Reviewed: 23 June 2000
As most of you have (or, at least, should have) already read the ISSD review of the SNES version, I'm just going to point out the most significant differences between the two versions. Oh, and since the MegaDrive version came out an year later than the SNES one, from hereafter I shall refer to the SNES version as the 'original'.

First of all, the MegaDrive version wasn't developed by the same team who developed the SNES version. The team behind this version of the game if FACTOR 5, which used the main code from the original version, but asides from porting it to the MegaDrive, tweaked the AI and the gameplay a bit.

So, what's new? Basically, the game flows faster than on the SNES. This adds for a little more realistic ball physics, and the passing action, though it doesn't get to FIFA's "pinball frenzy" style, gets more pleasant to watch. The shots on goal also benefit from this little adjustment, seeming altogether more powerful because of the speed they achieve. Besides, the team rosters and abilities seem to have been updated (for example, Portugal plays better than on the original version, and there's this blond player out of nowhere, which might be Cadete).

But, asides from these slight changes, the game has some deceiving aspects... First of all, whenever you turn on man-marking, and use it against the CPU's strikers, they act really dumb. Firstly, they get more times into their team's defensive half (maybe they do so, just to evade my defenders???). So, whenever their wingers make a breakthrough through the wing and center, the center actually gets to their team's strikers; too bad they were halfway between the center of the field, and my goal... a real shame. (note: this point I can't be sure it happens ONLY on the MegaDrive version, since I never played the SNES version against the CPU; only with friends). Still, if you don't use man-marking, these problems disappear, but give place to others... If their striker or winger manages to get through my defense line when my last defender is close to the midfield, instead of running to the goal, 70% of the times, they pass backwards, rendering that breakthrough useless... Sometimes they even get to run to my penalty box, but then they lob the ball back instead of taking a shot!!! Sad.

Another thing is the keeper's AI... I say that the best/ more realistic keeper is Level 4 on the SNES version (though Level 5 is playable, but looks more like a Super-Goalie...). On the Megadrive version, Level 5 keeper is inhuman! You just can't beat it on one-on-one situations unless you actually feint it... You can only score on headers, feinting it, or cheat goals... Yes, unfortunately you read it right... it happens that, if you get to know the player's shot power, there's a distance where, if you point the ball to a determined place, it goes in all the time. While this doesn't make a huge difference if you select good teams, whose players have enough shot power to shoot above the goal, if you select Portugal (which is my case), most players have the same shot power, and the higher shot I once got to do was one that hit the croosbar, so, you see that if I hold down the button on maximum power in determined positions, the ball always gets in, because of both its power and placement.

On the SNES version, the ONLY cheat goal I found (yes, there was one :) ), was with Stranz, from Germany, in the Italy stadium (it surely must work on other stadiums; I found it out on this one and, as it has stripes on the grass through the whole field, I memorized the place :) ). So, attacking from left to right, placed about 2 meters away from the sideline at the lower part of the screen, if you pointed the shot to the middle og the goal, held maximum shot power around the second or third stripe on the grass and when the shot left, curved it to the post that stays on the higher part of the screen when the whole goal is on it, the ball would hit the ground in front of the goal, hit the post and then enter, if done right. It was needed a lot of timing to give the ball the right amount of curve, and, as it was rare to shoot from that distance, it didn't spoil the fun of playing the game... But on the MegaDrive version, the cheat goals are all near or even inside the penalty area, which spoils the whole fun, because these are places where it is probable you do take a shot. But when it goes in for the 50th time, you feel you have already scored too many goals like that one on past games...

To sum up, the SNES version gives a 5-0 result to the MegaDrive version of the game, in what concerns longevity of the fun you are supposed to have with the game. It is not a bad version of the game, in fact it adds some great gameplay tweaks, but after you played two world leagues and International Cups, even on level 5, you feel as you have already seen every goal possible within the game, and in the end, you all want a game where, if the computer creates a great chance of scoring, it is our keeper's merit if it isn't a goal, instead of a stupid AI problem that makes the computer players pass back when one on one... I only recommend taking on this version if you are either tired of the SNES version, or only have a MegaDrive, as this is without a doubt THE football game for MegaDrive. Too bad it only lasts for 4 months.

Thanks to Paulo Tavares, our Portugese Cyber Mentor, for this review and box scans. I never knew the game ever existed.

The Dutch Mentor

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