At first glance, International Super Star Soccer Deluxe feels like a game that the majority of people wouldn't like.
Let's face it... it has pretty uninspired box art, and a mouthful of a name that even includes the cardinal sin of saying "soccer" to refer to football, something that a lot of people don't look kindly on (in fact, my friends and I disliked that so much that we avoided saying the title entirely, often referring to the game as "ISSD", "HECHU!" --a play on the overly-enthusiastic "He shoots!" comment that the announcer yells every time the ball is hit towards the goal--, or simply "the football game"). However, this title quickly becomes a clever twist on the age-old saying "don't judge a book by its cover". Indeed, once you get past those aforementioned annoyances, you realize just how great of a pick you have made to add to your collection.
I always loved just how dorky the players look when shown a card.
This becomes evident as soon as the opening logos and optional intro are all dealt with, as the announcer yells the title once more before letting you roam the simple but effective main menu, completed with unique sound effects and rather charming art. It is here that you learn that the game isn't pulling any punches, and it even directs your attention to the interesting-sounding Scenario Mode, which is a most welcomed addition to someone willing to sink even more hours into a game they'd most likely be returning to over and over.
In "Scenario Mode" you are presented with a situation that needs to be dealt with as soon as possible, often involving taking or retaking the lead on a losing effort, coming back from behind after a disastrous performance or just breaking a tie, often with only a few minutes to spare. I'm not ashamed to say that I have spent countless hours just going through those pre-made scenarios, often turning the whole thing into a science by calculating just the right spot to deliver a free kick or the amount of fake-outs and dribbling I'd need to do in order to find an opening that would let me conquer those tasks. The fact that this is just an optional part of the experience really speaks volumes about the kind of game the lads over at Factor 5 had created here.
"Scenario Mode" is what makes or breaks players, and the ultimate test to one's abilities. It's nice that's available right from the start, too.
As soon as you enter even a single exhibition match (which you'd want to do right away), you are mostly likely to be floored by the amount of freedom and choices presented to you right from the get-go. This is a game that allows from some really wacky shenanigans, which include putting yourself either at a gross advantage or disadvantage by letting you put your team's moral through the roof or in the basement, modifying the number of players on your squad (down to seven if you wish) and the conditions of the field, going from sunny to snowy if you so desire. Added to this, the game lets you choose the goalkeepers' skill level on that very same screen, going from some random klutz who wouldn't be able to stop a paper towel, to a Lev Yashin-like god that you'd really have to outsmart (or just plain get lucky against) to score on.
One thing that seemed to turn people away from the game at launch was the fact that there weren't any licenses attached to it, meaning that the only real things in the game were the national flags and names of the many squads (you don't even get to play the World Cup, but the World SERIES, which is pretty annoying), but I actually didn't mind too much... one of the biggest joys within my peer group was seeing the raise of Capitale and other ISSD greats on the pitch.
I will always be blown away by the sheer number of options you have to mess with.
What the game lacks in licensing and merch it gains on customization, however. Added to all to the changes you can make to the gameplay, you can also edit your squad to give it some much-needed (if honestly unexpected) feel, going as far as to edit your own team's jersey colors and the names of your players. I used to spend a lot of time doing that when I felt like adding an extra layer to my game, and I can say that it was a very welcome addition to it. You can also edit the rule set to make it so the referee wouldn't be able to show you any cards (or even react to most fouls), turning the game into an even bigger competition to see just how cheap you and your friends are prepared to be, which is never a bad idea and guarantees a lot of funny arguments.
One thing that really shines for me are the graphics.
Sure, they all sport this very distinct 16-bit look that's a bit tough to describe, but both Factor 5 and Konami (for the SNES version) seemed to be able to make the most out of them. The pitch feels alive with movement and the players move in very arcade-y way that you are sure to love. You'd be spending way too long looking at these endless green extensions of grass, and so I'm happy to report that that's not a problem at all here (and I have been playing this for years). The details on the stands and the sidelines are also nicely done, with particular effort going towards the long crowd shots as you (or your opponent) score, and you are shown the stadium's Jumbotron, along with pretty dramatic images of your players as they react to what had just happened. It's all really charming and effective.
The graphics are rather simplistic on this one, but it all adds up beautifully. The mini-map doesn't distract from the action, but you can always keep it within sight. How many games fail to do that?
The music and sound effects are all very well-done, too.
The different menu music and the sounds of the crowds as they react are cool and don't overstate their welcome, whilst the kinda-commentary plays its role discretely but effectively -- we knew right from the get-go that having play-by-play announcements was way beyond the capabilities of the 16-Bit consoles the game was released on, but the few lines told by that wacko on the mic are just as effective (if not better) than offerings on much more powerful platforms. Hearing that little psycho yelling "He Shoots!" or "Long Ball!" never gets old.
The different sound effects as the ball is being kicked around the stadium and the many grunts players do as they fight for it, sliding into one another, and just being a complete wrecking crew with cleats for weapons are perhaps the strongest parts of the sound department. It's actually hard to explain, but it sounds like the ball has some weight to it as it is being handled and tossed about, and the fact that the developers were able to give that illusion with just some well-placed sound bits is a commendation for them that I don't give lightly.
Ahhh... it was just a little crash.
Of course, the game would be complete trash if you couldn't play it... and so I'm happy to report that this is by far one of the easiest sports games to pick up and play.
The six-button configuration on the Genesis really makes this one quite easy to get to grips with, and even the rookiest of players will have a really easy time mastering the controls after a few short matches. My friends and I actually called the control scheme for this title "Alphabet Soup", because it was the only game any of us owned which used all six face buttons to do something different, with both "A" and "Z" getting their time on the spotlight as the match progressed.
Since this isn't a retrospective, I will skip most of my memories attached to this one, but I wouldn't be doing my job here if I didn't at least mention what my friends and I called the "Pixel Perfect Shot", which was a quirk exclusive to this game and that made shots made from very specific parts of the screen into instant goals each and every time, which caused brain-damage-by-facepalm to us on the receiving end of it. You could score a goal from the middle of the field if you just found the correct sweet spot, as well as turning a long ball with no destination into a goal by beating the goalkeeper to the jump each and every time you located the exact spot for that, too. Mastering this wasn't essential or anything, but it did turn some matches into almost basketball-like affairs, with goals in the tens. It was just beautiful, and I'm not convinced that it was an oversight on the part of the developers.
"YES! GOAAAAAL! GOOOOAL!", the battle cry of my childhood.
Even if you are not a sports fan (or even a football fan), I'd still recommend picking this one up to add to your collection. It's fun, simple and addicting... and while it lacks the experimental RPG stuff that some later entries into the series would be known for, the sheer amount of stuff to do here would make you keep returning for more.
This is one of the easiest recommendations I can give.
Pros
- + High replayability.
- + Addictive.
- + Good graphics and sound effects.
- + Easy to pick up and play.
- + An otherwise boring premise taken to the absolute limit.
Cons
- - Lacks any sort of licensing.
- - Not enough alternative modes to attract any non-fans of the sport.
- - Only competitive in multiplayer.
8
Gameplay
8
Graphics
8
Sound
10
Replayability
9
out of 10
Overall
The awkward-sounding International Super Star Soccer Deluxe is perhaps the greatest multiplayer game on the Genesis, and it's one that would turn even the most reclusive of gamers into a multiplaying machine due to its sheer fun factor. You can't go far wrong with this one!
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