It passes the NES test; it's fun!
Visuals: First and foremost a soccer field is not difficult to represent. Especially true taken into the context of when released. Green with chalk lines. Hard to mess that up. This game made the fields surfaces recognizable by it's visuals. The grass looks like grass, the mud course looks like mud, the ice looks like ice and the concrete looks like concrete. (Slide tackling on concrete......If you say so.) The character animations are surprisingly very good. Every single guy on the field has the same 2 default faces: Game face & Injured/Dead. If you tackle the same guy or kick the ball at them enough times he gets knocked out! The face changes accordingly and is pretty funny!
Controls: The d-pad moves. Imagine that! Press a button and your character goes that way. One button for shoot one to pass. Press them at the same time + a direction and you execute a headbutt. Press them without a direction and you bicycle kick (Super Shot)! Easy, effective and concise. Perfect for the game.
Difficulty: This game gets it. You start off against a team that could not win a game to save their lives. As you progress the difficulty progresses. Better teams have better super shots & more resilient goal keepers. The final teams get pretty tough but that's the idea right?
Sound: Good music that does not hinder the game. NES music that enhanced the game was rare. There are always exceptions but usually you can't depend on 8 bit music. The music just flowed with the progression of a soccer game. The sound effects were fitting to the actions represented. Can't ask for more from the NES.
Parting Shot: A game 20 years old has to be good when you can pick it up during the blu ray age of motion sensors and interactivity and enjoy it just as much as day one. Good solo but great with friends! Give it a shot you'll enjoy it!