European Champions

Football, great...

You know me, I loathe football, and the only time I've bothered was with Team a few years ago. Ugh, "Soccer" is, for me, as dull as dishwater: hardly any goals, the endless diving, and the drama when players act like they’ve been hit by a sniper, when in reality the only thing that touched them was a blade of grass! ;^)

Ocean released European Champions in 1994 for the Atari STe, with support for one or two players. Wait, did I say STe?? Yes, the DMA audio is used for crowd sounds and other effects. And, unlike Team, there are lots of effects played throughout the match, which really lift the atmosphere of our virtual stadium. Plus, the Blitter chip is working away to keep the frame rates up for the little men bravely charging up and down the pitch. Also, I have to admit, the range of pitches is impressive, and the action replays are excellent.

The joystick controls are everything you’d hope for: fast, responsive, and easy to get into without being too easy. Even I can see two people around their Atari STe enjoying this one! Hey, if I liked football, I’d probably be glued to this game for hours. As it stands, I’m still impressed - despite myself. There’s plenty more, too: you can play friendlies, leagues, cups, and even tweak the referee’s temperament if you fancy.

European Champions is polished, responsive, and stacked with features that make the matches very enjoyable. The highlights are my favourite part. I'm feeling brave enough to rate this 90%. However, I still think footballers are overpaid drama queens - but Ocean’s STe kickabout almost makes me see the appeal. Almost.

I believe this was Ocean's final Atari release? If so, what a way to end. Legends!!

• There are several menus to download at Atari Legend.
• Atarimania has the original disks available from their archive.
• European Champions is proudly added to the Enhanced Gaming List.
• We also have a 'soccer' group, but it's quite lite atm... Any recommendations?

Tension is rising in the box, and things are getting scrappy. Like I'd know...

Score a goal, and it's time for a superb action replay!

Oh dear, a grown man is injured and crying for help. Big girl's blouse!!

Another goal scored, so let's see it again in more detail, please.

What, I actually enjoyed a footy game? Sure did, it's excellent.

Let me know if you agree. Is it better than Sensi Soccer or Kick Off!!

Team

Jumpers For Goalposts

Team is a soccer game released in 1995 by a dedicated company called Impact Software. Specifically developed by Ralph Lovesy on the Atari STe, it makes full use of the enhanced hardware often ignored by commercial companies: extra colours, 50fps hardware scrolling, Blitter and DMA audio. Wow!! O_o

Disclaimer... If I'm brutally honest, I feel unqualified to review Team as I'm not a soccer fan. However, from what I have played, I was impressed. I'm hardly a convert but I enjoyed running around the pitch and having a good kick about! But not knowing the game's technicalities stopped me from progressing further. Interestingly, there is a friendly mode that displays much of the game's styles and playability, like passing, tactics, and tackles. Hmm, sounds like fun?

Well, it is! Surprisingly, I've enjoyed playing this pointless game of runaround. The tactics and strategy elements are limited, with little beyond picking your team and conditions to endure, like a muddy pitch or windy weather. That's good, right? Who would wanna play any kind of Football Manager? Erm, forget I said that!

As an arcade/sports game, it's impressive. I genuinely enjoyed a few games - the control of each player is responsive with accuracy and precision. That means it's quick to move around the pitch and the ball was easy to control - it went where I wanted! Look, if you're a footy fan, then I'm sure you'll love it. I did.

It's now that I end my chitter-chatter with screenshots. How about a video instead...

I'm not a footy fan, but I recorded a video... Note the overscan!

Graphics!

Check out the two images below that display just what Team has hidden up its sleeve. Yep, overscan is used to drastically increase the playable area. Oddly, the footballer's sprites are small, but their movements are fast, and the screen is fluently moving at a smooth 50fps. But, from what I've seen of most other footy games, this is normal. I suppose it wouldn't work very well if they had giants on the pitch!

The animations are great for the tiny players. The pitch colours are deep and strong, and I liked the subtle use of colourful styles in the menus. But, come on, having the gameplay in overscan is simply amazing. Once again, the underrated Atari STe proves itself. Kudos to the skill and commitment of Ralph Lovesy.

Let's see what I mean. Two images below, the first normal and the second with overscan...

    

The left image is captured at the standard resolution of 320x200, whereas gameplay uses overscan!

Plink Plonk Sounds?

Sound effects are good - when you hear them. Perhaps that's the norm in these types of games, but I found the stadiums eerily lacking in atmosphere and ambience. Okay, there are kicking effects and the odd Ref whistle blow, but it's pretty lame, and a lot more was needed. Like the roar of the crowd being heard frequently. Perhaps I'm wrong, but hearing the fans in the background feels like the weakest part of the entire game.

Thankfully, the music is excellent with cheesy MOD tunes throughout the menus. It's tacky but in stereo with the tracker routines developed by a familiar name from the Atari ST demoscene - GRIFF. How cool is that?!!

I couldn't stomach another grassy screenshot, so how about another pic of the box art (rear)...

The front cover was... different... and the back of the box isn't much better ;-)

The CryptO'pinion?

Look, I was never gonna be blown away, but I had lots of fun, which shocked me, seeing as I hate soccer! Whether it's better than Kick Off, Sensible Soccer, or even Speedball, I couldn't say. I will say this, as a hater of a boring sport, Team was seriously entertaining. So take it for a kickabout and try it for yourself?

Hey, if I can enjoy footy, then I reckon anyone can, so let me know what you think in the comments.

Download from 8bitchip, which is adapted for HDD!

Old Games Finder has access to floppy disks.

Ralph Lovesy was interviewed in Maggie #16.