Greatest football game on the N64!
Konami will forever be synonymous with the best football games in my eyes (yes that's football not soccer :P). This is the sequel to the original International Superstar 64 released. This game realistically captures every little aspect of the beautiful game, from the devastating curling 25 yard screamers to the sweetly timed crunching tackles.
The gameplay of ISS 98 is vastly superior to anything which Fifa mustered up at the time, with better AI and more precise controls. Along with the 'World League' (World Cup)My favourite part of the game is the scenario mode, in which the game puts you in a position in a game such as being England against Argentina 2-1 down with 10 minutes to go, and your objective is to win the game. It adds some longevity to the game, and some of the challenges are quite demanding.
The commentary is somewhat hit and miss, and although improved by the shoddy "GOOOOOOALLL" noises of the previous instalment it still has minor issues. This time the commentary is performed by Tony Gubba, and a reasonable job he does too. Unfortunately due to the N64's limitations of size, there was a small amount of sound bytes, so it does get repetitive after a time. The sound effects of the game are nearly exactly the same as ISS 64, which were clear and did the job well.
Little has changed on the graphics front from ISS 64. The overall presentation of the game falls a little short against the Fifa games, with somewhat dull menu screens. However, the graphics still have excellent player and crowd models.
+
Maintains excellent pick up and playability from previous games in the series
Vastly improved goalies from ISS 64
Improved graphics and animation
A free kick system that actuallty works (take note EA Sports)
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No real player names - say hello to David Decham
Tony Gubba the commentator shouting "That MUST be a penalty" when the play is on the half-way line
Eats memory cards for breakfast (takes up 1 entire official controller pak)
All in all, a classic!!!