and height are the only "easily recognisable" ways of telling the player who is who, but a box at the bottom tells you whom you are controlling anyway.

Music/Commentary
The game features a little instrumental music, but it is very low quality. As for the commentary, Martin Williams (who?) and Terry Butcher (I am just about old enough to remember him donning an England shirt) do an adequate job, but are pretty suspect at times. For example if you try a through ball which is about to run on to your front man, Williams yells "Amazzzzzing Pass" - only for it to be immediately cut out by a defender. Occasional
ly when you boo
t the ball over the bar he feels inclined to say "Just off by the width of the ball" (width??). Butcher's "expert" analysis is often hilarious though - example (after winning a match 1-0)
Williams: "So Terry what did you think of today's match?"
Butcher: "That one goal made the difference."

Gameplay:

I would find it hard to muster total conviction that if you play videogames, you haven't heard of this game. The truth is, ISS is pure gaming genius - it seems as shallow as any other football game to the untrained eye, but play it for a while and I guarantee you will love it. You want me to elaborate?
OK, firstly no single goal you score in this game will be an exact duplicate of one previously scored. Even if you take a shot from the exact same position, the flight of the ball will almost certainly differ. The ability of some players to swerve the ball is incredible, and is controlled by moving the d-pad in the desired direction once you have struck the ball. The free kicks in the game are truly great also, and scoring from one is as difficult as scoring from one in reality - so that when you do you feel a great sense of achievement. I once scored from 36 metres (albeit with the master of long free kicks - Roberto Carlos) - the shot had so much curl on it that it went round the right hand side of the wall and into the top left hand corner. Shooting in the game is an art form and is devastating when mastered. A power bar is used which will fill after about half a second - so you have to think fast but remember, in competitive football, one rarely has more than a second to make a decision when shooting. To begin with you will almost invariably "spoon" the ball over the crossbar, but in persevering you can master this art, as once again the d-pad determines which corner you strike for and rolling your finger over the pad afterwards determines how much swerve y
ou wish to apply. Wh
en running with the ball, it is difficult to outrun the opposition yet once you have mastered close dribbling you can hurdle your way through an entire team like the great Maradona or Pele. Once again, this is not a skill you can master after a few weeks ? it takes months. Longer still to master is passing the ball round with such dexterity and skill that you can put the current Arsenal team to shame, with this skill giving you the amazing ability to either tear through teams in a few seconds, or to build up 30 or 40 passes before finishing a move. Tactics can also be employed through use of the R2 combined with other buttons, such as "left side attack", "counter attack", "offside trap" or "centre back overlap". Defending on the hardest mode can be a real pig at times, as the computer A.I is very high but never so good as to break the boundaries of realism. Other advantageous manoeuvres include "lobbing the keeper"(L1 and Square), "dummying" (X and Square) and a one-two (L1 and X). My most favoured move though is the lobbed through ball (L1 and Triangle) which is great for splitting defences.

Any complaints about the gameplay are minor ones. Firstly when the ball is in the air a player will nearly always head it (if you tell him to) - it is very rare for a player to strike the ball on the full or half volley. Also if a player is dispossessed they will not be able to move for a split second and so this effectively stops them for trying to redeem their mistake by immediately winning back the ball.

Conclusion:

ISS Pro Evolution is simply a masterpiece if you are judging it by its gameplay. I doubt this game will ever be bettered in this department, simple as that. If you haven't played it but like the FIFA games, you unquestionably need to play this game. Only then will you fully appreciate how much you are missing out. Also, playing ISS Pro Evolution aga
inst a friend of equal calibre is s
cintillating - I once got so excited I fell off a friend's bed and damaged my wrist. (This confession in no way should give you the impression that this game is dangerous for your health) A final note about the sequel - equally impressive but with the bonus of real names. That change indeed makes the sequel an improved package but as it simply a rehash of this game with minute gameplay enhancements, this game deserves more credit.

N.B For those of you who have the game I found out recently that winning all the trophies (on any setting) unlocks the classic european and world all-star teams, the former including Jordi Cruyff and Eusebio and the latter including the aforementioned Maradona and Pele. These players can then also be purchased for your master team.

N.B Number 2: I couldn't comment on the manual section at the bottom as I never had the manual.

Summary: