Sinclair ZX Spectrum

Gary Lineker's Superstar Soccer

Much of the design and programming of Superstar Ice Hockey (by many of the same programmers) is revised to provide a six-a-side soccer game. You can control any combination of centre-forward, goalkeeper (on the C64) and manager. For much of the game you are merely the centre-forward as the action unfolds around you - don't be afraid to track back and help out. The ball sticks closely to a player, who can pass, shoot, head or bicycle-kick it. Goalkeepers are penalised for retaining possession for too long (a rule later adapted for use in real-life football). Match length can be between 6 and 90 minutes, by toggling the speed at which time moves. Fouls are fully implemented. Single matches can be played in the cassette version, but the disk version adds a full-season structure. 64 English teams are split into 4 divisions of 16, with a season consisting of either 7 or 15 matches.